Plan for the Future

• Research current trends in occupations through your children’s school career resource center or library, public library, newspapers, and magazines. Occupational Outlook Handbook   http://www.bls.gov/oco/ 
  
  
• Help your children develop a plan of study.
  A plan of study is a planned, coherent sequence of courses, 4-6 years in duration that leads to or supports a career pathway.  A pathway can lead to a skill certificate, two-year associate degree, four-year degree, the military, and apprenticeship, etc.
  
  Plan of Study
  Select a career cluster icon.

• Encourage your children to consider a variety of schooling options.
  Can Students Get a Technology Center Education and Still Go to College?
  
  CareerTech    http://www.okwhatsnext.com/0index/index-1.htm
  Click on “College.”
  
  Oklahoma Higher Education 
  http://okhighered.org
  
  Military Career Guide
  http://www.todaysmilitary.com/

• Instill in your children a love of learning. In the workplace, workers need the ability to acquire new information and skills and apply them to their jobs.
• Encourage your child to keep certificates and reports in a portfolio to show what skills have been mastered.
  Career Activity File
  Select Career Activity File 2001– Career Portfolio (K-12) See pages 6-7 and 11-17 .