Why does it matter?
The YouthTruth Survey question “My school has helped me figure out which careers match my interests and abilities” — which students answer on a Likert scale — helps us know how strong and effective a school’s advisory services really are for all students. YouthTruth data show that 84 percent of students want to go to college, but only 68 percent say they expect to attend a 2 or 4-year institution after high school. With strong advisory programs, adults can make sure that students have the resources they need to align their education to their future goals.
College and Career Guidance and Counseling
High-quality college and career guidance programs help make students feel they have information, options, and the power to choose what is right for the student. Advisory programs also provide teachers, administrators, and students’ families with the information they need to support learners’ future career and college possibilities. For a trove of benchmark assessments, links to research, and noteworthy practices, we offer this collection from the U.S. Department of Education to help schools strengthen and diversify their services.
Here’s a career-counseling checklist to start from. Does your school:
- Have student develop career portfolios, which include test and grades results, examples of student work, and resumes and cover letters to prospective employers?
- Arrange job shadowing, work placements, and community-based learning programs to allow students to directly experience workplace situations?
- Sponsor workshops, classes, focus groups, and special presentations that focus on job skills and personal development?
- Inform students about financing that can be used to support postsecondary training?