1. Planning for your future
Taking the next step
Planning for your future

2. What is the next step?
Career
Military
Community College or College

3. Preparing for a career
Interest Inventories and Career Exploration Tools
Class selections and certifications
Job Shadowing
Career Fair

4. Interest Inventories and Career Exploration Tools
ASVAB Career Exploration Program
IT’S FREE!!
Aptitude Test
Measures General Science, Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Mathematics Knowledge, Electronics Information, Auto and Shop Information, and Mechanical Comprehension
Self Assessment
Career Exploration Tools

7. Interest Inventories and Career Exploration Tools
EXPLORE – 8th grade
PLAN – 10th grade
ACT – 11th grade
World of Work Map
Students complete an interest inventory
Each score report provides suggestions of career interests

9. Course Selections
Select courses that will meet the needs of your post high school goals
Ask which courses have certifications and/or potential for college credit
Develop an interest area or concentrator in a certain area

10. Harnett County Schools Career & Technical Education
Serve 10,055 students in grades 6-12 (duplicated count)
School Year:
CTE Concentrator Graduation Rate 89.4%
83.8% of CTE Concentrators graduated and are currently enrolled in post-secondary education, advance training, military, or employed.
February is CTE Month
Program Areas: Agriculture, Business Finance & IT, Career Development, Family & Consumer Sciences, Health Science, Marketing & Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Trade & Industrial.
Credentials included in count: ASE Brakes (14), ASE Electrical (14), CPR Certificate (99), Microsoft Access (21), Microsoft Excel (37), Microsoft Power Point (302), Microsoft Word (266), NCCER Core (197), Nurse Aide (43), OSHA Safety (206), Serv Safe (1), and WorkKeys (424). (#)= number of credential received in area.
CTE Concentrator: A student that has taken 4 CTE courses within a Career Cluster with one course being a completer.
Harnett County Graduation Rate: 74.5%/Harnett County CTE Concentrator Graduation Rate: 89.4%
State Graduation Rate: 80.2%/State CTE Concentrator Graduation Rate: 94%

11. CTE Career Clusters
Document 1

12. Credentials/Certificates In the school year 1,625 credentials were awarded across the district.
ASE Brakes
NCCER Core
ASE Electrical
Nurse Aide
CPR Certificate
OSHA Safety
Microsoft Access
Serv Safe
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Power Point
Microsoft Word

13. WorkKeys Assessments Assess the Workforce
WorkKeys assessments measure “real world” workplace skills critical to job success. These skills are valuable for any occupation—skilled or professional—at any level of education, and in any industry.
More than 10 million WorkKeys assessments have been administered.

14. Certification Certify abilities
The National Career Readiness Certificate, issued by ACT, is a portable, evidence-based credential that certifies essential workplace skills and is a reliable predictor of workplace success.

15. Certification Certify abilities The NCRC™ is a credential that is:
Evidence-based
Industry-recognized
Portable
Used to document essential skills linked to workplace success
Awarded at four levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum
Emphasize recognition across industry and the portability of certificate.
Gives students credibility when applying for jobs

16. Articulated Credits
North Carolina High School to Community College Articulation Agreement. (link to AA Document)
To receive articulated credit, students must enroll at the community college within two years of their school graduation date and meet the following criteria:
Final grade of B or higher in the course, and
A score of 93, or higher, on the standardized CTE post-assessment.

17. Harnett County Schools Fire Academy

18. Job Shadowing Spend a day with a professional in the community
Open to all students in Harnett County Schools
Contact your Career Development Coordinator for information

19. Career Fair Fall of Sophomore year
Sponsored by the Harnett County Business Partnership and Harnett County Schools
Participants include local businesses

20. Military Options

21. Reasons Attracted to Military
Travel
Need for Employment
A sense of civic duty and service for our country
Family Tradition
Occupational Training
Educational Opportunity

22. Gateways to Military Service
Enlistment
Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)
Service Academies
Senior Military Colleges

23. Branches of Military Service
U.S. Army (Army Reserve, Army National Guard)
U.S. Air Force (Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard)
U.S. Navy (Navy Reserve)
U.S. Marines Corps (Marine Corps Reserve)
U.S. Coast Guard (Coast Guard Reserve)

24. General Enlistment Qualifications
18 years of age. Parental consent at 17.
U.S. Citizen or immigrant alien legally admitted to U.S. with documentation.
High School Graduation or GED (limiting)
Physical exams/drug screening/background check
Need for recruits in a specific job
Aptitude Test (ASVAB)

25. Enlistment Direct Ship Delayed Entry Program Basic Training
Occupational Specialty Training

26. Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)
Opportunity to attend college while studying military leadership
Offered at hundreds of college campuses
Highly competitive (grades, ACT/SAT, personal interview)
Four yr program leads to bachelor degree and entry level commission as an officer.

27. ROTC Scholarships
Pay tuition, required fees, textbooks and a monthly stipend for each month enrolled.
Merit based not need based
Come with a military service commitment:
Army (4yrs active, 4 years reserve)
Navy (4 to 5 years)
Air Force (4 to 6 years)
Deadlines differ with branches (between Dec. 1st to January 31st of senior yr.)

28. Military Service Academies
US Military Academy at West Point
West Point, NY
US Naval Academy
Annapolis, Maryland
US Air Force Academy
Colorado Springs, Colorado
US Coast Guard Academy
New London, Connecticut

29. US Merchant Marine Academy
Kingsport, New York

30. Admissions Criteria for Service Academies:
Extensive process, extremely competitive
Standardized test scores (SAT or ACT)
Athletics and extracurricular activities
Leadership experience and community involvement
High school academic performance
A congressional letter of recommendation (not required by the Coast Guard Academy)
Begin application process Spring of Junior year

31. After Graduation from Service Academy:
Five year active military commitment plus three yr reserves
Commissioned as an officer
College Degree

32. Senior Military Colleges
Offer combination of higher education with military instruction
Must participate in ROTC programs
Only those receiving ROTC Scholarships must enter military service

33. Senior Military Colleges
Texas A&M Corps of Cadets
Norwich University
The Virginia Military Institute
The Citadel
North Georgia College and State University
Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets
Mary Baldwin Women’s Institute for Leadership

34. A recent article in the News & Observer stated that individuals with a college degree will earn double over his/her lifetime than that of an individual with a high school diploma.

35. Community College Vs. 4 year Colleges
No GPA Requirement
Must meet College Readiness Benchmark
Foreign Language Requirement does not have to be met
Transfer programs with acceptances to 4 year after completion of 2 years
Cost - $1, for 15 hours (normal load)
4 Year College
GPA Requirement
SAT/ACT Score
Foreign language requirement (for most)
Admission has become competitive
Cost - $ 3, 893 (tuition only, does not include housing)
Offers a unique experience for independence

36. Understanding the Transcript
GPA
Quality Points
AP/Honors Classes

37. Student A Freshman year – GPA was 2.25
Sophomore year only – GPA was 3.578
Cumulative GPA after 9th & 10th Grade – 2.914
Did not begin taking honors classes until 11th grade
Is unsure about attending post-secondary education

38. Student B Has taken rigorous classes since 9th grade
Has continued to challenge herself academically
Wants to pursue post-secondary education

39. The Complete Package Rigorous classes Community Service
School Involvement
ACT/SAT Scores
The Complete Package

40. Explore, PLAN, & ACT
North Carolina now requires 8th, 10th, & 11th Grade Students to participate in College & Career Ready Assessments
Many schools offer ACT prep classes during school, before school, or after school
Pay attention to your child’s score – the score report gives strategies to improve scores
Make sure your child is prepared on test day!

41. What Should I Be Doing Now?
Set high expectations for your son/daughter.
Make a 4 year plan of action.
Discuss plan with your child.
Research schools to determine admission requirements to desired school(s).

42. What Should I Be Doing Now?
Communicate with your child’s teachers frequently. is a great communication tool.
Discuss with your child school happenings.
Review transcript/report cards, school website, etc.
Follow your child’s current academic progress through PAM.

43. When Does the College Application Process Begin?.
When Does the College Application Process Begin?
Fall of your child’s senior year. Pay attention to College deadlines.
During November, CFNC offers College Application Week. During this week, many schools waive the application fee. This is a great time to apply if it is within the deadline.

44. Resources: www.cfnc.org www.act/student.org www.harnett.k12.nc.us
Your child’s counselor
Your child’s teachers