College and Career Awareness Course

The College and Career Awareness course is designed to equip students with the essential skills and knowledge required to make informed decisions about their academic and career paths. This course plays a critical role in preparing students to be college and career ready, offering them the tools they need to navigate their futures successfully.

• State Description & Standards

Course Overview

Grade Levels: The program is a course for middle school students, specifically those in Grades 7 or 8. It is taught by a collaborative team comprising Career and Technical Education Coordinators, school counselors, and Work-Based Learning coordinators.

Role of School Counselors: School counselors have a significant role in instructing students on essential concepts and aligning the Plan for College and Career Readiness (PCCR) with the students' goals and aspirations.

Instructional Methods: The course provides dynamic learning experiences through hands-on, real-world applications. These experiences are derived from project-based learning, simulations, and Work-Based Learning opportunities such as career fairs, guest speakers, field studies, and job shadowing.

Career Exploration

Students are encouraged to assess their personal interests and aptitudes to explore career options aligned with their capabilities. The exploration is guided by the current Career and Technical Education (CTE) Career Clusters and Pathways. Students will gain insights into accessing current information about market demand, average earnings, and the training and education requirements necessary for various careers. This knowledge aids in developing a well-defined Plan for College and Career Readiness (PCCR).

By completing the College and Career Awareness course, students will be better prepared to make informed decisions about their education and career paths, leading to a successful and fulfilling future.

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College and Career Ready through CTE

When APPLIED TECHNICAL LEARNING is integrated with RIGOROUS ACADEMICS, students develop the SKILLS NEEDED FOR SUCCESS.

The technical, academic and employability skills that students gain in CTE programs, through CTE courses, work-based learning, career and technical student organizations and dual/concurrent enrollment, are essential for college and career success.

CTE programs prepare students for college and careers:

The top 3 SKILLS and experiences that students report gaining in their CTE classes are:

1. SKILLS to help them get jobs in the future
2. REAL-WORLD EXAMPLES to help them understand academic classes
3. The chance to work as PART OF A TEAM

More than 88 percent of CTE students are planning to continue on to postsecondary education.

6 in 10 students are planning to pursue a career related to the CTE area they are exploring in high school.

Almost 1/3 of CTE students have the opportunity to earn college credit and/or an industry certification through CTE.

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CTE students demonstrate the academic, technical and employability skills needed for postsecondary and workplace success:

• 80 percent of students taking a college prep academic curriculum with rigorous CTE meet college and career readiness goals, compared to only 63 percent of students taking the same academic core who did not experience rigorous CTE.?
• Students attending CTE high schools demonstrate higher rates of on-time graduation and credit accumulation and a greater likelihood of successfully finishing a college prep math sequence.?
• CTE students are significantly more likely to report developing problem-solving, project completion, research, work-related, communication, time management and critical-thinking skills during high school.
• Postsecondary CTE concentrators earn significantly more than those who majored in academic fields. particularly when employed in an industry related to their program of study.

For more information about CTE, visit www.acteonline.org.