From the first Career and Technical Education (CTE) course in middle or high school to the final class in a pathway, course content should encourage students to envision a future in high-pay, high-growth careers. Here are three ways that CTE leaders can encourage career exploration, provide up-to-date career information, and help students prepare for a job search.
1: Have Students Self-Reflect
Introduce students to the world of work, but also encourage them to learn more about themselves, by evaluating their own personality, interests, and learning style.
CTE courses should allow time for students to step back and reflect on their personal values and life goals to find connections between that vision and the skills they are learning in CTE.
Self-reflection activities could include:
Creating a list of 10 things they like to do and see how their interests align with potential careers.
Interviewing people who know them well to help them recall activities they’ve enjoyed or projects they’ve done well. Use that list to choose Career Clusters® that are a good fit.
G-W resources like Discovering Careers and School to Career help students connect those traits and values to potential careers.
2: Explore Career Opportunities
After understanding more about themselves, students are ready to learn more about career opportunities. In G-W titles, you’ll find career features that help learners explore the full picture of employment—job responsibilities, work environment, required education and skills, certifications, and salary information.
Offering time for career exploration in CTE courses can also help teachers introduce the practice of cross-curricular skills, woven seamlessly into G-W resources. Learners can write a journal entry about their dream job and imagine what a day at work is like, practice speaking as they interview other students who are in work-based learning programs, or practice math skills as they role play as a financial planner advising a family about affording college.
3: Practice Career Skills
The key to CTE is practicing and building industry-specific skills.
Use Case Studies, like those in G-W resources, to offer real-world scenarios of young people working in a particular career. Students can put themselves in the characters’ shoes as they choose a career or as they imagine themselves on the job interacting with others.
Build a Portfolio
Guide students in creating career portfolios of the work they complete throughout the course. Share the portfolio with guidance counselors, future colleges, or employers.
At G-W, career exploration is integrated into the content and activities for every title. Let’s work together to build careers!
