1. Ask participants to think about what they did when they finished high school?
2. Ask participants to stand if any of these options describe them. You went:

• to a tech school
• into the military
• to a community college
• to a two-year college
• to a four-year college
• to college for more than six years
• right to work
• to a combination of several of the above
  
  

Just as there are more occupational possibilities to consider than ever before, there are also more ways to prepare for a career than ever before.

Youth today have basically three choices when they graduate from high school.

1. They can go straight into work (job).
2. They can get additional schooling (colleges, etc.).
3. They can earn-while-learn (following a vocational preparation program).

Most young people will end up with a combination of three.

1. Trend of Vocational preparation vs 4 year college (Otto, p. 188 ). If we were to talk about the various options, many of you would point to a four-year college for the young people you work with and want to talk about that. However, times have changed. We probably need to focus on Vocational preparation possibilities first. Why?

• Most young people will never get a 4 year degree.
• Of those who enroll in college, only half will receive a degree.
• Most employment openings in today's labor force do not require a college degree.
• As we move toward the year 2005, jobs that require education beyond high school will grow the fastest and pay the best, but the largest number of job openings will require only a high school education.
• Not only is the greatest need in the area of understanding vocational preparation possibilities, it's where the action is. Government initiatives, education and work force reforms all stress vocational preparation.
• Vocational education programs are every bit as important as college and they affect more than three times as many people.

Choose Option 1 or 2 or 3

Option 1

1. Continue to discuss the other options charts. (overhead #13) (options B) and (overhead #14) (options C) (Otto, p. 189 & 200-206). If you continue the discussion on the charts, refer to the Otto book for additional information about each career strategy.

Option 2. How Much Will I Earn?

2. Do How Much Will I Earn? (activity #7)

Prior Preparation:

1. Display the game board on an easel or the wall in the front of the room.
2. Place the bell on a small table centered in the front of the room.
3. Divide a piece of newsprint in half on the flip chart, label it for each team and place on a chart stand or tape to the wall.

Pretend this is a quiz show and you are the Emcee.

1. Welcome participants to the How Much Will I Earn show.
2. Divide participants into two teams.
3. Review the instructions for playing the game.

1. For each round, one person from each team will come up to the bell table.
2. The game host will read a question.
   (Use Earnings Quiz for the questions.) (handout #7)
3. The first team member to ring the bell will have a chance to guess the answer from the five possible answers on the board.
4. If he or she guesses correctly, then his/her team will receive five points. The points are recorded on the flip chart score sheet.
5. If the answer is wrong, the player may go to their team members and discuss the answer. If the team has the correct answer, they will receive three points.
6. If the first team does not have the correct answer, the other team has a chance to answer the question. If they are correct, their team receives two points.
7. Invite another member of each team to come to the bell table.
8. Ask the next question and proceed with the answering procedure.
9. Continue until all six questions have been asked.
10. Tabulate the scores.
11. The winning team members will receive 100,000 Grand or Pay Day candy bars.
12. Distribute Earnings Quiz handout
    (handout #7) with questions and answers.

Example Game Board

(Make on Poster Board with slips of paper with the choices)

Option 3

3. Do the Earnings Quiz (handout #7)

1. Have participants fill out the quiz sheet.
2. Discuss the answers.

Complete this part of the workshop:

4. Provide a copy of the Earnings Quiz and Answers (handout #7) to each participant as a conclusion to any of the three optional activities in this session.