They say the apple doesn’t fall from the tree. This is especially true when it comes to job choice.
According to General Social Survey data collected between 1994 and 2016, working sons are about 2.7 times as likely as the rest of the population to have the same job as their working fathers and about two times as likely to have the same job as their working mothers.
Continue reading Study: Parental Occupations Can Affect Job Choice
Macalester College (MN), Amherst College (MA), Pace University (NY), and the University of Chicago are among a growing number of institutions that offer stipends to students who pursue unpaid internships.
The strategy, featured in a recent New York Times article, is growing in popularity because it allows low- and middle-income students to foster critical connections in their field of interest without worrying about making ends meet. According to data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, roughly half of all interns are offered a job by the company where they worked.
Continue reading Colleges Pitch in to Offer Students Paid Internships
What messages are your students receiving about potential careers?
New survey results released by the Pew Research Center show that more than a third of Americans would tell a high schooler seeking career advice to enter a STEM-related field.
Another third would tell students “to simply follow their passion or do something they love,” according to a blog post by Mark Strauss, a Pew writer and editor focusing on science and society.
Continue reading Survey Identifies Common Trends in Career Advice Given to Teens
About 72 percent of public high school students are required to have a graduation, career, or education plan, according to findings released this month by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). This figure supports data collected by NACAC as part of its 2015 study of individualized learning plans (ILPs), which indicated that all 50 states had in place at least one initiative for promoting college and career planning among high school students.
In fact, 29 states plus the District of Columbia mandate the development of ILPs in secondary schools, but the ways in which these plans are implemented vary greatly.
It’s a scenario counselors know well: A student proudly announces they’re applying to college and plans to study physics.
So far so good. But then comes the kicker. What does the student hope to do with their degree? Cure cancer.
But as many counselors know, a degree in biology or in the health sciences offers a more direct route to cancer research, said Nicole Murphy, director of college access and financial aid strategies with PUC Schools, a California nonprofit charter school organization serving students in Northeast Los Angeles and the Northeast San Fernando Valley.
So this spring, Murphy launched a new initiative aimed at helping teens make connections between their interests and the college search process. Thirty industry experts and college department heads shared their insights with students during PUC’s inaugural College Majors & Careers Event in March.
The event, which served 520 high school juniors, was supported by a $1,000 grant from NACAC’s Imagine Fund.
Continue reading Imagine Grant Helps California Students Explore College Majors and Careers
What role should school counselors play in helping students explore careers?
An article published this month by the National Career Development Association asserts that teens are best served when given opportunities to participate in internships and explore earnings data while still in high school.
Continue reading Online Resources to Help Students Explore Careers
Colleges must revamp the career services they offer students, according to a new Gallup study produced in conjunction with Purdue University.
Although more than half of college graduates surveyed reported visiting their school’s career services office at least once, only 16 percent said the trip was helpful.
Continue reading Report: Colleges Must Do More to Prepare Grads for Workplace
This post originally appeared on Admitted in June.
Teens who are interested in science need better career preparation pathways, according to a recent national survey.
The study — funded by Change the Equation and the Amgen Foundation— showed that although students like science, they aren’t crazy about the way the subject is taught. In addition, many lack the out-of-school resources and connections needed to explore STEM careers on their own.
“Teens know what good science education looks like, but they lack engaging learning opportunities, career guidance, and professional mentors,” the report states. “Science advocates in our schools, businesses, and communities can change that.”
Continue reading Survey: Students Lack Exposure to STEM Career Paths
Good grades are no longer enough to secure post-graduation employment for a growing number of young Americans.
And as the job market evolves, the country’s high schools and colleges must adapt to ensure students are prepared to navigate the increasingly complex world of work, according to participants in Tuesday’s #NACACreads discussion.
Continue reading #NACACreads Author: Career Exploration Crucial to Post-College Success