Thinking about Career Paths on the 1st week of School
As school begins today, I always think about what enters a child’s head that leads them down a path of career exploration and workforce development. Is it those early math equations that lead them to a path of engineering; the science student dissecting a frog leading them to a career in the medical field or the student who already has their mind made up at age 7, goes to a 4 year school then decides…this isn’t for me.
Those “isn’t for me” moments are being attacked locally at a rapid pace by our high school’s CTE programs. These programs get students exploring careers and entering the workforce sooner through student internships in a variety of fields. Many times, these internships reinforce what a student thinks they know about a career or life long educational decisions, but more valuable is the student who learn prior to enrolling in a post secondary program that this “isn’t for me.”
We all know those people, some of them are us. We weren’t sure what we wanted to do so we just went to college. No particular path in mind, we had just been told that “college” was the path to success. No one alerted us to student loans and emerging careers and why would they? Some education institution’s goal is to just fill a classroom. As we move to a society that is less impressed with educational attainment and more impressed by less debt and more lifelong opportunity, we find our community poised with an impressive selection of careers for all levels of students.
It is always important to teach a student early to be a lifelong learner. They may not need or want that training
now in life, but it is rare to advance within a company without the constant goal of gaining knowledge and improving yourself. I think as a community, the best thing we can do is create career awareness and give students the tools and knowledge to choose their path wisely instead of blindly following the advice that is so often given. Sometimes a crooked path to success is far greater than a straight path to mediocrity.