I learned that Career Services encompasses more than just helping a graduate obtain his/her first job. I learned that barriers and not just the graduate/job match can play a key roll in whether a graduate gets employed in a timely manner in an appropriate position. I plan to listen well to be in tune with a student's barriers and in tune with the employers needs.
All stakeholders should work together in order to make Career Services meaningful and successful. With collective involvement, we will be able to achieve the mission.
I have been working for career services for four years now, and this is the first time that I have the opportunity of taking a course that shows a radiography of what we do and the importance of our department in higher education. Some people think that we are just there to write resumes and show students how to dress properly for an interview. This section portraits very well what we do and the importance of our work.
I always sort of intuitively knew about the seven characteristics of a nontraditional student, but it was helpful to see them spelled out. In the future, I will consider whether a struggling student possesses any of these traits and how that might influence the support we offer.
Career Services is one of many departments that relate to students success.
This module is full of reaffirming information that supports a Career Services department's mission, specifically, that it is incumbant on every staff & faculty member to understand their role with job placement outcomes. I also appreciated the breakdown of the multitude of barriers at play when assisting a student with job support services.
My takeaway from this section is that the entire institution is responsbile for the employment rates and success of graduates. Each of us has a hand in molding and coaching a student using specific departmental techniques. Also, it was a nice reminder of the population that we serve and the barriers that may be experiencing going through their program. By understanding the circumstances of students the better we can help them be successful and provide resources to support their goals.
Knowledge of community resources to help overcome barriers, such as lack of transportation, prior incarceration and lack of financial resources for single mothers are all important to be able to assist at risk groups to gain employment.
It takes a village to provide great Career Service results. Every department plays an important role in student success, knowledge, and skill development.
I have learned that is not JUST the responsiblity of the Career Services Department to help students and graduates start working in the field but it is the institution as a whole responsibility which really makes sense; it starst with the admissions rep becuase this is where the student first comes to learn about the school and forges a close relationship and trusts thier advice and then goes on to thier instructor who not only teaches and provides knowledge but also is their cheerleader and provides them encouragment and self esteem and then goes on to the admininstration (Dean, President, Directors, etc) wherein they must show thier face so students know they care and are doing thier job to help them be succesfful and they are not just a number and then to the Career Services Department both while they are in school and once they graduate (which will become thier closest connection and advocate, especailly once they graduate).
I thought it was interesting to see the data on career services staff. Although these centers can play a crucial role in student employment outcomes, many are understaffed.
This modules demonstrates how many different individuals and departments work together within the institution to assist in students being able to achieve academic, technical, and career goals. The approach is multifaceted and each facet plays an important role in success. This module also clearly identifies the differences in what industry is looking for opposed to what academic colleges are attempting to provide in work readiness. Career colleges offers more current skills for industry, but some gaps can be seen if the career colleges are not vigilent in their ability to follow trends in industry.
Everyone must understand their roles and responsibilities to be a ble to work together for the success of the students.
I intend to reach out to different companies and ask if internshios are possible. Also having an Advisory Group made up of different Companies could be useful in understanding what skills are needed.
This module emphisizes that it is the institutions responsibility to service the students to help them in reaching their goals.
One factor that impedes gainful employment with our students is their age. Highly regulated industries are not able to hire students under the age of 18. Students become discouraged by this fact.
Helping students to reach their career goals is the responsibility of the entire institution.
Reply to Frank Barcellos's post:I wonder if the reason for this is because this course seems to focus on post secondary education, rather than secondary level technical education.
There are many different people and departments involved in getting students ready for their future. Everyone working as a team can greatly help a student on their path to success in a meaningful career
Some employers are demanding that entry-level students have higher skills than before. This causes some jobs to go unfilled.
