| What Do Kids Need to Know Before They Graduate? |
 |
|
As the American economy shifts from an industrial-based model to one that is based on service, young people need a different set of skills to be successful after they complete high school. It is important for many parents and students to understand that a diploma doesn't automatically reflect adequate preparation for what lies ahead and that more is needed.
Too few high school students take challenging courses that are beyond what their high school requires. A manufacturing and distribution executive once said, "Increasingly the computer will do the computation but thinking about the problem, developing the problem, understanding the problem, looking at it from all sides, and deciding what information is relevant to the problem is the harder part and you can't do that without understanding computation."
An English professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas once said, “Regardless of a student’s major, the ability to formulate and analyze arguments, both orally and in writing, is absolutely essential to academic success … . We can develop these skills at the postsecondary level, but students need to get a solid foundation in these basics when they are in high school, or they will fall behind quickly in college."
How Can You Help Your Child Prepare for Life After High School?
Start in middle school:
You need to start planning the courses your child will take in high school while still in middle school. The courses your child takes in high school will greatly affect his or her ability to make a smooth transition to postsecondary education and training.
Take action in high school:
Identify the career or field in which he or she would like to work.
Discover the skills needed for his or her chosen career.
Get as much education and experience related to his or her career field as possible while still in high school. This can be accomplished in many ways, including elective classes, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, job shadowing, internships and part-time jobs.
Collect information on the post-high school training needed to fit his or her career plan.
Find the schools or colleges that provide the best training for your child's chosen career.
Look beyond just starting a training program, set a plan for how to finish the program.
Focus your child on a career goal:
If your child does not have a particular career goal, help him or her choose a post-high school program in a general area related to his or her interests.
Encourage him or her to take challenging courses and continue to think about how he or she can use education to pursue a rewarding career.
Remember that it's okay for your child to change career goals as he or she learns more about the world of work.
Also keep in mind that it's better to have a plan that changes than no plan at all.
Good luck!
|
