Faculty In-Service Presentation

What is college and career readiness?

College readiness, as Conley (as cited in Curry and Milsom, 2017) indicates, could be deemed a multifaceted term. In basic terms, it seeks to capture the need for students to be prepared to successfully navigate college life and meet the demands of the same. This entails ensuring that the said students have the disposition, skills and knowledge to successfully transition to an institution of higher learning.

On the other hand, career readiness has got to do with ensuring that students have certain skills of relevance to various career pathways. Skills captured under the Association for Career and Technical Education ACTE (as cited in Curry and Milsom, 2017) are inclusive of core academic skills, employability skills, and technical, job specific skills.

What are current trends in college and career readiness?

From the onset, it would be prudent to note that as Curry and Milsom (2017) indicate, recent years have seen an increase in college attendance and enrollment. The said growth in college attendance and enrollment has especially been pronounced among minority students specifically Hispanics and Blacks. It should, however, be noted that although Blacks and Hispanics have registered impressive college enrollment increase, Curry and Milsom (2017) are categorical that smaller percentages of minority students attend college compared to their majority peers (4). It has long been established that there is indeed a high correlation between education attainment and employment/income. Curry and Milsom (2017) indicate that 72.1%, 67.5% and 61.7% of bachelors level graduates, associate degree holders and high school graduates respectively find fulltime jobs. Although some progress has been made over the years, earnings disparity still persist across various demographic categories. Various initiatives continue to be advanced in an effort to enhance college enrollment and ensure that those who graduate end up being successful in their respective careers.

Theories of Career Development

Some of the major career development theories applicable to high school are inclusive of, but they are not limited to: Gottfredsons theory of circumscription and compromise; Holland theory of vocational choice; Supers life-span, life space theory; Savickas theory of career construction; and Browns value-based theory. Career development theories applicable to grade 12 include; Savickas theory of career construction and Browns value-based theory.

Savickas theory of career construction: This particular theory posits that the development of the career of an individual takes place via the said individuals perspectives of life as well as career scenarios. Towards this end, in seeking to help learners construct their careers, one should take into consideration the said learners predominant themes in life and listen to their inner voices. This would essentially involve ensuring that the vocational identity that learners embrace at present is integrated into the direction of life that learners wish to follow.

Browns value-based theory: This theory, as Curry and Milsom (2017) point out, concerns itself with the relevance of the values a person holds dear in the said persons decisions about their career. Thus, at the time where students are making crucial decisions about their life and career, there may be need for a counsellor to ensure that they not only identify, but also take into consideration their predominant values.

Comprehensive career development and its relevance

Comprehensive career development could conceptualized as a broad and all inclusive approach towards the advancement of a persons career path (Fitzpatrick and Costantini, 2022). Thus, it could cover the entire career of person and incorporate a wide range of attributes including career planning, adaptability, education and training, goal setting, as well as skills assessment. It is of great relevance as it is more systematic and holistic and goes beyond...

Strategies for faculty to promote college and career readiness

Equity in student achievement and college access could be achieved by ensuring that learners with cultural or language barriers are advanced the relevant support, i.e. via the incorporation of multicultural perspectives, having in place language assistance programs, and practicing cultural sensitivity. Next, school counselors could also advance the relevant assistance to learners in ensuring that they are facilitated in researching technical programs and careers (Curry and Milsom, 2017). The relevance of ensuring that students develop cultural competence cannot also be overstated.

How school counselors plan for and support transitions between schools (high school) and postsecondary transition

There are a number of approaches that school counselors could deploy in an attempt to support transitions between schools (high school) and postsecondary transition. As Curry and Milsom (2017) point out, students wishing to go to college must begin preparing very early in their academic careers (40). Towards this end, there may be need for faculty to first seek data about what informs college admission decision making. This makes it possible for the faculty to deploy interventions that support transitions between schools (high school) and postsecondary transition. Information gathered in this case should also be shared with the relevant stakeholders such as parents. School and postsecondary transitions could also be achieved by offering college application advice and assistance to all students. This is more so the case given that as Curry and Milsom (2017) indicate, the process of applying for college admission could be overwhelming for most learners and their families. Closely related to this is ensuring that learners and their families are familiar with terminologies used in college admissions. Some of the terms of relevance on this front, according to Clinedints et al. (as cited in Curry and Milsom,…