Preparing for Careers

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Everyone needs a career—something that gives purpose and direction to life, something that is significant to the individual and useful to society at the same time. Without a career, whether it is to make a house into a home or be a doctor, a lawyer, or a construction worker, humans lack purpose or direction in life and are aimless, capricious, and in danger of becoming parasites (Dewey, 1944). Recognizing the critical need for each child to become a productive member of society, school systems, state departments of education, and the U.S. Office of Education have mandated that schools begin education for careers in the preschool and primary grades.

The idea of beginning career education in the preschool-primary classroom, of asking young children who are barely able to comprehend concepts of yesterday, today, or tomorrow to plan for a vague and distant future, might seem inappropriate. Intent on living each day fully and on developing skills, knowledge, and attitudes required for life in the present, young children have little real concern for future. Yet the preschool-primary class is the ideal place to begin education for a career; during these early years, children’s attitudes, values, and essential skills are formed. These attitudes, values, and skills will remain with the children and serve to direct their entire lives. Career education seems much more a function of attitude, value, and skill development than an artificial addition to the curriculum.

Attitudes and Values

Toward Self. Children must grow with a strong sense of self that will give them the confidence to shape their own destinies. Whether fostering career education or fulfilling the general goal of all education, you will want to plan for children to achieve all the self-confidence they need to go on growing and developing into socially responsible and constructive members of society.

Self-confidence is acquired as children are given jobs to fulfill in the classroom. Real responsibilities for preparing materials, cleaning up, and caring for pets, plants, and equipment help children feel successful, competent, and sure of their abilities to contribute to the welfare of the group and, later, to become productive members of society.

Toward Work. Attitudes toward future work are developed through programs designed to increase children’s awareness of career opportunities. Children need to be aware of the choices they have and the things they can do.

Children can interview the workers in the school building, neighborhood, or community to determine their attitudes toward work. Children can ask the following:

• What do you like about your job? Why?
• What do you dislike about it? Why?
• How did you decide to do it?
• What preparation did you need?
• Do you feel proud of your work? Why?
• Have you ever thought about changing jobs?

Help children think about the questions they will ask, perhaps listing them on a chart for reference. Children can compare the interview responses, exploring the different job choices available as well as discovering how people feel about their jobs.