Salem High School
Salem, Missouri
Teacher: John
Hendricks
Job Training Programs
By Ashley Nivens
Throughout the years, my interest in careers has changed many
times and sometimes dramatically. First, I wanted to be in forestry. Second my interest
grew to marine biology; then a physician. Finally, I landed on accounting, and that's what
I'm working toward now. Each time I selected a new career path, I didn't really know what
it was all about. The idea of each sounded good, but I didn't think about the schooling I
needed or the responsibilities that came with each.
I know that there are students everywhere with this same
problem. Many are constantly changing their minds about what they want to study, or even
worse, they don't decide until a couple of years into college. Why not build a program
introducing a variety of jobs available? In this program, the students that volunteer to
participate will take about two or even three hours out of their day to train for a job.
Every one or two weeks the student will start training for a different job. The students
will select four or five jobs that they are interested in to train for. When the students
discover the job that they enjoy or are most interested in, then they will continue the
semester or year training for that job.
This system will allow students to discover what career they
want to plan for. They would start the program in either the freshman or sophomore year.
Once they have become set on a specific career, then they will know what courses to take
for the remainder of their high school years. After completing the appropriate schedule
throughout high school, they will be more prepared to continue reaching their career goal
in college. Their career related subjects in high school would give them a head start in
college. They will introduce related terminology; hands on work, and other information
that will help the students to know what the college professors are talking about.
We do have some programs that introduce a variety of careers
such as career day. On this day, many speakers come to our school. There is a wide range
of professionals at many different jobs. The students go and listen to four jobs that they
have selected. This gives the students a chance to ask any questions they want, plus an
overview of what the job consists of. This is a good way to explain the options of careers
a student has, but what it doesn't do, is allow students to get hands on experience at
that job. We now also have a required job
shadowing, one day out of the year for juniors. Now, this program does allow hand on
experience, but it's only for one job and only one day. We also have COE and CBOE. These
programs let students work half a day and go to school for half a day. They allow students
to make money and get job training. Some jobs are training that relate to their careers,
but others are at fast food restaurants or grocery stores. All of these programs are good
programs.
There are some very well developed programs for those that know
what career path they are taking. One program that is very much career related for those
going into technical careers is RTI (Rolla Technical Institute). Juniors and seniors that
are interested can go to RTI to get hands on experience on mechanical work or drafting and
other technical related works. They can choose to go half a day to Rolla and half a day to
school, or selected seniors can choose to go a full day at RTI. For future teachers, we
have a program of cadet teaching. In this program the students will take two hours a day
out of their schedule to help and learn from other teachers.
To suggest these programs is easier than to organize them. There
has to be an agreement between the high school and the employers. There is a need for more
employer involvement in order to carry out youth apprenticeship and other work-based
learning experiences for high school students.
The U.S. is ranked low in education compared to other countries.
Such work-based programs are what students need to get on the right track at an earlier
age, so they will have a goal that they are working toward, and a career that they want to
succeed at. With the help of work-based learning experiences and youth apprenticeships,
students will make a goal for themselves at what they are interested in. This will cause
them to take education more seriously.