Exploring Future Horizons

21ST CENTURY CAREER DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES FOR IGEN & GEN ALPHA

Franciene Sabens, M.S. Ed., LPC, NCC

School Counselor

Herrin High School

October 25, 2024

2024 Williamson County Educators Learning Camp

About me

• Herrin High School Counselor (Freshman/Sophomores)
• 16 years experience
• ASCA Career Development Specialist
• National Career Development Association
• Co-Author/Co-Editor of NCDA School Career Development Advisor Curriculum, Second Edition (2024)
• Instructor for Certified School Career Development Advisor Training
• Sabens Consulting, Sole Proprietor
• Blogger at SchoolCounselorSpace.Blogspot.com

The fourth Industrial Revolution has arrived and now more than ever students need to be prepared for jobs that do not yet exist, in a world where what work looks like is changing faster than ever before. This session will focus on specific strategies, tools and tips to help you implement a 21st century career development program that prepares all of your students to be future-ready.

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• develop career development programming and practices that contribute to overall student success
• articulate the most important skills students need to possess to be competitive in any career path
• access resources and strategies that effectively guide students in understanding the skills, competencies, and knowledge that will be in demand in the future job landscape

AFTER ATTENDING THIS SESSION ATTENDEES WILL BE ABLE TO:

Objectives

ASCA Position Statement

The School Counselor & Career Development

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School counselors deliver school counseling programs that enhance student growth in three domain areas: academic, career, and social/emotional development. As a part of that program, school counselors implement strategies and activities to help all students enhance their career development – the mindsets and behaviors students need to understand the connection between school and the world of work, plan for and make a successful transition to postsecondary education and work across the lifespan – while recognizing that growth in all three domains is necessary for students to be successful now and later in life.

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https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Career-Development

• What is the fourth industrial revolution?
• Who are iGen and GenAlpha?
• What are Career Clusters & Pathways?
• What is career ready?

Essential Questions

The Fourth Industrial Revolution

• A paradigm of machine human relations, connected to the digitization of products and services, creating a new market model for interconnectivity of several communication systems, leading to technologies of Internet of Things (IoT), Internet of Service (IoS) and Internet of People (IoP) (Narula, Prakash, Dwivedy, Talwar, & Tiwari, 2020)
• Technological disruption -- genetics, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, nanotechnology, biotechnology and 3D printing, etc.

The most diverse and educated generation ever (Schawbel, 2020).

iGen, AKA “digital natives” or “born digital”

• the internet has always been a part of their lives
• too young to remember the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
• grew up in a world concerned with security and international terrorism
• the United States was at war in Afghanistan for most of their lives

Generation Alpha, AKA Generation Covid

• the first cohort to be born entirely within the 21st century, a world fully integrated with technology and global connectivity
• shared experience of the COVID-19 pandemic during their formative years
• learned new ways to socialize and accomplish things
• long-term social effects of the pandemic uncertain

As these two generations fully enter the workforce employers will be met with employees who:

• are more racially diverse than previous generations
• will need to be trained on communication skills (i.e., handling calls and writing emails) because they communicate through text, emoji, and video
• struggle with social interactions because they haven't developed interpersonal skills
• overwhelmingly find it difficult to work in teams, preferring individual tasks
• have developed digital skills, but also shorter attention spans

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• are dependent on and connected to tech
• can learn on their own
• will invest more in education and hold multiple jobs
• value diversity through many dimensions, not just isolated to race and gender but also related to identity and orientation
• will highly value overall wellbeing

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Career Clusters

• There are only 16
• Organized by industry
• Lead students to a Program of Study to help create a 4-year plan

• Organized under Career Clusters
• There are hundreds of career pathways
• Developmentally appropriate for selection by sophomores through seniors
• Lead students to a more detailed Program of Study for more specific updates to their 4-year plan

Career Pathways

Career Clarity

• The basis that will help to make decisions regarding the career path
• The student must know their skills, interests, and values

Essential Questions for Students

• Who am I?
• What do I want to be?
• How do I get there from here?

What are Career Clusters & Pathways?

What is career ready?

• Core academic skills
• Employability skills (Essential Skills)
• Technical, job-specific skills related to a specific career pathway

Career readiness involves three major skill areas:

ISBE College and Career Ready Indicator

Did you know people between the ages of 18 to 56 had an average of 12 jobs during their lifetime? (BLS)

Skills our Students Need

Skills our Students Need

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The Perkins Collaborative Resource Network (PCRN) offers several videos and resources to assist with integrating employability skills into the K-12 curriculum.

How are you connecting with industry partners to best prepare your students?

The Future of Jobs Report Infographics

Humans maintain value in an

AI Powered Workforce

Highly Valued Human Skills in an

AI Powered Workforce

• Creativity & Innovation: encourage students to seek opportunities to develop their creative thinking and problem-solving skills
• Critical Thinking & Complex Problem Solving: encourage problem-based learning
• Adaptability & Lifelong Learning: stress the importance of adaptability and a willingness to learn new skills
• Ethical & Moral Judgment: cybersecurity defense measures will continue to be important to employers; educate students on the ethical implications of AI, including privacy, bias, and responsible AI use
• Emotional Intelligence: AI lacks emotional intelligence, a perpetually and uniquely human skill, making it one of the most important skills to teach students
• Leadership & Collaboration: effective communication, collaboration and teamwork; encourage students to participate in group projects, clubs, and extra-curricular activities to enhance their leadership and collaboration abilities

What we teach...

• Growth Mindset
• Self-efficacy
• Grit
• Emotional Intelligence
• Career Exploration (interests & aptitudes)
• Educational Planning (4-6 year plans)
• CTE & WBL
• Labor Market Information -- emerging job roles, industries, and potential career paths
• Employability Skills (resume writing, professional use of SNS)
• Financial Literacy

Illinois PaCE: Postsecondary and Career Expectations

The framework is organized around three key areas:

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• Career Exploration and Development
• Postsecondary Education Exploration, Preparation, and Selection
• Financial Aid and Literacy

Resources

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• Middle School PaCE Framework
• High School PaCE Framework
• Elverado High School Counseling, Post-Secondary & Career Expectations
• Illinois Student Assistance Commission - PACE Framework Initiative

Exploring emerging job roles, industries & potential career paths with students

• Assess
• Use developmentally appropriate tools
• Share resources/info
• Include labor market data
• Encourage exploration
• Skills, competencies and knowledge
• Future job landscape
• Plan
• Career & academic

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Resources and strategies that effectively guide students in understanding the skills, competencies, and knowledge that will be in demand in the future job landscape…

Elementary School (Grades K-5)

• Focus on creating awareness of careers and allowing for exploration of self and careers
• Awareness
• Exploration
• Practice
• Objectives for students in the elementary grades related to career awareness may include:
• Demonstrating awareness and knowledge of the work of family members, school personnel and community workers
• Obtaining information about jobs from parents, relatives, adult friends and neighbors and share that information with classmates
• Describing jobs present in the region
• Demonstrating an understanding of how work is important to all people
• Using media and technology to identify various occupations

Monthly

Programming & Practices

that contribute to overall student success

Middle School (Grades 6-8)

• Allow students to “use decision-making skills to merge individual data with their knowledge of the workplace and plan a high school course of study to meet their goals.”
• Objectives for students in grades 6-8 related to career awareness may include:
• Describing the importance of characteristics essential for getting and keeping a job and how contributions of individuals both inside and outside the home are important.
• Using interest inventories to identify occupational groups for exploration.
• Demonstrating an understanding of career clusters and ladders and the educational requirements of various occupations.
• Setting appropriate career goals

Programming & Practices

that contribute to overall student success

Grade 8

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• Career Cluster survey
• Learning Style Assessment
• Orientation to career clusters
• Career Cluster
• Career Pathway
• Select 1-3 career clusters for further exploration
• Lesson on education planning
• Create initial four-year plan that relates to their interests, values, and strengths
• Outline a plan for extracurricular activities
• Financial literacy unit

Grade 9

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• Revisit Career Cluster survey
• Career Interest survey
• Learning Style Assessment
• Select a Career Pathway
• Lesson on education planning
• Update 4 year plan
• Outline a plan for extracurricular activities
• Assess Self-efficacy (pre/post)
• Set SMART Goals for academic, career & personal-social growth

Grade 10

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• O*Net Interest Proflier
• Take the ASVAB in the Fall, explore the Occu-Find & complete My Educational & Career Plans portfolio
• Take the Accuplacer in the Spring
• Assess grit
• Teach growth mindset lesson
• Complete an orientation course to a particular career cluster or career pathway
• Determine eligibility for dual Credit opportunities
• Identify & explore careers related to career interest and/or career pathway
• Compare current GPA, academic, and career indicators with IL College & Career Ready Indicators
• Review and update 4 year plan
• Explore internship, workplace learning, or community service opportunities related to career pathway
• Set SMART Goals for academic, career & Personal-Social growth
• Review financial aid overview video

Grade 12

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• Assess Workplace Employability Skills
• Begin senior year "Action Oriented"
• They know:
• where they are applying
• why they are applying there
• when they are applying
• Financial aid application ins/outs
• Meet with full group to gather data
• who is doing what
• what do they need
• what do they know
• Meet with students to support their steps in the post-secondary admission process & to reviewed progress towards graduation
• College financing lesson
• Finalize resume
• Create LinkedIn account
• Complete the FAFSA or Opt-Out form
• True Colors Activity

Grades 11-12 Programming & Practices

Grade 11

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• Assess Emotional Intelligence
• Select dual Credit opportunities
• Identify an internship or workplace experience related to career pathway
• Compare current GPA, academic, and career indicators with IL College & Career Ready Indicators
• Review and update 4 year plan
• Complete a college search & build a college list for further research
• Create a Resume
• Visit at least three post-secondary institutions
• Set SMART Goals for academic, career & personal-social growth
• Review FAFSA Overview video
• Employability skills training
• Begin senior year "Action Oriented"

Ensure they have an awareness of emerging job roles, industries, and potential career paths before they leave high school.

• Basic Information – Name, email, phone number, social media handles, LinkedIn profile (the more modern resume does not include a physical mailing address)
• Objective or Summary Statement – This is a brief personal introduction. It should be a few sentences describing their unique skills, high-level accomplishments, and what they hope to achieve. Encourage students to tailor their summary statement for different opportunities. Example: High school student seeking a retail sales associate position that allows me to uses my exceptional math and customer service skills in preparation for a future career in customer relations.
• Education – Name of high school, graduation date (or expected graduation date), GPA (only if it is relevant and strong), relevant coursework & work-based learning experiences
• Work Experience - full-time, part-time, summer, volunteer, internships
• Extracurricular Activities - include years involved, membership in professional/trade organizations, offices, titles, special duties, achievements, awards etc.
• Community Service or Volunteering
• Awards, Honors, Accomplishments, and Leadership Roles - Honor Roll, College Board recognition (do not repeat items listed in Extracurricular Activities)
• Special Skils - communication, teamwork, leadership, computer proficiency, or world language proficiency, micro-credential, Food Handlers Certificate, etc.
• References - optional, but students should have them ready if requested

High School Resume Components

For high school students, a functional (or skills-based) resume is often the most appropriate type.

Arial, Courier, Georgia, and Times New Roman fonts are suggested

Assist seniors with creating a professional Linkedin account before they graduate

Tools & Resources

Non-cognitive Assessments

• General Self-Efficacy Scale
• Short Grit Scale
• Emotional Intelligence Assessment
• Employability Skills
• True Colors Assessment
• Overcoming Obstacles Curriculum

Career Assessments

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• IL CiS 360
• 6-12, College, and Adult tools that support lifelong career exploration & development. Students can create an individualized career plan using their personal interests and goals.
• O*Net
• occupations that includes detailed information on job tasks, tools or technology, knowledge, skills, ability, education, interests, work styles, wages, and employment information (Labor Market Data)
• My Next Move
• developed by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Employment & Training Administration
• provides the job seeker with career and occupational alternatives based on their interests

Employability Tools

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• Occupational Outlook Handbook
• Maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, provides state-specific information training, earnings, expected job prospects, what workers on that job do, working conditions, and job market information.
• Career OneStop Toolkit
• resources on careers, training, skills, jobs, wages and industry, as well as state and local resources
• Labor Market Data
• Resume Resource
• Employability Skills Training

Financial Aid & Literacy Resource

Additional Resources

Grade 8

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Before administering the CiS 360 Career Cluster Inventory Jr. & the Learning Styles Survey, show these two videos:

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• Career Cluster Intro
• Learning Style Intro

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Collect data from students via a Google Form.

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Grade 9

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• How to Write a SMART Goal
• Growth Mindset: The Truth about your Brain
• The Importance of Self-Efficacy

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Grade 10

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Change your Words: Change your Mindset Lesson

Grade 11

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Emotional Intelligence: Tips for Life Lesson

Grade 12

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What’s your True Color? Lesson

Suggested Activities

Career development begins with exposing students to career opportunities and helping them gather information about a desired job.

Here are a few suggested activities:

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• Industry/Career Fair – partner with your local Chamber of Commerce
• Resume reviews
• Mock Interviews
• How to tie a tie workshop
• Panel Presentations for school events or classes (Lunch & Learn)
• Career Café -- Review career interested data and bring in local representatives who represent career paths that students have expressed an interest in. Direct representatives to share information about their career paths and allow students to ask questions. This program works well during a lunch period.
• Workshops on career planning for students and their families
• Field trips to local businesses
• Lunch & Learns
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Tips from Employers for iGen/Gen Z

• Research and make connections with potential employers
• Research companies, their leaders, and the overall industry as part of interview preparation
• Does anyone work for the company from the school you attended
• Have an informal chat with someone who works there to get a better idea of the culture and topics that might be discussed in the interview
• Check to see if a salary range has been posted. If not, look at statistics for salary ranges for the type of job you’re applying for
• be mindful of researching the job in your specific location
• Use the research to offer a general number
• Get a sense of the formality of the organization, which will inform the kinds of conversations you might have, and even what you should wear
• Take advantage of mock interviews or other job preparation workshops

• develop career development programming and practices that contribute to overall student success
• articulate the most important skills students need to possess to be competitive in any career path
• access resources and strategies that effectively guide students in understanding the skills, competencies, and knowledge that will be in demand in the future job landscape.

YOU ARE NOW BE ABLE TO:

Objectives

Contact me

Franciene Sabens, M.S. Ed., LPC, NCC