Career Education

• Choosing one’s field of work, one of the most important decisions of a lifetime, is as important to students who plan to go to college as it is to those who plan to go directly into the workforce after high school. Both time and money can be saved by choosing a college and/or a college career pathway that leads to a satisfying field of work. All students can obtain additional information regarding the following programs through school counseling and/or career academy services.

The United States Office of Education and the Connecticut Department of Education recommend that all students graduating from high school acquire knowledge and experience in the following areas:

• Career Awareness: Career awareness consists of a knowledge of one’s values, goals, interests, aptitudes, abilities, skills, accomplishments, and experiences that suggest alternative directions for success and satisfaction in a career as well as knowledge of the spectrum of careers available and their employability. Decision-making skills should be acquired to enable students to make realistic decisions about future careers.

• Career Exploration: Career exploration is the opportunity to sample occupations related to career goals by working in real situations in the community. These experiences enable students to make more realistic, experience-based career decisions.

• Skill Development: Whether college-bound or work-bound, every student should acquire at least one marketable skill before graduating from high school either through in-school classes or through out-of-school programs.