Explaining Career Pathways
The Narrative Version
Johnny, a high school junior, was an excellent student who showed great aptitude in a number of subjects. Johnny’s dream was to some day become a teacher.
Sallie, another high school junior, had a passion for cars, a passion that provided her with great mechanical aptitude. Sallie dreamed of owning her own repair shop.
Day in and day out, Johnny and Sallie sat through the same high school classes, learning the same material, being guided by the same curriculum, despite their vastly different interests, aptitudes, and dreams.
That was once upon a time – a time when every story did not end ‘happily ever after.’
Johnny and Sallie had different interests, different aptitudes, and different dreams, just as our students today do. Our goal at Fremont Public Schools is to recognize each child’s interests and aptitudes and supply them with guidance and an education specifically suited for those interests. This is accomplished through our Career Pathways program.
Career Pathways is a three-tiered program that will allow our students to identify their aptitudes, explore possible careers, and apply their interests to specific areas of study.
I. Awareness - During the elementary grades students are encouraged to try new experiences and develop interests. It is also during this phase that students are first made aware of a variety of careers and opportunities to which their developing interests could be applied.
II. Exploration - Building upon the awareness phase, middle school students are exposed to an even greater variety of careers and professions. Students will be able to explore a world of possibilities through reports, job shadowing experiences, and job fair opportunities.
III. Application – Following exploration, students will be given the opportunity to develop an educational plan specifically aimed at their interests and aptitudes (as determined through aptitude, interest, and personality assessments). Parents and students will be able to discuss the assessment results with a career counselor. At that time, one of six general ‘Career Pathways’ will be chosen based upon that assessment.
Upon entering high school, a student’s required classes would be determined by the Career Pathway chosen. Each Career Pathway has a required list of classes to be taken each year – classes aimed at preparing students for that particular field. Students also have a variety of elective classes to chose from.
Students will meet with their career counselor throughout high school, as their counselor will continue to assess changing interests and abilities and provide educational guidance.
Should aptitudes, interests, or dreams change, so may the student’s Career Pathway. Career Pathways is not about forcing our students to decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives. No. Career Pathways is about exploring interests, aptitudes, dreams, and the careers those someday could become. At Fremont Public Schools, we want our children to explore the possibilities life offers and we strive daily to prepare our students for those possibilities.