Empowering Young People with Career Awareness
Today, it is estimated that 60% of adults who were struggling socioeconomically in their teens continue to struggle economically into their 30s. (Brookings.edu) In 2021, YouthTruth surveyed U.S. students to learn about their feelings towards their futures plans. The uncertainty reflected in their responses seems to still be holding true today. As young people continue to become more educated than the previous generation, we unfortunately have seen that academic success alone does not promise good employment.
Education today should provide students with knowledge that is relevant to their potential future employment opportunities. Making connections in the classroom to the outside world helps young people learn about pathways they may not have thought about before, while also highlighting the importance of the subject and how to apply it to their own lives. According to recent research, middle school is a time when students benefit most from career exploration and it has even been shown to improve their outcomes in high school!
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 8.3 million jobs are expected to be added to the economy by 2031. With so many possible career paths to choose from, it can cause a lot of confusion and pressure for young people to make the ‘right’ choice. Opening young people up to career options and possibilities will help them make thoughtful choices to better impact their futures. They’ll be better informed to make decisions like choosing their classes, taking on pre-apprenticeships, and even picking their first jobs.
Middle school educators know that career awareness is important at that time in children’s development. On June 13th we are hosting Ready, Set, Go! A Career Awareness Lesson Expo for middle school teachers. This is an in person, interactive and engaging opportunity for middle school educators to discover resources, lessons and strategies for integrating career awareness into regular daily instruction. There will also be a special emphasis on strategies for helping students discover how they can fit in non-traditional career fields.
If you are a high school educator, we have something for you and your students too. We have partnered with Painesville City Local Schools (PCLS), to put on the first ever Youth Virtual Career Fair powered by Career Town Network (CTN). During the month of May, all graduating high school seniors are encouraged to participate in this one-of-a-kind virtual job search opportunity. Whether the graduating senior is looking for full-time permanent employment, a part-time job during college, an internship or apprenticeship opportunity, participating in the Ohio Youth Virtual Career Fair offers a one-stop shop to engage with small, medium and large businesses across Ohio who are actively recruiting entry level employees.
And lastly, for both our middle school and high school educators and administrators, we are hosting LaunchPad Summer Institute again this year! We will be holding this event at The Lodge in Geneva-on-the-Lake (add map at bottom of blog) on July 31st and August 1st. This year will be bigger than ever with something for everyone. Join us to begin designing, building, and sustaining pathways for your students.
We attended sessions that showed us that there were other "Doable Credentials" that would be more beneficial for our student population and could be implemented within our current budget. We left the LaunchPad event energized and with support in place, which we wouldn't have even known about had we not attended this networking event.
Michele and her team at EnvisonEdPlus stay abreast of the current trends in education and have supported us in creating new courses and defining our programming to support students on the path to graduation and prepare them for whatever option they wish to pursue after high school.
Registration for LaunchPad is now open. Register your team today!