Engaging Parents in Career Conversations

Engaging Parents in Career Conversations Presenter/s: Venue: Date:

Acknowledgements • The following have contributed to the development of this resource: • Gray Poehnell • Canadian Career Development Foundation • Career Education Association of Victoria • Source Materials • “Guiding Circles” - R. McCormick, N. Amundson, & G. Poehnell • “Hope-Filled Engagement” - G. Poehnell & N. E. Amundson • “Lasting Gifts” - Canadian Career Development Foundation and • Career Education Association Victoria • www.myfuture.edu.au • www.education.gov.au • www.employment.gov.au 2

Have a conversation Step in Step Out: • Select one person who stepped in with you and have a conversation about: • the experience you have in common • what interested you about attending this workshop

Workshop Aims By the end of this workshop you will be able to: • Better support your teenager in their career journey; • Have a career conversation with your teenager; • Know and understand the High 5 messages • Learn about some useful career resources; • Understand the influential role you play; and • Become a career ally! 4

Research CICA Raise parents’ awareness of education and training opportunities. It raises the value attributed to those opportunities by parents. Miles Morgan (2012, March) Face-to-face Parents are the preferred source of career information, advice and guidance for teenagers. Hibbert, T (2010, September) On Track Better careers advice would have encouraged early school leavers to stay at school. State of Victoria (2008) Lost Talent It is important for young people to have a specific occupational career plan and receive comprehensive career development services. Foundation for Young Australians (2010) 5

The Changing World-of-Work What will work be like for young people in Australia today? Minimum of 7 careers in a lifetime Follow your heart Focus on the journey Use your networks Lifelong learning What was work like for you growing up? • Could you expect to stay in the one job? • Were you able to choose the job you did? • Were you able to change jobs easily? • Were you able to ask for help and advice? • Did you have to study, and keep learning? 6

Concerns About the Future What concerns do you have about your teenager’s future? What concerns does your teenager have about their future? www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2ZPjBRUrCA&lr=1 Source: National Career Development Week 7

Your Future: How many of you… … knew at 16 years of age what you wanted to pursue? … are doing now what you thought you wanted to do when you were 16? … made important career decisions based on researching and reading labour market information? … are where you are now, at least in part, because of a chance encounter or unplanned event? Source: “Lasting Gifts” Canadian Career Development Foundation 8

Attributes that young people need… Persistence Resilience Enterprise Drive I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over again in my life. And this is why I succeed. Michael Jordan The best way to predict the future is to create it. Abraham Lincoln Desire! That’s the secret of every man’s career. Not education. Not being born with talents. Desire. Bobby Unser 9

Preferred Future Source: “Lasting Gifts” Canadian Career Development Foundation 10

What is a Career? A career is the paid and unpaid roles across the lifespan; life roles, leisure, learning, work

Positive Uncertainty H.B. Gelatt describes ‘positive uncertainty’ as: • the ability to recognise and accept that the future is uncertain; and • at the same time, be positive about it. Source: Gelatt & Gelatt 12

Stages of Career Development • Self Development • Young people understand themselves and the influences on them, build their experiences and achievements and develop their capabilities. • Career Exploration • Young people locate, investigate and consider opportunities in learning and future work options. • Career Management • Young people make and adjust Career Action Plans and manage their life choices, changes and transitions. www.education.vic.gov.au/careersframework 13

High 5 Career Development Messages 1. Change is Constant 2. Learning is Ongoing 3. Focus on the Journey 4. Follow your Heart 5. Access your Allies http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNHcXl4IbZQ&lr=1 * Developed in 1995 by Canadian career development leaders Source: Career Industry Council of Australia 14

Change is Constant Did You Know…? http://www.splicd.com/cL9Wu2kWwSY/36/74 www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmwwrGV_aiE Source: Karl Fisch 15

Change is Constant Labour Market Information on Job Outlook • www.joboutlook.gov.au • Over 350 occupations with: • Overview and Job prospects • Statistics: growth, earnings, hours, gender/age, FT/PT • Knowledge, skills and abilities • Training and Vacancies • Career Quiz Skill Shortages http://employment.gov.au/skill-shortages http://www.education.vic.gov.au/victorianskillsgateway/Pages/home.aspx Source: Job Outlook 16

Learning is Ongoing • Where do you learn? • How do you learn? • What about informal learning? • What is lifelong learning? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7m4e1DhiOw&lr=1 17

Learning is Ongoing Senior Secondary School Pathways: Source: VCAA 18

Learning is Ongoing • Vocational Education and Training in Schools (VETiS) • Expand opportunities and pathways in senior secondary • Vocational focus • Contributes towards completion of VCE/VCAL • Can combine with a School-Based Apprenticeship or Traineeship http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/vet/index.aspx Source: VCAA 19

Learning is Ongoing • School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships • Vocational training that contributes towards a senior secondary qualification • Involves work, vocational training and school studies http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/vet/programs/sbat.aspx Source: VCAA 20

Learning is Ongoing Source: Job Guide 21

Learning is Ongoing Source: Department of Education 22

Learning is Ongoing • Courses and institutions • Further education and training entrance requirements • VTAC entry • Prerequisite studies (e.g. Units 3-4 English studies) • Admission tests (e.g. STAT, ALSET, UMAT,VETASSESS) • Interviews, folios, auditions, aptitude and other special purpose tests, personal statements and questionnaires. • Scholarships • Special consideration • Important dates www.vtac.edu.au Source: VTAC 23

Focus on the Journey Skills and industries Source: “Hope-Filled Engagement” Poehnell & Amundson

Focus on the Journey • Don’t focus on one destination only • Know what you want, but don’t be too sure • Be open to changing your mind • Recognise that your career journey will be throughout your lifetime • Appreciate and value each experience along the way http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dupKoaFgqGY&lr=1 25

Follow your Heart Poll: Is it okay to tell your kids they can do and be anything? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezJWSss-u3Q&lr=1 www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_pBygRpGSmo Source: Network 10 26

Follow your Heart Ring 4: Is it planned (P) or spontaneous (S) Ring 5: Do you do it alone (A) or with someone else (SE) Ring 6: Does it involve your mind (M), body (B), spirit (S) or emotions (E) or a combination Ring 1:What are three things you like to do Ring 2: How long is it since you did each thing Ring 3: Does it cost ($) or is it free(F) Adapted from “Guiding Circles”, McCormick, Amundson & Poehnell

Access your Allies http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeFQjVP-Vxc&lr=1 Adapted from “Lasting Gifts” Canadian Career Development Foundation 28

How do you identify where young people are most engaged in life? By noticing: • what they enjoy doing • what can’t they stop doing • what they are complimented on • where they are engaged • what motivates them • their favourite things What drives them? 29

Broaden ideas for work and career paths Encourage: • open-mindedness • and discuss their passions and where they could lead • learning, we are always learning • the possibilities and be positive • flexibility • exploring (research information) • www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9KawhtfORI Source: “School A to Z” NSW Government Education & Communities 30

Where is the young person at in their career journey? Does know, but I don’t think it is possible! Does know, but needs considerable pathways planning Don’t know Won’t commit Won’t engage or talk Is………….. 31

Being a Good Listener • Give your full attention • Stop what you are doing • Don’t interrupt • Let your teenager speak • Stay as calm as you can • If you’re caught off-guard by what they are saying, breath deeply • Listen for emotions • Hear what they are saying beneath the words • Give it time • Don’t rush in with your response 32

Helping to Set Goals and Plans Career Action Plans: • use the three stages of career development: • self-development; • career exploration; and • career management • help young people to: • set their goals; • clarify the actions needed to achieve these goals; and • commit to participating in the planned activities SAMPLE 33

myfuture • My Guide • Build your career profile • Explore career ideas • Consider career options • Develop your career plan The Facts • Careers • Work and Employment • Education and Training • Funding • Contacts • Skills • myQuiz • 5 activities www.myfuture.edu.au 34

myfuture Mini Career Explorer http://myfuture.edu.au/MiniCareerExplorer/index.html Source: myfuture 35

Other Important Information Special Entrance Access Scheme (SEAS) Categories: • Personal information and location • Non-English speaking background • Difficult circumstances • Disadvantaged financial background • Disability of medical condition • SALT, REEP and PPP http://www.vtac.edu.au/who/seas.html Source: VTAC 36

Key Workshop Messages • The crucial role of parents and others play in the career development of young people • That career development is a lifelong journey • The value of career conversations • Engage young people where they are at in life • Information and resources are available 37

Next Steps • Talk to your teenager • Help them find out who they are, what drives them, what interests them. • Help them to explore their “preferred future” and how they may work towards it. • Help them articulate how they want to contribute to their world. Discuss change • Discuss the changes that are happening in the community and in their world. • What opportunities does change present? 38

Next Steps Network • Use your networks to give your child opportunities to experience and explore different things. Use labour market information • Be aware of the shifting labour market and be predictive about what that may mean for future opportunities. Be an ally • Support your teenager on their journey and remind them, and yourself, that is it okay to be uncertain. 39

Engaging Parents in Career Conversations