Inspiration - Engagement - Action - Achievement

•Founded in Toronto in 1995 by recent grads

•Currently serving over 19,000 sites across North America

•Experienced staff of 45+ people

•Long-term commitment to developing the world’s leading computer-based career development systems

Agenda

1. High quality career education and guidance is vitally important

2. Delivering high quality career education and guidance is a huge challenge for schools

3. What’s at the core of effective career development?

4. Tour of products and implementation strategies

High quality career education and guidance is vitally important

The Perfect Talent Storm

11 Great Great

RecessionRecession22 Aging Aging

PopulationPopulation

33 Upskilling Upskilling

of Jobsof Jobs44 Unprepared Unprepared

WorkforceWorkforce

Converging MegatrendsConverging Megatrends

Pathways to Prosperity

How to meet the challenge of preparing young Americans for the 21st century?

1. Pay more attention to career education and guidance

2. Focus on multiple pathways

3. Better connections with employers (social compact with youth)

Research on the Benefits of Career Development

Some Recent Quotes

“Everybody has a calling, and your real job in life is to figure out what that is and get about the business of doing it…You have to make a living; I understand that. But you also have to know what sparks the light in you so that you, in your own way, can illuminate the world.”

- Oprah, her final show

"What the whole world wants is a good job. That is one of the single biggest discoveries Gallup has ever made. It is as simple and as straightforward an explanation of the data as we can give. Humans used to desire love, money, food, shelter, safety, and/or peace more than anything else. The last 25 years have changed us. Now we want to have a good job.”

- Jim Clifton, Chairman and CEO of Gallup

"You've got to find what you love. The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking and don't settle. Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.”

- Steve Jobs, 2005 Stanford commencement

Delivering high quality career education and guidance is a huge challenge for

schools

Why do we struggle with career development?

Some ideas…

• The benefits are not widely known

• Not traditionally part of the core school curriculum

• High student to counsellor ratios

• Steps required to make improvements may not be clear

• May be a stigma associated with receiving counseling and help

• Like parenting people believe they can figure it out themselves on the fly

Some of the reasons we lose clients…

No funding – 23.6%Primary contact left – 15.39%Failed implementation – 11.06%

Some OECD Recommendations

1. The guidance oriented school across primary and secondary education levels (estabilishing relevance)

2. Portfolio system (record, reflect, plan)

3. Building bridges with the world of work (get a taste)

4. Career guidance as a cross-curricular responsibility of all school staff

5. Ensuring that career guidance personnel use people who know about the world of work

A school-wide career education strategy with measured outcomes is needed.

Source: Organization for Economic Co-Operation and DevelopmentCareer Guidance – A Handbook for Policy Makershttp://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/53/53/34060761.pdf

What’s at the core of effective career development?

The Core of Objective of Career Development

Engaged and Inspired Students!

Post-Secondary Planning

One-On-One Counselling

Career Studies Course

Career Portfolio Development

Mentorship

Course Planning

Financial Aid

Co-Op Studies

Career Exploration

Career Assessments

Job Shadowing

Job Search Strategies

Resume Building

Work-Based Learning

Labour Market Information

Career Management Skills

Internships

Tour of products and implementation strategies

How do we engage and inspire students?

Our Products

Career Cruising

Key Features

Career assessments Occupation profiles Multimedia interviews Post-secondary planning

information Career Portfolio Resume builder Employment section Classroom activities

Career Advisor Management System

Key Features

Student management Communication tools Completion Standards System customization and

configuration Report generation Usage tracking Support Materials

Course Planner

Key Features

Real course selections SIS integration Prerequisite and graduation

requirement checking Alignment with SHSMs Program possibilities Customized advisory alerts Guidance tools for tracking

student work School-specific course

information

Network

Key Features

Employer profiles integrated with career exploration

Career Coach discussion boards

Work-based learning database, with request process

Communication tools Local articles, industry

profiles, calendars of events, etc.

The Real Game

Key Features

Classroom career and life simulation

Complete curriculum Financial budgeting Time management Career and life management

skills development Self-discovery Connecting education to future

life Personal action planning

The Play Real Game (3/4)

The Make It Real Game (5/6)

The Real Game (7-9)

The Be Real Game (10-16+)

Evolution of computer-based career guidance resources

1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

1st Generation Tools

2nd Generation Tools

3rd Generation Tools

Attributes, Features, Benefits, and Implementation

Key Attributes Core Tools and Features

Key Benefits Implementation

1st Generation Tools

Wide-spread availability of career assessments and searchable career planning information

• searchable occupation databases• searchable college and financial aid databases• self-serve career assessments

• valuable tools and information readily available

• often delivered as part of a support services function on an “as needed” basis• some integration with classroom activities

2nd Generation Tools

Facilitation of career development activities and processes

• portfolio / individual learning plan development• curriculum and structured activities• integrated course selection• college application planning

• moving career development towards the core• school-wide participation• likely deeper student engagement

• more structured implementation• curriculum integration• career development infused into core school functions

3rd Generation Tools

Making valuable connections

• online discussion boards, blogs, etc.• opportunities for student-advisor-employer interaction•online mentoring

• connecting people who need each other• testing ideas and putting plans into action• leveraging community resources

• community engagement

Network Feedback from North Carolina

"F4K will be the 'Gold Standard' for career exploration in the next five years.“

Dan Walker, Chief Talent Officer, Apple Computer

"F4K is the best answer we have found for our workforce needs over

the next decade.“ Mark Dold, Manager of Marketing, Support Services, John Deere

"In my 30 plus years in the chamber profession, I have never seen a more dynamic and promising workforce development initiative.“

Harvey A. Schmitt, President and CEO, Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce

"F4K is a powerful tool to help our students see the importance of staying in school.”

Brenda Jones, Career & Technical Ed. Middle Grades Consultant, NCDPI

"This is exactly the tool for which educators have been waiting.”Cynthia Floyd Boyd, K-12 School Counseling Consultant, NCDPI

Inspiration - Engagement - Action - Achievement

OSCA Conference 2011Tuesday, November 8th

Toronto, Ontario