Career Awareness workshop

On October 27, Swiss Hills Career Center held a Career Awareness workshop for sophomores, juniors, and seniors in Career Tech courses. Sandra Doudna, Ohio Valley ESC Career Coordinator, presented to twelve students who are involved in a focused career exploration program. Students learned how to navigate the Ohio Means Jobs Center Connections Backpack program and completed an assessment for career interests. 

While it’s called a backpack, the program does not physically include a backpack. Instead, students customize their career pathway through the online “backpack,” which lets them save and store career planning activities and account information. Students create Career Plans which help them set goals, schedule activities, set deadlines, and keep track of progress. The backpack can be used toward the OhioMeansJobs-Readiness Seal. 

The OhioMeansJobs-Readiness Seal is a formal designation students can earn on their high school diplomas and transcripts. The Seal indicates they have the personal strengths, strong work ethic, and professional experience that businesses need. In order to achieve the Seal, students must demonstrate certain professional skills required for success in the workplace; they must also work with at least three experienced and trusted mentors who validate the demonstration of these skills in school, work, or the community. 

There will be additional workshops in the future to cover the students’ career pathways, including employment interviewing skills. Ms. Doudna currently works with the high school students to set up job shadowing experiences, college visits, and more.