Here is an outstanding article written by one of our own, Trinidadian born Dr. Joanne Manswell Butty. She is definitely a living testament of the brain power coming out of our beautiful island.
Jo-Anne Manswell Butty, PhD
Educational Psychologist
I recently read an interesting article by Hooker and Brand (2009) http://www.aypf.org//publications/SuccessAtEveryStep.pdf which highlights a thought shift in how career development among young people should emerge. This shift looks at a more integrative approach to career development which suggests a close examination of the relationship between education and career development strategies and outcomes. It is a step away from the traditional definition of career development which is more linear in scope and looks at career and education paths as two separate entities in attaining one’s career goals. In other words, the successful integration of education and career development according to this new school of thought is felt to provide a better prepared workforce ready to meet the opportunities and challenges of today’s changed 21st century innovative workplace.
As a result of this paradigm shift, important terms have been coined and re-conceptualized that highlight education-career skill attainment. The term college and career readiness is a new term that includes the concept of success, not just readiness, and is defined as youth having:
(a) the ability to successfully complete credit-bearing college courses or industry certified non-remediation skills
(b) the required academic skills and self-motivation to persist, progress, and succeed in postsecondary education
(c) the identified achievable career goals, objectives, and outcomes
(d) the developmental maturity to thrive in both postsecondary education and careers
(e) the cultural knowledge to understand the expectations of the college environment
(f) the employer-desired skills for success in an innovation-based economy
Another old but related term, college, is now broadly define as the inclusive and comprehensive range of postsecondary education experiences that youth should acquire including:
(a) traditional college programs (e.g., AA, BA/BS, and graduate) leading to degrees as well as shorter-term programs that lead to industry or apprenticeship certifications
(b) other high-quality post-secondary experiences that youth might acquire during their developmental path that facilitate college credit acquisition leading to certificates or degrees
The model proposed by Hooker and Brand for college and career readiness and success represents an integrated, broadened approach to schooling and career readiness. They state that several national education and workforce organizations such as the American Diploma Project (http://www.achieve.org/node/604) and Partnership for 21st Century Skills (http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/) indicate that college and career preparation require a similar knowledge and skill set—where students should be both career and college ready.
Three beliefs, often barriers, are generally posed as challenges to this new framework:
(a) not all youth are able to handle rigorous post secondary academic opportunities and, therefore, do not need high academic preparation during MS and HS
(b) workplace success requires only academic skills
(c) the linear pathway to a four-year college degree supersedes other options—devaluing and limiting youth’s access to rewarding occupations
It is my opinion that college and career readiness, should be viewed in a broader context which advocates that all students need a rigorous academic foundation and wide range of skills. Also, that there should be an increase in the availability of postsecondary options and careers; and interventions should be based on attaining long-term goals of career success, civic engagement, and the capacity for lifelong learning.
The model proposed by Hooker and Brand is relevant to all youth, especially low-income Black youth. It broadens the scope of integrated college-career readiness and success with a more comprehensive, inclusive, asset-based approach to youth and their families. It does not limit the choices and opportunities available to youth as it recognizes that youth will choose their own path in life be it the traditional four-year college pathway and/or pathways that are more technically- or occupationally-oriented. With this model, it is important that young people have access to a range of quality supports that lead to the attainment of foundational knowledge, skills, abilities, and personal resources so that they will achieve positive outcomes at every stage of the educational and developmental process. This is critical factor for success.
Research, policy, and practice implications for the career development of Black youth suggest that many in the field are using culturally responsive approaches to continue developing and expanding models and definitions. This is all in an effort to educate the whole child and address education and postsecondary career readiness and success to meet a changing national and global innovative workplace.
I agree with Hooker and Brand that as families seek seamless, navigable, integrated education systems and as youth transition from middle and high school to postsecondary college-career opportunities they should be able to wisely choose effective college-career pathways. Youth and their families should not be programmed or limited because of systemic school, college, and career development failures.
References
Hooker, S., & Brand, B. (2009). Success at every step: How 23 programs support youth on the
path to college and beyond. Retrieved from http://www.aypf.org//publications/SuccessAtEveryStep.pdf
No comments:
Post a Comment