This worksheet may be used as part of a class assignment or as an advising tool.
I. Career Exploration
1. Career Pathway Industry Occupation
• Entry-level job(s) Required Skills/Education/Experience Wages
• Next level job(s) Required Skills/Education/Experience Wages
• 10-year job goal(s) Required Skills/Education/Experience Wages
2. What types of employers are projected to need employees in this occupation?
3. What is the projected demand for employees in the industry and occupation in this area in the next 1-3 years? High Medium Low 4. What are the required certifications? How do you prepare for the certification exam?
5. What are the options for acquiring the experience for the entry-level job. For example, current or previous jobs, a new part-time job, volunteering, school projects, etc.? What works best for you?
6. For each option above, what types of programs meet the education/training requirements? Who offers the programs?
7. What are the entry requirements? What will it take for you to qualify?
8. What is the program length? What is the estimated cost for tuition, books, and supplies?
• What types of financial aid and other support services are available?
• Will you have problems getting to and from the program?
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Worksheet 6 (Continued)
II. Decision-making
1. What is most suitable career path or occupation for you to pursue?
2. How well do the options suit you in terms of:
• Achieving your long-term goal High Medium Low
• Your interest in the type of work and industry High Medium Low
• Your needs for income in the short and mid-term High Medium Low
• Cost of education/training Is it affordable? Affordable with assistance? Too expensive?
• Program length High Medium Low
• Compatibility with meeting household responsibilities High Medium Low
III. action Plan Occupation/Career Goal:
Next Education and Training Steps:
Application process, with dates
Application assistance needs
Need for financial assistance and steps
Need for transportation or other services, such as childcare and options to pursue Next Employment Steps:
Employment objectives in the short-term:
• Full- or part-time • Potential employers
• Application requirements and process, e.g., online application, recommendations, portfolio, and interview
• Desire for job search assistance services (such as resume preparation). Where is this available?
• Need for transportation or other services, e.g., childcare while at work
WORkshEEt sIX
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posted salaries and benefits, and otherwise explore the job opportunities. Inviting representatives from colleges or employers to participate in mock interviews and review resumes and portfolios shows students what to expect, provides experience, and builds confidence.
reflection: As students progress through the bridge program they should be refining their vision of what they would like to do while they are building confidence in their abilities and their foundation of information. It is important for them to continually integrate new information, experiences, and changes in their own circumstances into their assignments and to reflect on the implications for decision-making and next steps. This can be practiced by asking students to reflect on what they learn in a tour of a workplace, in an interview with a professional, or from an announcement that a new company is locating in the community and to articulate the implications in writing, class discussions, or presentations.
Reflection should be an ongoing process that continues throughout the students’ careers. They should be aware that they will need to be able to examine their positions on a regular basis to anticipate and respond to life changes.
An effective method is to ask students to regularly review and update the goal statements they completed at the beginning of the course as they learn more about themselves, the career, and the labor market. Similarly, they can use their final plan (Worksheet 6) as a working guide that they revise and change throughout their careers.
Advisors
The role of advisors or coaches varies. Traditionally, they provide guidance in getting, using, and interpreting information. More recently, programs such as Central States SER have been shifting to a coaching model that gives students primary responsibility for career exploration early on and serves to ask and answer questions to help shape the process, but gives students experience and confidence in being self-directed.
Work Readiness Skills
Building workplace readiness skills deepens the relevancy of career development activities and the ability of students to transition to jobs in their field. It is particularly important where a high portion of students have little experience in the workplace. Skills include being on time, attendance, communication, how to dress, how to problem-solve, teamwork, and following instructions. Learning activities should be contextualized within the targeted cluster and pathway, and may include role playing and discussions with employers and be integrated into expectations and performance reviews for the bridge program. Many programs embed this in the design of the program and curriculum by, for example, limiting absences or late arrivals (or prohibiting them altogether), giving assignments to teams, and role playing within an occupational context.
work with Partners To Provide The Essential Components Of Career Development
The career development component of the bridge program will be most successful if the individual or team delivering the services has experience and knowledge about the career planning process, the range of career clusters, pathways, and occupations that are the subject of the program, and job search skills.
Many programs will need to involve one or more partners to secure the needed expertise and resources.
Figure 14: Career Development services and Expertise lists types of organizations that have relevant resources, expertise, and experience.
The role of partners will differ depending on the extent to which career development is covered in the contextualized curriculum and the level of knowledge and expertise of the instructors. Programs that integrate a career planning model into the curriculum may need expertise in guiding students through a broader range of career information resources, preparing resumes, gathering information about local employers and job vacancies, and finding internships. Adult education bridge programs may look to various departments at community colleges, community-based organizations that have experience with the target population, and employer associations.
ChaptER sIX
ChaptER sIX