AchieveTexas College and Career Initiative:  The Counselor’s Resource for Developing Career Literacy! Presented by Karen L. Alexander, Ph.D. 11/12/2018

How much is a can of “Coke”?

Lopsided Expenditures Per Student Other Aspects of Education (Testing) = thousands Career Education < A can of “Coke” 11/12/2018

Crisis in career guidance K-12: We have far too few counselors Most school counselors have little time to provide career counseling and many don’t understand the labor market Higher-Ed: Resources are often constrained, especially at community colleges Few colleges embrace a comprehensive approach: including a strong emphasis on work-based learning Discussions about occupations: Not always accurate and honest Multiple Pathways to obtain occupation Four-year degree might not be necessary “I think it’s a massive crisis,” Bill Symonds, the director of the Global Pathways Institute, told Here & Now’s Robin Young. “I think it’s really the black hole in the American education system. Every year we spend thousands of dollars educating every student, [but] we spend the equivalent of one can of Coke on guidance counselors, one can of Coke.” 11/12/2018

One road to success? We’ve been told: 4-year college is seen as the only true pathway to success—When College is Not For Everyone article High school is about preparing students for 4-year college Academics are emphasized at the expense of career education/preparation Click on link to see article. 11/12/2018

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Costs of our neglect Disengagement: Students who don’t see the purpose of learning lose interest: (EdWeek Article—April 2014) Many students don’t have the information needed to make good decisions about their future. The result: many make poor choices about COLLEGE AND CAREER. Many college students are just wandering through the system, and this is a key cause of the underemployment epidemic. Click on the link to see the article. Click on the picture to see the infographic on the U.S. Department of Education’s site. 11/12/2018

THE GOAL—Make Careers a Central Focus of Education Career Literacy Evolution of terminology: Limitations of “career guidance” and “career development” The concept of “career literacy”: Equipping students/adults with the knowledge, tools, and support they need to make good career decisions: Now and in the Future The appeal of “literacy” THE GOAL—Make Careers a Central Focus of Education At present, we devote almost no resources to “career literacy:”  equipping students with the knowledge, skills and support they need to make an informed decision about a career, and the best pathways to pursue that career. The costs of this neglect are staggering.  Many young adults aren’t even aware of careers that could help them achieve the American Dream. As a result, many make ill-informed decisions, and so often become part of the epidemic of college dropouts.  Even those who do earn a degree often end up underemployed, working in a job that does not use the skills they acquired in college.  Our failure to provide young adults with high-quality career information is also a major cause of the “skills gap.” 11/12/2018

William Symonds, Founder Global Pathways Institute Around the first week of July, I had the opportunity to attend the National Career Development Conference (hyperlink to NCDA site by clicking on picture), which I recommend highly to every educator in our state. At this event, Bill Symonds was one of the keynote speakers. If you read the report called, “Pathways to Prosperity,” that came out in February 2011, you know he was one of the key players in developing this report at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is no longer at Harvard, and is now the Director of the Global Pathways Institute at Arizona State University. 11/12/2018

GPI Vision: Creating an America in which all young people are prepared to lead productive and successful lives. We believe that providing young people with high-quality multiple pathways is the best way to help them discover and develop their potential and achieve economic independence. Source: http://globalpathwaysinstitute.org 11/12/2018

In his address, he called for a national campaign to make career guidance a central focus of our education system. So I want to share some of his presentation with you to help set the stage when we begin to learn how we can develop a shared vision for establishing effective and measurable career pathways. Click on the picture to link to the presentation on the Global Pathways Institute site. http://globalpathwaysinstitute.org/events/career-literacy/ 11/12/2018

Vision for effective Career Literacy Career Guidance is a Focus of Education: K-12: Begin early and emphasize often Postsecondary: The goal is completion with a purpose: obtaining a credential that provides a pathway to a promising career Adopt a More Collaborative Approach: Involve the entire school community Engage business, parents, the broader community Embrace Work-Based Learning 11/12/2018

National Dialogue Recommendations and Findings: Counselors cannot do it alone—Collaboration is Essential Technology is essential, but not a panacea A caring adult is critical Require all teachers to take a course in career development Incorporate career readiness into state accountability systems 11/12/2018

National dialogue Recommendations and Findings: Reward postsecondary institutions on their effectiveness in placing students Greatly expand the availability of work- based learning 11/12/2018

Four Keys To College and Career Readiness

Counselors Address the Four Keys Texas Comprehensive Developmental Guidance and Counseling Program Model Guide Guidance Curriculum Responsive Services Individual Planning System Support Let’s look more closely

Four Keys To College and Career Readiness

Developing a Local Vision for Career Literacy What is happening locally? Is it a collective effort? How is your district approaching? Who is leading the discussion? Are all of the key players at the table?

Career Literacy Spans All Grades Steps to Success Employment: Career Advancement Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning Postsecondary: Career Preparation Achieving credentials: college, certification, apprenticeship, military 9-12: Programs of Study Related to a Career Goal Academic and technical courses supporting the career goal/s, intensive guidance, continued career assessment, extended learning experiences, personal graduation plans Grade 8: Career Exploration and Transition Develop graduation plans based upon personal interest/cluster areas leading to an endorsement 6-8: Initial Career Exploration Discovering interest areas, introduction of career assessments, age-appropriate extended learning experiences, e.g. job shadowing, interviews with professionals, CTSOs K-5: Understanding the Importance and Value of Work and Jobs Introduction to the world of careers

AchieveTexas Provides Resources for Career Literacy 11/12/2018

Questions?

For more information Visit our website at www.achievetexas.org Email Dr. Karen Alexander at karen.alexander@ttu.edu Email Dr. Cindy Miller at cynthia.l.miller@ttu.edu 11/12/2018