Career Connections: Parent Resources
Does My High Schooler Need a Career Plan?
Your child needs to think about how they want their life to look after high school. What values are important to them? What skills do they have? What’s their vision? What education is required for career paths that are of interest to them? Understanding all of this helps students form their career goals.
Westbrook High School wants to help. Of course, access to quality elementary and secondary education is critical in preparation for a career whether it begins right after high school or after college, trade or technical school, apprenticeships or the military. The school's Career Connections initiative provides opportunities for students to build awareness of the multiple opportunities available to them, to explore careers and to help them prepare for career options.
EARLY EXPERIENCE & EXPOSURE SAVES MONEY
There are hundreds and hundreds of careers out there and available. Usually teenagers are aware of only the big careers like doctor, lawyer, and ones held by those adults around them. Teenagers also think a career option will come to them naturally even though we know career choices are made. If your teen heads off to college, they will see all the major & minor options. They may think it all sounds interesting and jump around majors. That’s a costly thing to do, as it postpones graduation. Career Connections experiences during high school help your student experience what it looks like in a chosen career path before they make post secondary decisions and, at least, helps them narrow down their choices before it costs additional money in post secondary education and training.
THEY WON'T PICK THE RIGHT JOB AT 17
We don’t expect teens to pick the right job at age 17, but we do know participation in Career Connections activities can narrow that field. We want to help them narrow it down to 3 or 4 careers that they’d like. That turns into tweaking some elective courses they select in high school or influencing them to put forth effort in academic courses and extracurricular activities so they gain skills and knowledge necessary for success. Effort students put forth in high school influences the options they have beyond high school. It will even help clarify the available options for post secondary education.
2020-21 CAREER CONNECTIONS
Westbrook High School is joining local business and industry partners to provide opportunities for your teenager to explore careers and to prepare for them. Career Connections during the 2020-21 school year will be held primarily in a virtual format. Activities include:
- Business and industry classroom guest speakers and mentors
- Internships for Grade 12 students
- Mock interview workshop
- Resume feedback forum
- Business/industry panels
- Grade level job shadowing field trips
- Senior Project mentors
- Community Service options
- Externships for teachers to learn how academic content is used in the workplace
CAN YOU HELP?
We know that parents and family members have the greatest influence on a child's career decisions. Strengthen your influence by building Career Connections at home.
- Encourage your teenager to participate actively in Career Connections activities sponsored by the school and talk to them about what they learned from the experiences.
- Talk about career pathways and explore elective classes that Westbrook High School offers. Earning college credit in high school through dual enrollment courses, early college courses, Advanced Placement prepare students for post secondary education experiences. Career technical education courses are excellent opportunities to explore the world of work and gain valuable workplace experience. Help your student select a three-course instructional sequence focused on building skills and knowledge during Grades 10 through 12.
- Review your child's career interest inventory in Naviance. Discuss career options based on interests.
- Encourage your child to join a school club, sport or organization and to consider leadership in them.
- Create a timeline and calendar with important dates and deadlines, such as application due dates, scholarship deadlines, SAT assessment dates and Career Connections activities. Refer to the Career Connections Learning & Career Development Continuum found in the Resources for Parents below.
- Visit CT Career Paths and review the education and training requirements for careers of interest. You may also review the Occupational Outlook Handbook for a information about occupations across the country. See links to these resources below in Resources for Parents.
Refer to Resources for Parents for additional support and resources.
