Career Planning with CareerZone

1. Career Planning with CareerZone Career Development and Youth Initiatives Office New York State Department of Labor

2. Learning Objectives • Identify the basic components of the CareerZone system. • Explain how CareerZone supports the NYS Education Dept. Career Plan model. • Access and comfortably navigate the CareerZone portfolio module and explain it to others. • Facilitate CareerZone Activities with others • Explain the importance of Career Planning and Management

3. Shift Happens….. Shift Happens… In the New Economy… • People will have 12-14 jobs in a lifetime. In the past… • People had 1-2 jobs and retired with a gold watch. • Good jobs were available with a high school degree or less. • Learning was a formal process that ended with a degree. • Moving from Career Choice • Job Security • Jobseekers need strong skill set to compete in the labor market. • Life-long learning is a necessity of the workplace for all types of workers. • to Career Management for life • Personal freedom and control

4. WOW! • Unemployment • Did you Know?

5. The New Career Management Paradigm • Career management is not so much about making the RIGHT occupational choice….. as it is about equipping individuals with the skills to make the “CONTINUAL” choices necessary throughout their lives….

6. At one time or another we have all dreamt of what we wanted to be when we grew up. Some of us wanted to be while others wanted to be Superheroes

7. Or Super Stars!!

8. Where will I be?

9. A Dream... .is just a wish… without a plan! Career Planning is Critical

10. Graduates with a Career Plan… • Are more certain of their career direction

11. Graduates with a Career Plan… • Are more confident in their ability to secure meaningful employment

12. Graduates with a Career Plan… • Where employed: more often have jobs related to current educational programs and their long-term career plan goals

13. Importance of the Career Plan Process • Motivate youth to achieve high standards • Reduce drop out rates • Reduce the number of at risk youth • Discover the connection between school and work

14. Career Development Research • “There is a consensus in the literature that career development is a life long process that begins as early as four years old.” (Seligman, Weinstock, & Heflin, 1991; Super, Savickas, & Super, 1996). • Research suggests that students who drop out of school at age 16 have psychologically disengaged from school as early as Grade 3 (McWhirter,1998).

15. Pathways to Prosperity “ In the U.S. our goal should be to assist every young adult beginning in middle school to develop an individualized plan that would include career objectives.” Young adults simply can’t chart a course if they don’t have a goal. Pathways to Prosperity Report Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2011 http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news_events/features/2011/Pathways_to_Prosperity_Feb2011.pdf

16. College Prep is Not Enough

17. …But We Expect 100% Youth Participation in the Workforce • Who am I? • Where do I want to go? • How do I get there? Youth need to be able to answer the questions:

18. A CareerZone Snapshot:Over One Million Students Served The CareerZone system serves as the foundation for career development programs across New York State. Youth quickly and easily connect to information on over 800 occupations, 450 career videos and career plan tools. This award-winning CareerZone site can be accessed at no-cost to users and has been adopted by California and Pennsylvania. During the most recent 12 month period CareerZone received 1,415,331 visits 24,929,470 page views 17.61 pg/visit

19. Knowledge of Self: Assess Yourself Feature Most youth need assistance connecting to information to plan for high school or college transitions. This activity is called ‘Assess Yourself’ and is a widely used assessment of occupational interests to help youth explore occupational opportunities. 10

20. Knowledge of World of Work:The Occupational Profile There are over 800 occupational profiles to explore in CareerZone. From this screen, youth can access a wealth of information on daily tasks, skills, education and training, wages, and up-to-date job postings. Over 450 occupations also have a short career video to view.

21. Connecting Knowledge of Self to the World of Work The CareerZone Portfolio This is the heart of the website where youth can interact with the CareerZone Portfolio to document what they know about themselves, what they have learned about the world of work and make informed decisions about career opportunities. Information can be saved and printed as a Career Plan or resume.

22. The Career Plan • Career Plans are an important mechanism to add relevance and meaning to learning experiences across subject areas • The New York State Career Plan records a student’s knowledge and skill attainment.  It documents a history of achievement that students build from elementary school to high school  • The Career Plan is an effective graduation planning tool for all students

23. NYSDOL • can provide: • Use of the CareerZone and Portfolio System at no-cost to user • Access to lesson plan/career activity database • Career development and technical assistance • “New” CareerZone User’s Guide

24. Resources/References • Final evaluation report of the NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION Department Career plan Training Initiative (2002) • www.CareerZone.ny.gov • www.labor.ny.gov/youth • Youth Office Contact: 1-877-226-5724

25. If You Can’t See It, You Can’t Be It! • Lack of exposure and experiences prevents youth and children from learning about the numerous opportunities in the world of work. • There are over 800 different occupations in the U.S.  This number does not take into account occupations related to the military or the number of occupations worldwide.