Job Skills: A Guide for Teens and Parents (continued)

6. CTE Helps Pay for College!

By taking CTE concurrent enrollment classes, your teen can earn college credit without having to pay tuition, as long as he or she is attending high school. CTE enables students to acquire the skills necessary for entry into good paying careers with high potential for rapid financial growth, increased levels of responsibility, and a high degree of personal satisfaction. CTE is a proven means of maximizing income and employment potential. In addition, CTE awards over 110 scholarships each year to CTE graduating seniors.

7. CTE Broadens Lifelong Career and Education Options!

Nine out of ten Utah employers have difficulty finding qualified people to fill job openings. CTE provides long-term job education and skills training, enabling teens to reach their full potential. Studies reveal a strong correlation between education/technical skills levels and continued employment/lifelong earnings.

8. CTE Stduents Acquire Life Skills That Apply to Any Career!

More than half of Utah employers report that the quality of applicants is the primary challenge (i.e., workers lack basic skills). Employability skills taught in CTE programs include: • Communications • Teamwork • Leadership • Goal Setting • Resource Management • Using Technology • Personal Responsibility • Higher-order Thinking

Tips for parents

Preparing Your Teen for a Successful Career Encourage Your Teen to Explore a Variety of Occupations.

Talk about your work and what your job entails on a daily basis. Be positive and realistic. Emphasize to your teen that school is his or her work. Attendance and follow-through are important, along with other skills that employers look for: • Personal integrity. • Being on time. • Following directions. • Academic skills. • Leadership. • Creative thinking.

Ask Your Teen Questions Such As: What Do you Like To Do? 

What skills do you have? Do you like to be around people? Do you prefer working outdoors or indoors? Do you like things neat and organized? Do you like to take things apart? Do you prefer school courses with a lot of “doing” or with a lot of reading? The more a teen knows his or her likes and dislikes, the easier it will be to recognize the careers that suit him or her best.

Assist Your Teen in Experiencing as Many Different Work Situations as Possible Firsthand.

Through school, your employer, neighbors, friends, and relatives, encourage your teen to take advantage of both formal and informal work exposure programs such as: • Job shadowing – going through a day of work watching someone do his or her job. • Internships – a chance to work in a job with an employer to learn more about a career field. • Apprenticeships – a work experience in a chosen field that helps the apprentice begin to learn the skills required to carry out a specific job. • Cooperative work experiences – long-term structured work experiences, which integrate with specific classroom learning. These training opportunities emphasize strong coordination and integration between the work site and the classroom.

Provide As Many Opportunties as You Can For Your Teen tO Learn Technology.

Encourage your teen to sign up for multiple computer classes at school. Taking computer courses will give your teen a better understanding of today’s technological world and a chance to take a hands-on look at the tools, techniques, and skills involved in a range of occupations. The largest, fastest-growing part of America’s economy is the technical workforce. Technical skills are critical to your teen’s success in the workplace. The statistics prove it: • 65% of all jobs are skilled occupations which require training in addition to high school graduation requirements. • 20% of all jobs are in professions which require a bachelor’s or higher degree • 15% of all jobs are unskilled