Introduction
The Department of Defense Education Activity Schools (DoDEA) Career Practicum Program (CP) is concerned with several different areas in the growth and development of students. Two of the important aspects of career practicum are to help students between the ages of 14-20 better understand themselves through the actual employment of their skills and aptitudes in real-life settings and to offer the students opportunities to build their confidence, esteem and reliability.
The students are expected to make decisions, accept responsibilities, show initiative, and develop and practice interpersonal relationships in the world of work. In addition, contact with different kinds of work and occupations will aid the students in making important career decisions.
Career Practicum experience is a living demonstration of the concept that education is a community-wide responsibility. This program extends student educational opportunities beyond the curricular, physical, and financial resources of the school. Career Practicum work experience offers the students opportunities to explore career goals through practical experiences.
Because educators recognize the wide differences in students in achievement, ability and interest, the DoDEA Career Practicum Program is designed to offer a unique opportunity in the development of individual career potential.
PHILOSOPHY
In contemporary society occupational opportunities are in a constant state of flux; consequently, it is not possible within the limits of the school plant to acquaint students with the range of skills, knowledge and attitudes needed for their respective careers. Students, parents, educators, and employers increasingly recognize that education takes place not only in schoolrooms but also in a work setting under the guidance of a successfully employed adult. In the career practicum program, employers in the community become teachers who help the schools provide career education for our youth.
Career practicum education is a form of practical and applied career guidance. The basic skills for job entry and a lifetime of learning are taught in the schools. However, the attitudes involved in employer-employee human relationships and those needed in working for and with other people can be better learned in a job situation. The job setting is the proper environment for the development of critical work habits, such as dependability, punctuality, accountability, ethical behavior and attention to detail.
The development of these work habits has proven to be a determining factor in students’ future successes in both higher education and in their careers. This educational program illustrates the cooperative endeavors of schools and community in preparing high school students to become responsible, productive citizens. Career practicum experience can offer a head start to occupational adjustment. There is no better reference on an employment application than successful work experience.
CAREER PRACTICUM OVERVIEW
DoDEA Professional Technical Studies encompass four program areas (strands)
• Business/Computer Technology
• Communication Technology
• Health/Human Services
• Pre-Engineering/Scientific Technology
Career Practicum, as an integral part of the Career and Technical Education (CTE), is designed to offer opportunities for students to acquire school to career experience and jobs through a work practicum and related classroom instruction. This course was formerly known as Cooperative Work Experience (CWE).
Career Practicum includes the following possibilities:
• Capstone experience for completion of any of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs and transition from high school
• On the job work experience based on the student’s specific career goals, aptitudes, and experiences
• Culminating activity for other disciplines
Important aspects of Career Practicum are:
• to provide students an opportunity to acquire an understanding of actual employment settings utilizing their skills and aptitudes.
• to apply problem solving skills in the work environment.
• to develop communication techniques.
• to utilize electronic information systems to search for career information.
• to explore information resources.
• to acquire learning and self management tools.
• to develop intrapersonal and interpersonal competencies.
In addition, the exploration of different occupations will aid the students in making important career decisions. Career Practicum extends student educational opportunities beyond the curricular, physical, geographical and financial resources of the school.
For most high school students, employability on graduation and over the long term is a major priority. More and more high school courses provide the means for students to develop their employability skills, to raise their own awareness of these skills and to increase their ability to articulate these skills. Such capabilities can be put into practice in personal development planning, career practicum opportunities, job searching, interviews and similar situations and be of real help when making major career and life changes.
In keeping with referent trend, the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department offers courses in many career fields to students in DoDEA middle and high schools where the mission of this department is to prepare our students to be technologically literate and employable in a global workforce.
To support said mission, the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department at Lejeune HS offers a Career Practicum course for high school credit.
The underlying assumption for said course is that a student’s life long learning capability and employability can be enhanced through a structured career practicum experience without detrimental impact on their academic study. The impact of the effects of widening participation in high school, along with greater diversity in the ways in which students learn, provides a climate where increased numbers of students can and need to benefit from supported development of their employability skills.
This course is offered mostly to seniors who have expressed an interest in gaining work experience in potential careers that they have identified via instructional activities and experiences provided by the Career Practicum course.
In order to provide referent students said opportunity, we partner with various organizations in the community to establish a structured career practicum experience, allowing the student to explore their career interest and help them to make life long decisions concerning what they want to do upon their graduation from high school.
The Career practicum course description is as follows:
About the Program
Career Practicum prepares students for their future careers. The course sequence focuses on duties and tasks performed by professionals as well as pre-employment and employment skills.
Major Concepts/Content: Career Practicum is designed to provide school-to-career experiences and training through a work practicum related to their career goal. Important aspects are to provide students an opportunity to acquire an understanding of actual employment settings utilizing their skills and aptitudes, apply problem solving skills in the work environment, develop communication techniques, utilize electronic information systems to search for career information, explore information resources, acquire learning and self-management tools, develop intrapersonal and interpersonal competencies. In addition, the exploration of different occupations will aid the students in making important career decisions. Career Practicum extends student educational opportunities beyond the curricular, physical, and financial resources of the school.
Major Instructional Activities: Instructional activities will emphasize the community as a classroom. Every training site provides unique hands-on experiences that are related to students’ particular interests. In addition students will complete job applications, participate in job interviews, prepare a resume with a cover letter, research careers utilizing the Internet as well as traditional means, complete interest and aptitude instruments, participate in career-related classroom activities and develop a career plan with input from the Career Development Coordinator, guidance counselor, and parents.
Major Evaluative Techniques: Student evaluations will include supervisor’s evaluations, coordinator’s evaluations, weekly attendance/time sheets and classroom assignments.