Today's Youth and Tomorrow's Careers (Part 2) -- It's A Big World Out There

Today's Youth and Tomorrow's Careers (Part 2)
(Time: 45-50 minutes) (PDF version - 73KB)

Objective

Parents/caring adults will better understand how things have changed since they got their first job, and that young people today need guidance.

Equipment and Supplies

Flip chart
Easel or chart stand
VCR/ television (option 1)
Video (It's a Big World segment #2) (option 1)
Markers
Note cards (3 x 5)
Pencils or pens
Masking tape

Materials that need to be prepared

Getting a Job Isn't Always Easy (handout #1 )
North Dakota Job Information (handout #2 )
Where the Jobs Will Be (handout #3)
It's a Big World (handout #4)
Table tents with names of panel members (option 2 )
Overhead transparency #3 (first job)
Overhead transparency #4 (career choice)
Prepare Days Gone By Cards (optional) (activity #3)
Then/Now Flip Charts (see instructions)

Before participants arrive

If you choose Career Panel — Option 2, select a panel of two or three people. Ask each participant to prepare a three minute presentation on careers that are changing in the local area and what the fastest growing jobs are. They will also need to agree to respond to questions from the participants.

Prepare Then and Now Flip Charts

Chart 1
Print the word "Then" in the upper left hand corner. Next, draw a line down the center of the page. Then print "Now" in the upper right hand corner. Use this sheet for recording findings/ideas from activity #3.

Chart 2
Print points listed in activity #3 of this curriculum to use for a discussion.

First Job

Conduct Your First Job activity (activity # 2) (overhead # 3) (first job)

	1.	For most people, their first job is a memorable experience. Ask parents/caring adults to think back to their own first full-time job experience. What was it? How much school or training did you have? What were you paid? What was your boss like? What did you spend your first check on? How was your first day
	2.	Allow the participants a few minutes to reflect.
	3.	Ask a few participants to share their stories with the entire group. (Older adults may share more differences than young participants.)

Changing Career Choices

Present the Days Gone by/What's Happening Today activity (activity #3). Watch the time so that parts of the activity do not run too long.

Divide participants into groups of four to five people.
Give each person a 3 x 5 card.
On one side of the card have them list:

what factors did they consider when making their first choice?
who helped them with their career choices?

On the other side of the card have them list:

What factors or considerations do youth have to respond to when choosing a career today?
Who is helping them make these decisions?

Discuss what was recorded on cards in their small groups.
Have small groups share their findings with the large group.
Record findings under the "Then" and "Now" columns on the flip chart. (chart 1)

Discuss ways selection of careers is changing (Chart 2) or review handout. (handout #1)

You may also wish to discuss additional information. (optional)

Days Gone By and What's Happening Today Activity

Then                       Now
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Career Counselor/teachers  Don't have resources for individualized
                           career guidance. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Select a career            Need to select a career strategy. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Knowledgeable about        Misinformed, ignorance about the world 
careers                    of work (media-Hollywood version). What 
                           is the role of a carpenter? (Is it like 
                           Tool Time on TV??) 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Go to college and get      It's not the only way to get a job, and 
a job                      may not be the best way for some to 
                           prepare for a career. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Cost and number of years   Now cost is approximately $8,900 per 
in college.                year and takes four+ years to finish
                           four-year degree. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Not just information       Guidance... find the way and monitor 
when deciding a career     progress.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
There were not a lot of    Too much information and resources. We 
resources.                 need to narrow it down for them. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Three major occupational   30,000 today ! ! !
groups: agriculture, 
business, manufacturing. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Degrees have decreased     Demand for certificates increased. 
                           There are as many people enrolled in 
                           industry sponsored training programs 
                           today as there are people enrolled in 
                           colleges and universities combined;
                           roughly 12.25 million in each. Today, 
                           three times as many institutions offer 
                           certificates as offer degrees. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Personal process, know     Impersonal process. Applications, 
whom to apply to           resumes, paper review... before you 
                           receive an interview. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Know about occupations,    Now they need knowledge about 
the lines of work that     industries, the broad fields of 
interest them,             activity that engage employers, and 
understand their           whether the fortunes of particular 
interests and abilities    industries are rising and falling. 
                           Entry level career preparation 
                           requirements, population trends, labor 
                           trends, etc. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Follow employment          Increasingly global economy tied 
prospects locally          together with electronic 
                           communications. More information will 
                           be needed. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Career for a lifetime      Average stay in a job is 4½ years, 
                           seven or eight job changes over the 
                           years and they may change careers 
                           two/three times. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: You may have to ask questions, if they are not coming up 
      with some of these, for example: What is the average years 
      you work in a particular job? What is the yearly cost of 
      college?

Additional information which may be added to this discussion: (Optional) (Otto, p.4-14)

Two-thirds of high school seniors want more counseling on career plans and job choices.
Three-fourths of seniors in a recent study, stated that schools need to place more emphasis on vocational programs, and two-thirds felt that schools did not offer them enough practical experience.
High schools aren't doing enough for students, particularly for students who are not headed for college. In a recent poll, individuals stated the following:

64% said schools should do more to place dropouts and graduates in jobs
54% said schools should do more to help students develop job seeking skills
73% said high schools are not doing enough for the non-college bound
58% said their high schools are doing enough to help students choose careers.

When parents were asked how they felt needs could be met, more than 3/4 said they thought public schools should offer courses to parents in areas that concerned them, and went on to say they would pay increased taxes to support school sponsored programs for parents.
70% of today's youth will never be four-year college graduates.
The Center for Education Statistics reports that there are 527 students for every counselor in U.S. public schools. That means that if all 81,000 guidance counselors came to work every day, eight hours a day, five days a week, four weeks a month, nine months a year, and spent every hour working with students, the time available to them is an average of two hours and 44 minutes per student per year for individualized career guidance. That's five minutes per week.
The notion that youth do not want parents' help is a myth. Findings from many studies indicate that adolescents still tend to turn to their parents for guidance on principles and on major values and turn to them for guidance on most major concerns.
Parents need to spend at least as much time helping their children choose careers as they spend planning their next two-week vacation. They need preparation, materials and programs to help them do a good job of advising their child.

Selecting Careers Today

	A.	Show career choices cartoon (overhead #4) (career choices) The reality in today's society is that choosing a career and preparing for a career has changed drastically. There are many more choices and youth need your help when making these decisions.
Option 1
	B.	Show It's a Big World Video (segment #2) Introduce the career video. The video provides a brief overview of six major career areas that are some of the fastest growing in this region. Many are careers that do not require a four-year degree. Show the video. After the video, ask participants: a. If they saw anything that surprised them? b. For questions or comments, etc.? You may point out that many people believe individuals with jobs that do not require a four-year college degree earn as much or more money than those individuals that have a four-year degree. Briefly summarize some changes or information discussed.
Option 2
	C.	Conduct a career panel. Seat panel members at a table in front of the participants. Place table tents with their names on them in front of each panelist. Introduce people serving on the panel to the participants. Inform participants that the panel will discuss careers that are changing in the local area and what the fastest growing jobs are. Each panel member will speak for about three minutes. When all panel members have spoken, they will be open for questions and discussion from the audience. Act as a moderator when the panel members have completed speaking. Field questions and lead discussion. At the designated time end discussion. Make a brief summary/statement about the information presented by the panel and the discussion.

Careers of the Future

	A.	Distribute North Dakota Job Information (handout #2), Where are the Jobs (handout #3) and It's a Big World Out There (handout #4).
	B.	Allow participants a short time to look at the handouts.
	C.	Point out some starting salaries and fastest growing careers.
	D.	Ask questions of participants: What careers surprised you? What career would you change to, if you were to leave your job? Are your careers or professions on the lists that your young people may be interested in?
	E.	Encourage participants to use It's a Big World's Out There (handout #4) with the young people they are assisting in selecting a career.

Break

(5 Minutes) Remind participants to look at resources, the careers display, and to work on opening activity. Serve refreshments (if appropriate).

Complete any preparation for the last half of the workshop.

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Today's Youth and Tomorrow's Careers (Part 2) (Time: 45-50 minutes) (PDF version - 73KB)