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

Attend Career Fairs With Your Teen and Visit With His or Her Guidance Counselor 

It is okay that teens usually don’t know, in junior high or high school, what they want to do for the rest of their lives. What is not okay is putting off thinking about future career goals and opportunities altogether. Preparing for a career is what an education is about. Don’t let your teen be short-changed. Help him or her think about and prepare for the “next step.” Guide your teen toward obtaining skills. Every employer requires both head and hand skills. What do teenagers need to succeed? • Academic skills • Technical skills • Employability skills Career and Technical Education can give your teen these skills.

Give Your Teen Responsibility.

Begin with jobs around the house or for a neighbor or an older relative. Volunteering at a local hospital, shelter, or business can also give your teen increased responsibility. Through service, teens lives are enriched and valuable life skills are learned. Helping others gives your teen the opportunity to serve, grow, and learn while contributing to the community. The rewards are great! For information on how to volunteer in your area, look at the following web sites: http://volunteers.utah.gov/volunteer.htm www.ilivetogive.org

Suggest That Your Teen Consider a Nontraditional Occupation

Nontraditional occupations are those for which individuals from one gender comprise less than 25% of those employed in such occupation or field of work. Nontraditional occupations can mean: • Higher wages. • Financial security. • Good benefits. www.usoe.k12.ut.us/ate/nontradBringing education to life. A Career and Technical Education program lays out clear pathways to learning and career options. This, by itself, can change the whole nature of a young person’s outlook on school and on the future. Knowing where you are going, or where you can go if you choose, can be exciting. Not only does school gain meaning, life itself can become brighter and much more promising.

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