This blog is written for Career Coaches and Career Counselors who might be interested in some topics most useful for career counseling in the Community College.  In my previous blog, I mentioned that some colleges have comprehensive career centers and others were understaffed and mainly maintaining career services online and by way of offering career classes.  In California, we have created a network for sharing career counseling and career center resources.  The network is coordinated by a statewide career development advisory to the Community College Chancellor’s office; their website is found at  http://www.cccareers.org/

I will now highlight some really good resources that can be found at this site.  Under the area of “Resources for Career Centers” look at the section related to Faculty and Staff.  The resource titled “Partnering for Success” is a great power point explaining how Career Centers, Career Counselors, Academic Counselors and Faculty can work together to help students learn about career options.

Found in the ”Career Counselor’s Resources” is a helpful website for undecided students found at www.missingmajor.com.  (This Advisory contracted with Monstertrak to create this website.)  Try clicking on the sections at the bottom of the page:  Explore the Possibilities, Get Experience, Overcome Obstacles.  Most of these are links to career related services at a variety of colleges.  This site was created to help community colleges that did not have the financial resources to create and maintain their own career websites.

The last section to check out is called “Great Ideas.”  Most of the links ARE great ideas.  These Great Ideas were sent via email to all California Community College’s Career Centers so that they could inform students and faculty about trends, sample classroom activities and career information. For example there are federal funds to help community colleges educate students in “STEM” related disciples.  (STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.)  Career Centers that need to find funding for career services can seek supplemental funding if they develop services specializing in such disciplines.  The Great Idea related to STEM includes the following:

STEM businesses (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)  fuel much of California’s economic growth and job creation, but our state is having a difficult time producing enough qualified candidates to fill the high-demand, high-wage positions in many STEM companies. The shortage could be so acute in the coming years, that it may leave many STEM jobs in the state unfilled, which would have a devastating effect on California’s $1.7 trillion economy. While California needs more STEM trained and educated employees, fewer students are enrolling in courses to help them land STEM jobs. In fact, of the 123 STEM occupations requiring a post-secondary education, nearly half will face labor shortages. Lack of STEM talent is not just California’s problem, but also a global challenge. Let’s watch this video clip to hear what the Director of Fast Future Research has to say about STEM jobs. (View 2-minute video.)

• Why are STEM jobs and industries so important? (They are the industries of the future and will drive innovation and economic growth.)
• What are some of the STEM industries mentioned? (Nanotechnology, biotechnology, green technology, new vehicles)

Exercise
You may think you’re not a science, technology, or math person, but think again. You use STEM everyday. It takes STEM skills to use, produce, and maintain cell phones, music, videos, games, sports equipment, buildings, and cars. STEM is everywhere.  As we move forward in our high-tech economy, almost every high-wage job will require some STEM knowledge and skills. Let’s look at a few futuristic Help Wanted Ads to see what kind of jobs lie ahead and what knowledge and skills these jobs might require.

• Distribute Help Wanted 2020 and review the instructions.
• Give students time to complete the activity.
• Discuss the answers. (Prediction and descriptions are from Converge Magazine.)

(1. Teleport Specialist, 2. Weather Modification Police Person, 3. Wind Farmer, 4. Alternative Vehicle Developer, 5. Biometric Identification Specialist, 6. Space Architect, 7. Experimental Petrologist, 8. Data Miner)

I am a much better counselor having such resources sent to me or having a website to view to get updated materials to share with my college.  I deliver workshops on such topics, I speak in classes, and I share with all counselors so that they can share with their students.

In my next blog I will share with you a few of the “best practices” Career Center websites.  If you have community colleges career center websites to suggest I include, please send them to me with a short explanation about why you think they are so good or useful:  write to me at Lraufman@elcamino.edu.

Community College Career Counselors:

This blog is for career coaches and counselors and anyone who wants to know more about what Career Counselors do in Community Colleges.  Many of the coaching skills for job success that are mentioned throughout the Career Thought Leaders blogs are used regularly by “college career counselors” but career counselors have additional sets of skills and knowledge that they share with students.  All career counselors in California Community Colleges must have a minimum of a Master’s Degree in Counseling (or a related field.) Most of the career counselors work in a Counseling Center or a Career Center in the Community College

Career Counselors work with diverse students who range in age from 16 to 60+.  Their “students” may be taking one class for enrichment or starting on a degree program that will lead them in new career directions.  Most of the students seen by Career Counselors are “self described” as “undecided” about their majors and their career goals. Students are seen for individual appointments up to three times (more can be arranged) or Career counselors teach “Career and Life Planning Classes.”  These classes are popular whether taught on campus or through “distance education” online.   Students are charged only for the cost of “units” and materials if they take a class or for materials if they have an individual appointment.

 TYPES OF CAREER CENTERS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES:

In California Community College Career Centers, there are several types of Centers:  Career Counseling and Services or Career and Job Placement Services under the Counseling Department or Career Development Centers administered by the Career Education Department offering career counseling and information resources and Job Fairs as well as placement assistance.   Career Centers try to reach more students by offering Career Development Courses and website resources.  However, most colleges are limited in the number of classes and the services that they offer due to funding constraints.  Few Career Centers are comprehensive “One Stop Centers.”  A comprehensive Career Center includes career counseling, career courses, a resource center connected to the Web, a Work-Based Learning/Cooperative Education/ Internship Office, a Job Placement Office and is the hub for Cal Works, Tech Prep and School to Career initiatives.  Such a Center also offers career workshops on a regular basis.   In future blogs, I will highlight a few of these centers

 SERVICES OFFERED BY CAREER COUNSELORS:

Community College Career Counselors offer career assessments, counseling, and job search assistance including resume writing and interview techniques during individual appointments. Short term and full semester career classes are also taught by Career Counselors.  Some Community College Career Counselors are full time Academic and Career Counselors; in a few colleges, their full time job is career counseling.  Student Services Advisors, who work in these Career Centers, usually have bachelor’s degrees and part of their work includes project coordination for marketing career services throughout the campus and coordinating job fairs and other career events and workshops.

Many Community College Career Centers are under staffed and spread thin.   The outcome is that the on-campus Career Center does not link with off campus One Stop Centers but rather, refer students to websites when it comes to direct job placement requests.  In future blogs, I will describe the ways that career counselors and coordinators are able to provide the necessary liaison with the community.

CAREER LADDERS:

Community College Career counselors must also be knowledgeable about Academic and Career Education so that they can inform students about “career ladders.”   This is a relatively new venture funded by “School to Career” legislation that bridges the gap between beginning vocational training and advanced degrees (such as a Licensed Vocational Nurse finding how to become a Registered Nurse,)

The following websites will show you the resources that Community College Counselors need to access to provide students with direction and alternative options:

Career Ladders project –excellent website for grant writing and career resources:

http://www.careerladdersproject.org

Workforce Development Resources:

California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development:   www.cccewd.net

National Career Development Association:

www.ncda.org - Go to resources then to Internet sites for Career Planning