Oregon Employment Department Oregon Career Information System Oregon Department of Education Oregon Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

•Oregon Employment Department

•Oregon Career Information System

•Oregon Department of Education

•Oregon Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development

MyChildsFuture.orgMyChildsFuture.org

Parent InvolvementParent Involvement= Future Success= Future Success

Help Your Child Help Your Child Identify InterestsIdentify Interests

andandExplore CareersExplore Careers







Why should you be involved in your child’s education and career

planning?

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Why Parent Involvement? Research shows that you have the greatest

influence on your child’s career choices As a parent, you have the best knowledge of

your child’s interests and abilities You have more interest than anyone else in

your child’s well-being and success Your child’s future is too important to be left

to luck or chance

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When parents are involved. . .

…children have: Higher grades and test scores Higher graduation rates Better attendance at school and get more

homework done Fewer placements in special education

and: Are more likely to enroll in postsecondary

education Show more positive attitudes and behavior

Source: The Family is Crucial to Student Achievement, National Committee for Citizens in Education, 1994

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Elementary Career AwarenessIn elementary school, your children can develop

these skills: 1. Identify their interests, likes, and dislikes.

2. Describe their strengths and talents.

3. Demonstrate positive behaviors and personal characteristics, such as honesty, dependability, responsibility, integrity, and loyalty.

4. Recognize that one should accept responsibility for one’s behavior.

5. Interact with others in a fair, helpful, and respectful way.

Source: National Career Development Guidelines

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Elementary Career AwarenessIn elementary school, your children can develop

these skills: 6. Recognize that people have many life roles and

that these need to be balanced.

7. Demonstrate study skills and good learning habits.

8. Be able to set goals and work toward achieving them.

9. Describe different ways to make decisions.

10. Recognize a variety of skills that are important for success in school and work, such as communicating, critical thinking, problem solving, and interpersonal skills.


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Middle School Career ExplorationIn middle school, your children can develop

these skills: 1. Identify and demonstrate their abilities, strengths,

skills, and talents. 2. Identify sources of outside pressure and

demonstrate the ability to handle it. 3. Demonstrate the ability to resolve conflicts and

negotiate acceptable solutions. 4. Recognize that they are growing and changing

and that growth and change will affect their careers throughout their lives.

5. Recognize that they will have many life roles and that these will be connected to their lifestyle.


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Middle School Career ExplorationIn middle school, your children can develop

these skills: 6. Recognize that their educational performance is

important for reaching their goals and, if necessary, use strategies to improve it.

7. Identify short-term and long-term goals, including those related to their education, career options, and lifestyle.

8. Make decisions in a systematic way, including identifying options and potential consequences.

9. Recognize the need to compromise in making some decisions.

10. Use career information resources to evaluate their goals and help with their plans.


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High School Career PlanningIn high school your children can develop these

skills: 1. Demonstrate behaviors and decisions that reflect

their interests, abilities, strengths, skills, talents, work values and needs.

2. Demonstrate positive social skills and the ability to get along with others.

3. Demonstrate acceptance of responsibility for their own behavior.

4. Reflect on how their personal aspirations are changing with time and circumstances.

5. Demonstrate adaptability and flexibility in responding to change.


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High School Career PlanningIn high school your children can develop these

skills: 6. Identify personal, career, and educational goals,

and demonstrate educational performance levels needed to attain their goals.

7. Develop a career and education plan, with short-term and long-term objectives, to meet their goals.

8. Use career information resources to evaluate their goals and support their plans.

9. Demonstrate job search and general employability skills.

10. Identify the types of economic conditions and employment trends that may affect their career plans


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Discuss Your Child’s Interests

Ask your child:• What are your favorite

school subjects?• What activities outside

of school do you enjoy most?

• What hobbies do you have or would you like to have?

• What do you like to do with your friends?

• What special skills or abilities do you think you possess?

• What have you done that you are most proud of?

• What do you like to do with your free time?

• What types of books interest you the most?

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Nurture Your Child’s InterestsIf your child has an interest in ANIMALS, he or she

might like to:

Elementary School• Feed and care for a family pet

Middle School• Join a 4-H Club• Walk or care for a neighbor’s dog

High School• Volunteer at a local veterinary clinic, animal

shelter or zoo

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Nurture Your Child’s InterestsIf your child has an interest in ART, he or she might

like to:

Elementary School• Make birthday or holiday cards for relatives and

friends

Middle School• Create graphics for the school newsletter• Design invitations for a special event

High School• Design a personal or school Web site

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Nurture Your Child’s InterestsIf your child likes to HELP PEOPLE, he or she might

like to:Elementary School

• Join a Girl Scout or Boy Scout clubMiddle School

• Teach a younger child to read• Volunteer to read to nursing home residents

High School• Be a summer or vacation camp counselor• Assist at a day care center

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Nurture Your Child’s InterestsIf your child likes to BUILD or REPAIR THINGS, he

or she might like to:Elementary School

• Use Lego's or Lincoln Logs to build thingsMiddle School

• Build a radio or computer from a kit• Take apart an old appliance and put it back

togetherHigh School

• Design and build a robot or a piece of furniture• Help repair or remodel things in your home

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Nurture Your Child’s InterestsIf your child likes SPORTS, he or she might like to:

Elementary School• Play on a sports team

Middle School• Assist a coach• Take a fitness class

High School• Umpire or referee community games• Coach a youth sports team

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What if My Child’s Interests Change? If your child has been exploring

interests, and he or she decides that interests have changed — hurray!

It is just as important for your child to know what he or she does not want to do as it is to know what he or she does want to do

Exploration is the key to helping make informed decisions

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Help Your Child Explore CareersTo help your child with career

exploration: Encourage your child to make independent

decisions Involve yourself in your child’s future planning Encourage exploration of all kinds of post-high

school education opportunities Give your child economic responsibilities Encourage job awareness Be flexible as the decision-making process

evolves

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More Parent ResourcesVisit MyChildsFuture.orgto learn about:

Helping your child identify interests Helping your child make career

decisions Helping your child plan Finding the right school Locating financial aid And more







Help Your Child Help Your Child Plan for the Plan for the

FutureFuture







What do you need to know about

education and the

labor market?

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Parents Need to Know

Less than a HS diploma 11.8%

High school diploma 6.1%

Some college, no degree 5.3%

Associate degree 3.9%

Bachelor’s or higher 2.9%

Unemployment rates for non-institutional civilians ages 25 & older

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2004

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Of the 22.2 million jobs to be generated between 2000 and 2010...

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...17.5 million will require some postsecondary education.


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8 of the 10 fastest growing occupations between 2000 and 2010 will require some form of postsecondary education.


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48 of the 50 best paying jobs will require a college degree.


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About CollegeAlthough over 97% of students

(and their parents) aspire to college… 63% enroll in college the fall following their

graduation from high school More than a third leave within two years

without earning a degree Only about half earn a bachelor’s degree

by the time they are 29 years old

Source: The Condition of Education, 2002

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About College Community or technical college can lead to

well-paying jobs, and may be all a child needs to reach his or her career goal

Community college can also be the path to a 4-year degree

Many students start out at a community college to save costs or get a handle on college-level work

Source: Higher Learning=Higher Earnings, Center on Education Policy, Sept. 2001

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College Preparation Freshmen who enter college without a career

goal or an academic major in mind have higher college dropout rates

More than 22% of college freshmen need to take remedial courses — these do not count as credit toward a degree

Your child should take challenging courses in high school to prepare for college-level coursework

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College Preparation 83% of students who take Algebra I and

Geometry in high school go on to college Students who don’t take Algebra and Geometry

in high school are much less likely to go to college — only 36% do

Taking challenging courses in high school not only helps children get into college, but also increases the chances they will complete college

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Help Create Education Plans Discover the training that is required for your

child to meet his or her career goals Find colleges or career schools that provide

training specific to your child’s goals Select the school that fits your child’s needs, for

example: Does your child do better in small classes or

large groups? Will he or she do better at a school in a large city

or a small town?

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For Information on Work and School

Career Information Use Oregon Career Information System (CIS) at

home.oregoncis.uoregon.edu

Labor Market Information Visit the Oregon Employment Department’s

Web site atQualityInfo.org







With your help, your child can create a solid plan that will guide him

or her to successful post-high school

training and a rewarding career.

Documents

Oregon Employment Department Oregon Career Information System Oregon Department of Education Oregon Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development