“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
When it comes to inspiring kids to think about their futures, asking this question can really put them on the spot. Sure, adults often think kids’ answers are cute, but for some kids, this question can be quite stressful because they don’t have any clue yet what their options are, and they might feel like they have to have their life mapped out in third grade!
The world of work has changed significantly since most of today’s parents and educators were in high school. When most of us were students, the expected path after high school was for most young people to enter college, explore their passions and choose a career they could envision spending their life doing.
But today, given the increasing costs of higher education and our nation’s workforce shortage, we must help our young people choose career paths that not only make them happy, but highly employable — and hopefully, employable here in Kansas.
Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas (JAG-K) partners with public schools to help some of the most educationally at-risk and economically disadvantaged students overcome their barriers to success. We are a nonprofit state affiliate of the national JAG program, which operates in 39 different states and U.S. territories.
What comes to mind when you think of an apprenticeship? A 19th century shoemaker? Mickey Mouse and the sorcerer? You may be surprised to learn that a growing number of today’s employers in health care, construction, information technology, financial services, engineering and more now offer programs to allow Kansans to obtain their education and job experience simultaneously through an apprenticeship.
As part of the Kansas Department of Education’s school redesign process, more emphasis is being placed on increasing career awareness and exploration starting with upper elementary/middle school students. As they continue their schooling, the next step is more specific skill training and work-based learning opportunities in middle and high school to begin preparing for a variety of career paths.
Moms, dads, grandparents and guardians,
In 2015, the Kansas State Board of Education established a new vision for Kansas education — Kansas leads the world in the success of each student. As part of that vision, we want to prepare your son or daughter for life after high school. And we need you to be a part of that journey.
When I was introduced to the Kansas Career Sunflower through my role here at HirePaths, I had a lot of questions. I was told it was an illustration of how the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) has structured career and technical education (CTE) in our state. However, as the parent of a seventh grader, I needed more information to fully understand what I was looking at and how it’s used in schools.
Career, interest or personality assessments are great tools we can use to provide clues to our self-identity. I highly suggest parents use assessments to begin conversations with their children about their career interests, natural strengths, tendencies, etc. Parents and children alike might be skeptical of assessments, but assessments allow you to consider a lot of possibilities in a short amount of time. This can lead a child to consider a career they didn’t even know existed. Here are three assessments I believe to be valuable and how you can use them at home with your kids:
Parents of Kansas kids: Are you and your child making plans for what follows high school graduation? It’ll be here before you know it, whether they’re six years old or 16!
Here at HirePaths, we believe that parents who intentionally discuss and explore career options with their children raise kids who think deeply about what they want to do with their own lives — and help them begin setting and achieving career goals at an early age. As a content marketer with the HirePaths campaign, I’m familiar with this call to action. As the parent of a 12-year-old son, I want to make sure I’m doing all I can to answer it.