Build your career pathway with passion, dedication, and good support
Lead by Example
- Starting any venture from the ground up is a daunting task, but passionate belief in career pathway goals is contagious. Meeting face to face with parents and potential partners is the best way to explain the benefits of career-technical education. Inviting representatives from effective career pathway systems in other districts and states to speak with staff and students can energize the school and help everyone better understand the program’s process and goals.
Nurture Leadership in Others
- Even the most energetic educator cannot build a successful career pathway system alone. Encourage other faculty members and administrators to share their ideas and take responsibility for parts of the program. Involve students, parents, educators, and business and community leaders in the process so that they can feel a sense of pride and ownership in the system. An important component of solid leadership is listening. Listen to concerns and suggestions before responding. Incorporate ideas gathered at information sessions into goals and strategies. When people feel heard and valued, they are more willing to commit their support to the effort.
- Too often, schools rely on the same group of volunteers for every project. Although this core group’s support is essential in establishing a pathway system, leaders need to look outside their traditional support bases as well. Achieving results requires creativity in recruiting and in a presentation. For example, some schools and school systems have developed creative slogans, logos, signature colors, and marketing materials to promote their career-technical education programs. Creating a distinctive name and image increases awareness and excitement among students, parents, and faculty; this also makes the project readily memorable to potential supporters.
- Leaders on the playing field knowhow to motivate their team members to achieve a common goal. The same holds true when implementing a career pathway system. Successful systems are built by leaders who have the ability to attract and motivate a team of talented people with a wide variety of skills.
- Developing a clear vision and dividing tasks among team members are crucial steps in team building. Establishing concrete goals unites the team in a single mission; delegating responsibilities enables everyone to get actively involved from the beginning.
- Every project encounters setbacks. Effective leaders encourage their teams to learn from mistakes and move on. Keep everyone focused on the team’s long-term goals. Remind them that large projects take time to complete. Celebrate small victories such as organizing a career fair or completing a grant application. As long as the team stays committed and focused on long-term goals, success can follow.
Guidance to Support Career Pathways
Reorient guidance systems to help students navigate pathways
to career success.
Graduating from
high school into a successful future takes years of exploration and
preparation. By learning about various careers and the educational background
and training required for each, students can both dream about their futures and
take the steps necessary to make those dreams come true.
Build on Career Awareness
- Effective career pathway systems begin in the early grades. Bringing parents into the classroom to talk about their careers, taking field trips to local businesses and industries, and working through age-appropriate career handbooks are all ways to introduce careers to elementary and middle school students. In some school systems, career awareness in elementary school is followed by career assessments and career exploration courses in middle or junior high school. New career information, course requirements, and work-based learning opportunities are added each year to prepare students for high school and beyond.
- Students in the right pathway are well equipped to create career-technical education plans with the help of school teachers, career development coordinators and also their parents. By the time they graduate, students will be able to select career pathways and map out studies that will carry them after graduation.
Career education plans typically include:
• choice of career pathway
• proposed class schedules
• personal, school, and career interests
• internships and
other work-based learning
• post-high school plans
• standardized test scores.
Establish Career
Academies
- One way to refocus guidance on careers is to restructure the high school as a set of smaller career academies. Freshmen attend a career exploration academy, for example, and then choose a career pathway. The next year, they enter the academy where that pathway is offered. Each school-within-the-school has its own school counselor and a team of teachers who stay with students throughout their three years in the academy. This approach provides greater opportunities for teachers and counselors to work together to give individualized career guidance.
- A career-oriented overhaul of guidance systems means teachers, career development coordinators, and school counselors will be assuming new roles. Committing time and resources to professional development for everyone involved makes the transition easier. Career development workshops, guest speakers, and other programs are available nationwide. In addition, teachers and counselors can visit schools where successful pathway systems are in place and bring good ideas back to their own schools.
No comments:
Post a Comment