Your Choices Today Make a Difference Tomorrow

4-D Your Choices Today Make a Difference Tomorrow

4-D Do these pebbles represent your idea of the choices you have to make?

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4-D Global Competition . . . requires a strong academic foundation. Photograph licensed from PictureQuest, LLC.

4-D Career Opportunities • Demand is growing for highly skilled workers. Photograph licensed from Getty Images, Inc.

Where are the qualified applicants? “We can place roughly 17% of job applicants because many applicants simply lack the necessary basic educational skills required in today’s labor market.” -Texas Workforce Commission In other words, for every 25 applicants, 21 do not qualify, and only 4 job applicants qualify.

4-D Prepare now for life! High school choices are important. You will work 40 to 50 years of your life. Choose something that you enjoy doing! Photograph licensed from PictureQuest, LLC.

Challenging high school classes are important • You’ll be better prepared for college • You’ll be more likely to qualify for a HOPE scholarship as well as other scholarships and grants. • You can earn better scores on the SAT and ACT college entrance exams.

What kind of paycheck would you like to take home? What kind of job can a person expect to get if they drop out of high school? What would it pay? What is the current minimum wage? $7.25/hr How much would you make at minimum wage job, Working 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year, without vacation? $15,080.00 How hard is it to live on minimum wage?

4-D IMAGINE… • Your job as a high school graduate… • $24,000 per year = $2,000 per month Photograph licensed from Getty Images, Inc.

4-D $2,000Monthly Budget AmountRemaining How far does a $24,000 annual salary go? • Federal Income Tax (10%) $200 $1,800 • Social Security Tax (7.65%) 153 1,647 • Medical/Dental Insurance 50 1,597 • Housing (Rent—1 Bdrm., Unfurn.) 400 1,197 • Food 300 897 • Car Payments 300 597 • Insurance 100 497 • Gas, Oil, etc. 60 437 • Telephone 25 412 • Utilities 100 312 • Clothing 50 262 • Entertainment 50 212 • Savings 50 162 • Personal Items 50 112 • Medical Expenses 25 87 • Furniture, TV, Appliances 75 12 • Miscellaneous 12 0

4-D Education Pays: 2006 Georgia Average Annual Wages Source: Georgia Workforce Trends, Georgia Department of Labor http://explorer.dol.state.ga.us/mis/Current/gaworkforcecurrent.pdf

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4-D Fastest Growing Occupations in Georgia, 2004-2014

4-D How much can you earn? Source: http://www.themint.org/kids/starting-salaries.html

4-D Who is your competition for the hot jobs? • The other students in this room • The other students in your community • The other students in Georgia • The other students in the U.S. • All other students around the world

4-D What is Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship Program? • HOPE stands for Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally • Funded by the Georgia lottery • Financial assistance for selected students in most degree, diploma, and certificate programs • Scholarships or grants available for most public or private colleges, including technical colleges, in Georgia • Some monies available for GED students • Specific requirements and further information available at www.GAcollege411.org Photograph licensed from Getty Images, Inc.

4-D Look into your future! • You must prepare yourself • NOW • by making choices that will give you • Good Options • later on in your life! • Visit www.GAcollege411.org or call 1-800-505-4732 to get started. Photograph licensed from Getty Images, Inc.

Your Choices Today Make a Difference Tomorrow