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career planning with teens 2009 2010 a guide for parents guardians and counsellors loretta morhart

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career planning with teens career planning with teens a guide for parents guardians and counsellors table of contents preface 4 acknowledgements 4 introduction 5 what is career planning 5 what are the high five messages of career planning 5 message #1 follow your heart 6 message #2 access your allies 6 message #3 change is constant 6 message #4 learning is lifelong 6 message #5 focus on the journey 7 the career planning process 8 step 1 knowing yourself 8 step 2 exploring possibilities 11 step 3 choosing a direction 16 step 4 pursuing goals 17 career planning and skills development 22 a essential skills 22 b employability skills 22 career planning and the blueprint for life 24 career planning and the career portfolio 26 summing up the role of the parent 28 a talk to your teens so they can follow their heart 28 b seek assistance by accessing your allies 28 c stay current because change is constant 28 d promote learning because learning is lifelong 29 e be organized so they can focus on the journey 29 references 30 page 1

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career planning with teens worksheets what is your preferred future 31 self-assessment 32 volunteer contact list 33 research information interview questionnaire 34 networking contact sheet 36 making choices 37 secondary courses and credits requirements 39 french immersion courses and credits requirements 41 goal program information 43 to do list 45 budget 47 financing the goal 48 student information for reference 49 appendices self-assessment 51 volunteer work 52 resumes application forms interviews and portfolios 53 job pathway 54 the labour market and occupation 58 post-secondary education pathway 60 cooperative program pathway 64 apprenticeship pathway 66 entrepreneurship pathway 68 completing high school 71 scholarships and awards 73 page 2

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career planning with teens finances 77 aboriginal resources 81 disabilities resources 89 french resources 96 essential and employability skills blueprint for life 97 agencies 99 employability skills 2000 103 blueprint for life/work designs 105 page 3

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career planning with teens career planning with teens a guide for parents guardians and counsellors preface career planning with teens a guide for parents guardians and counsellors has been adapted with permission from career coaching your teens a guide for parents produced by alberta employment and immigration alberta learning information service career resources www.alis.alberta.ca a career development resource for parents helping parents explore the role of coach and ally produced by the canada career information partnership canadian career development foundation www.ccdf.ca and lasting gifts workshop series becoming a career development ally for your teen facilitator guide written by lynne bezanson and sareena hopkins and produced by the canadian career development foundation www.ccdf.ca career planning with teens a guide for parents guardians and counsellors has been adapted for saskatchewan residents and includes saskatchewan specific resources acknowledgements this handbook was made possible by the vision and support of the prince albert catholic school division career development team assistant director jeanne kustaski mark phaneuf sister mary woodward louise phaneuf janice mcleod meta rapin peter turner and loretta morhart and the saskatchewan ministry of education a special thank you as well to faye carter of the conference board of canada for granting permission to include the employability skills 2000 chart phil jarvis of the national life/work center for granting permission to include the blueprint for life/work designs chart doris wilson and carlene walter for editorial assistance and kristen cumming of career insight the executive members of the saskatchewan career work education association scwea and the numerous career counsellors educators and parents who provided information ideas and enthusiasm for the project page 4

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career planning with teens introduction as a parent you play an important role in supporting your teens with encouragement and information as they begin their career and life journeys in fact research has shown that when teens are in the midst of choosing a career path it is their parents who have the greatest influence this guide was developed to help parents to support their teens as they explore their career options and make decisions for their future it provides practical ideas and resources which can be used in your role as a parent a coach and an ally what is career planning before one can begin to discuss career planning one must understand the term career a career is a combination of one s life experiences including one s work role family role community role as well as one s learning and leisure experiences career planning with your teens is about helping them to develop their roles and to use their experiences to create the life they want to live also since their roles and their experiences are forever changing it is important to understand that career planning is a very dynamic process as your teens journey through life they will continue to evaluate and adjust their career plans in response to external factors such as changes in the workplace and internal factors such as a shift in interests or a change in life circumstances what are the high five messages of career planning the high five messages were developed by career planning experts as a foundation for successful career and life planning it is important to remember these messages as you assist your teens to develop their work family and community roles and to use their experiences to create the life they want to live page 5

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career planning with teens message #1 follow your heart people are happiest and do their best when doing what they love as well pursuing dreams provides motivation direction and helps to clarify what is really important to people let your teens dream let their dreams shape their goals let them use the energy their dreams give them to learn the skills and take the risks needed to make their dreams or any part of them a reality message #2 access your allies as you navigate the process of connecting with your teens and understanding career planning and its challenges you will quickly realize you cannot do everything alone it is important to find allies for yourself as much as for your teens allies come in many different forms some will be with you for a long time and others will help with a specific situation however long they are in your life it is important that you know who you can turn to for support remember to involve people who play a major role in your teens life such as family neighbours coaches teachers or friends you can also find helpful people at local employment and career centres in your community also remember that while it is important for you to build networks of allies it is important for you to be part of the network of others message #3 change is constant both in work and in life change is a constant force change can also create opportunities being flexible versatile and adaptable can harness the power of change to build career success message #4 learning is lifelong learning is a continuous life process learning skills development and work are intertwined activities that your teens will engage in as a continuous cycle of career building experiences page 6

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career planning with teens message #5 focus on the journey life is a journey of experiences with destinations or goals as stopping points along the way career building requires attention to goals and to all that occurs on the journey toward these goals as your teens continue their career journeys they may achieve their original goals or revise them and set new goals it is important to note how the workplace has changed and that these high five messages no longer reflect the traditional messages of career planning from years ago traditional messages lasting gift messages freedom 55 change is inevitable but secure jobs are still there go where there is a proven track record stick with it there will be reward at the end of the day change is constant security will come from your ability to anticipate change make changes manage changes and be resilient follow the hot jobs find out where the growth sectors are and get in follow your heart the job is not hot if the spirit is not focus on the destination know what you want and where you are going focus on the journey know what you want but don t be too sure be open to changing your mind be independent the way to success is to learn to write your own ticket you will be on your own and have to make it on your own access your allies you will progress as much by who you know and who you are as by what you know make up your mind learn while you re in school then you can relax get a degree and you are on your way typical question is what did you learn learning is lifelong learning is everywhere we acquire at least as much from informal learning as from formal learning can be spelled l/earning typical question is what are you learning material adapted from lasting gifts workshop series becoming a career development ally for your teen ­ facilitator guide page 7

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career planning with teens what can a parent do · talk to your teens about each high five message and its importance in career planning · talk to your teens about times in your own life when the high five messages were important to you the career planning process career planning is a lifelong journey as your teens journey through life their workplaces interests and attitudes will change forcing them to evaluate and adjust their career plans accordingly for this reason it is important to become familiar with the steps involved in the career planning process to not only use it now but also in the future it is also important to remember the high 5 messages as your teens advance through these steps step 4 pursuing goals step 1 knowing yourself step 3 choosing a direction step 2 exploring possibilities step 1 knowing yourself in this step your teens gather information about themselves the purpose is to tune in and identify their interests values beliefs personality skills strengths learning styles page 8

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career planning with teens and preferred lifestyle this is an important exercise since people who choose occupations that match their interests values and skills tend to enjoy their work they also tend to achieve their career and personal goals a preferred future an important activity that instills self-knowledge is having your teens determine their preferred future we all have a vision a sense in ourselves and of the future we are hoping for and anticipating for all of us our preferred future is about what matters to us what we value what brings us joy and satisfaction and what we are striving towards it involves the relationships we hope to have the lifestyle activities we hope to enjoy and the meaningful work we hope to do what can a parent do · ask positive focused questions that will help them examine their dreams what do you see when you picture your life a few years from now have you ever watched someone work and thought that s my dream job is there something you ve always wanted to do but were afraid to try · encourage your teens to discuss their preferred activities ask your teens what they love about their favorite activities · · talk about how your values interests skills and personality link to your work put reality on hold and have your teens engage in dream talk complete worksheet a what is your preferred future b self-assessment one way for teens to gather information about themselves is by using self-assessment inventories while most schools have a subscription to career development software that includes self-assessment tests there are also numerous websites available on the internet page 9

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career planning with teens after completing these various self-assessment quizzes teens may be forced to contemplate different aspects about themselves as well a common thread of matching occupations may be generated while one may question the validity of the computergenerated results at least the questions are thought-provoking and teens are forced to analyze different facets of their personality what can a parent do · encourage teens to use the assessment tools available within the career planning software available at their school or by visiting numerous self-assessment websites and complete the quizzes use appendix a self-assessment a print out of the quizzes may also be added to their career portfolios if teens do use internet websites remind them of the hazards of identity theft and not to provide personal information for online registrations · encourage teens to summarize the results of the quizzes and complete worksheet b self-assessment for a quick reference as well review with your teens how the assessment data compares to their vision of their preferred future how are these bricks helpful in building their preferred future · if a quiz generates matching occupations remind your teens to review all of the possible proposed occupations and to focus on the patterns that emerge such as similar occupations similar interests and similar abilities as well remind your teens that it is a computer-generated list and more factors need to be considered to produce a more accurate assessment of the complex people they are · review the results to determine if there are any skills or abilities that are lacking or are weak consider the skills attitudes and strengths of your teens as well as learning needs that may become evident a role of parents is also finding ways to help teens acquire skills and strengths they do not yet have encourage risktaking and growth by sharing concrete examples of learning that was once difficult or intimidating for you · ask questions that will help your teens identify their likes and dislikes and what is important to them ask positive focused questions that will help them examine page 10

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career planning with teens their preferences talents and abilities and begin to see patterns and possibilities what s your favorite subject at school why what did you like about working on what was challenging · notice how teens spend their time is your son or daughter studious atheletic involved in student politics in a band talk about how such interests might fit into their career plans · · have teens share their pride stories take notes of their strengths and interests talk about values interests skills personality multiple intelligence and constraints and how they are connected to meaningful work · if your teen has a disability ensure that a diagnosis and a psycho-educational assessment are completed when your teen begins high school this assessment can include learning support recommendations for high school and post secondary teachers scribed exams additional exam time smaller course loads step 2 exploring possibilities armed with the information gathered about your teens and their dreams the next step is generating a list of career options for them your teens can explore possibilities in various ways a volunteer work many students do volunteer work to fulfill a requirement for a particular class in school to give of themselves while making a difference in the world or to be included in a resume as well as on résumés applications for jobs awards and scholarships volunteering is another opportunity to learn new skills as well as having new experiences associated with travel more importantly volunteering allows your teens to experience different types of work which in the process may assist them in discovering work that they may enjoy or may not enjoy volunteering also allows your teens to meet new people and expand their network page 11

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career planning with teens what can a parent do · parents can assist their teens in finding suitable volunteer experiences by helping them locate the contact numbers for various schools churches hospitals service clubs and local non-profit organizations they may also assist their teens by contacting various family members friends and neighbours to determine volunteer experiences they would recommend another option is for parents to consider volunteering with their teens or as an entire family · use appendix b volunteer work to obtain information about volunteering opportunities · assist teens in adding information to worksheet c volunteer contact list and encourage them to update the information whenever possible b summer job or after-school job experience many students have summer or part-time jobs so they can earn money and gain work experience since a summer job or a part-time job is also your teens first encounter in the world of work it is very important that your teens be aware of workplace safety and their rights as workers they will also experience different working conditions types of work learn new skills and expand their network what can a parent do · help your teens to prepare for job interviews complete applications and create resumes use the appendix c resumes application forms interviews and portfolios · help your teens find a job that will provide meaningful work and an opportunity to explore different types of work use appendix d job pathway · discuss how experience in an entry-level job is a gateway experience that will allow your teens to explore a sector and develop skills that are transferable to other jobs within the sector · aboriginal teens may find useful information at the websites listed in appendix m aboriginal resources page 12

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career planning with teens · teens with disabilities may find useful information at the websites listed in appendix n disabilities resources · french-speaking teens may find useful information at the websites listed in appendix o french resources c research you may want to begin your research approach to exploring possibilities by first investigating labour market information this refers to information about the world of work different types of work and learning opportunities it also includes labour market trends and forecasts about future employment growth parents are encouraged to be active trend spotters to broaden the scope of opportunity they can present to their teens some current trends are listed below social and demographic trends 1 fewer nuclear families more single and blended families more youth staying at home longer results ­ growth in condominiums consumer goods for smaller households basement renovations 2 aging population results ­ increased demand for financial services tourism soft adventure elder care 3 harried two income families 4 results ­ growth in personal services travelling supper services leisure activities stress management education 1 information technology explosion results ­ e-commerce boom shopping on-line computer skills required for most work social networking sites 2 automation of repetitive manual or service tasks result ­ workers valued for knowledge and problem-solving ability 1 advancements in technology and communication have allowed a global sharing of products services and ideas results ­ offshoring business processes relocated to different countries outsourcing aspect of business subcontracted outside the company company mergers and restructurings more competitive challenges and opportunities as skills are marketable to the entire world 2 greater ethnic diversity within companies and communities results ­ more cultural knowledge and sensitivity required ethnic products and services available 1 new technologies for the 4 rs ­ reuse reduce recycle recover result ­ research and innovations for environmentally friendly processes and products 2 increased emphasis on healthy lifestyles for all ages result ­ companies promoting environmentally safe and healthy processes facilities and products technology trends global market place trends environment trends material adapted from lasting gifts workshop series becoming a career development ally for your teen ­ facilitator guide and guiding youth finding a career path and connecting to work page 13

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career planning with teens after researching the labour market it may be beneficial for teens to research an industry sector rather than a specific occupation a sector is a group of similar occupations that require similar skill sets values and interests sectors have within them multiple occupations and many levels such as entry technical technological professional and managerial this research will provide your teens with various occupations that interest them and then they can research this cluster of occupations in more detail sector occupations this sector includes accounting legal engineering architectural advertising computer systems and consulting occupations business education this sector includes primary secondary and post-secondary education as well as private schools adult training human resources departments in business and numerous educational support services finance this sector includes banking securities commodities investment real estate rental and leasing services government this sector includes public administration for all levels of government including international health this sector includes all those primarily involved in diagnosis treatment and residential care information technology service this sector includes computer services computer and electronic manufacturing and telecommunication this sector includes repair maintenance security and private household services what can a parent do · assist your teens to find current labour market information employment trends occupational profiles and wage and salary information use appendix e the labour market and occupations page 14

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