Selecting a Good Post Secondary Training or College Program By Dean Berry, Ed. D. This PowerPoint represents the first half of the lesson. Use the video version to view the complete lesson.

Discuss Should you enter a career training program or college program after graduating from high school? Why?

Continuing your education can increase your lifetime earnings.

Closely examine the information on this graph. About how much more money does a bachelor’s degree provide over a high school diploma?

After leaving high school, selecting a career or college program will be one of the most important decisions of your life. Creating your career path can take many different forms.

As you contemplate making your career choice, you will need to determine exactly what the training will require and how well you are prepared to deal with the challenges necessary for successful completion of the requirements. For instance, if your career choice is in the science field, have you completed the type of science courses that are necessary? Do you understand the daily tasks that may be involved in performing the jobs you are preparing for? Would these types of daily tasks be satisfying and rewarding for you?

To help you answer these types of questions you can evaluate your own academic skills and determine your interests and personality traits by taking some of the assessments available on the internet.

Take a Career Inventory that can help you match your abilities with a suitable career(15 minutes). After completing the survey, be sure to select the next section(search for careers) which identifies the best careers for you based on your survey results.

Iseek Cluster Survey.org.

Career Inventory at Career Zone

Job Quiz Aptitude Test

What do these categories mean to you? Can you give an example of each one?

Quick Write : Choose four of these values and explain why they are important to you.

Pair Share Turn to the person next to you and share your four most important career values.

Think about a field of study that might fit your values.

Plan for your future and avoid a lifetime of boredom.

How much time will you be willing to allocate towards preparing for your future career? Would a one year certification program work for you? How about a two year associate of arts degree in a specialty area? Could you manage a four year bachelor’s degree in your field of study? In general, longer career preparation programs provide larger financial rewards.

Vocational training programs can launch your career in one or two years with a certification program.

Whether you choose a vocational certification program or a longer college degree program you will need to identify potential obstacles and develop a realistic plan for success.

Quick Write: Discuss some of the obstacles that can get in the way of achieving career goals. Which of these issues might present a challenge for you?

Money can become a serious problem for students seeking preparation for a career.

Students with good grades and special skills may be able to qualify for certain scholarships offered by organizations and corporations. Some students will qualify for government grants that support low income students as they enter and complete successful semesters of career or college programs. However, many students will need to obtain student loans in order to pay for college tuition, books, and personal needs.

Discuss What is the difference between a college grant and a college loan? Are some college loans better than other college loans? Why?

Grants can come from a variety of sources.

Students from lower income families often qualify for Pell Grants offered by the federal government.

This year Pell Grants provide about $6,000 per school year to cover tuition, books, mileage, food, or other financial needs. Completing a federal(FAFSA) application will determine which grants students will receive.

The FASFA application is completed online and must be submitted by required deadlines.

How many 2 year public college students qualified for Pell Grants in ?

Some states such as California offer additional grants for students who qualify.

Why should anyone borrow thousands of dollars to pay for career and college programs?

Use your paper and calculate how much more a person with an associates (2 year) degree would make compared to a high school graduate earning $30,000 per year. Multiply your answer by 45 years.

How much more would a person with a 2 year degree earn than a high school graduate during a lifetime?

What is the difference in the unemployment rate for a high school graduate and a graduate with a four year degree?

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