Student Services Monthly Email Items

These are some items from my monthly email to Oklahoma CareerTech Student Services Contacts.  I hope you find some useful information in it!

OKCRC Annual Conference

The OKCRC Annual Conference will be November 6 at Moore Norman South Penn Campus.  The conference will begin at 8:30 am with sign-in, coffee and conversation.  The big change this year is lunch will be on your own.  A map with restaurants in the area will be supplied at the conference.  There is no cost to attend the OKCRC Annual Conference--register today. Click here to register

Oklahoma Labor Market Information

Want to see the top 30 fastest growing jobs in Oklahoma or the declining jobs in Oklahoma?  Go to the Oklahoma Employment Securities Commission website at:

http://www.ok.gov/oesc_web/Services/Find_Labor_Market_Statistics/Projections/trends2018.html

OSCA Fall Conference

Oklahoma School Counselor Association (OSCA) conference will be Friday, November 14 at Northeastern State University Campus in Broken Arrow. If you are interesting in attending and to register go to http://okschoolcounselor.org/  for more details.  The keynote will be delivered by Dr. Carey Dimmitt and the address will be “What Works in School Counseling” and in the afternoon there will be concurrent sessions from which to choose. 

Resources

Our Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center (CIMC) does a newsletter update twice a year.  Go to: https://www.okcareertech.org/educators/cimc/about-cimc/news/cimc-update  and read their short updates.  You can find out about new products, what they are working on and recipes!  Here are two recently updated products (revised 2014) you may be interested in.

Basic Strategies: Meeting Everyone’s Needs

CS1110 

“Diversity is the one true thing that we all have in common. Celebrate it every day.” This anonymous quote expresses the purpose of the book Basic Strategies: Meeting Everyone’s Needs—to help parents, teachers, counselors, and students meet the needs of the ever-increasing diversities they will encounter in today’s world. The book includes sections dealing with diversity and disabilities. It also discusses gender equity, harassment, and bullying

                                     

Career Exploration Guide   CS3205

Students in grades 6-8 connect what they are learning in the classroom to the world of work. An interest inventory and student activities help students to see the importance of preparing for a career.  

Inforgraphic

This pdf document is an infographic on Professionalism in the Workplace.  Even though the heading says: Preparing College Graduates for the Workplace, the information is good for any student striving to be in the workforce. 

Source: York College of Pennsylvania. Center for Professional Excellence

 Click here to download a copy of the
Professionalism in the Workplace infographic.

Red Ribbon Week

October is always a busy month for student services personnel. Well REALLY... what month isn't busy?

Fall break interrupts the flow of our work, but gives us a moment to refresh and catch our breathe!
The fall Oklahoma mornings are divine, as the sunlight shines on the red leaves atop the trees. I seem to find comfort in small things, like the hot chocolate I stopped for on the way to work today. Those small things, are not so small when the job is busy and demanding.

Students with attendance and grade deficiencies are starting to pop up and we are striving to proactively help those students achieve. We see where their choices and influences could be leading them and often it's scary!

Red Ribbon week comes at the end of busy October, the 23rd-31st.  If I'm being honest, there were plenty of times, as a school counselor, I really wanted to skip the whole thing... I had too much to do! However, as we are starting to see those students who are struggling, there are also students who will never show us any warning signs. Red Ribbon week is a great time to openly communicate, educate students, discuss how drugs and alcohol affect them and highlight resources within your community who can help.

The national theme this year is "Love Yourself -Be Drug Free!" I really like how this theme lends
itself to the conversations of self-care, time-management, positive self-talk and future career/academic plans. The Red Ribbon Campaign has also given students and schools other incentives to celebrate and possibly win $1,000 and ipad.

Head over to Red Ribbon Blog for more details and ideas for your schools Red Ribbon Week Opportunities. 

Then make sure you find a small thing for positive comfort and refreshment in. I have a massage after work today... perhaps that's a big small thing?!

What's in a name??

The Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA): long name, overwhelming support, potentially amazing results for the American workforce.

In  July 2014, President Obama signed into law a long overdue update to the federal job-training program known as the Workforce Investment Act of 1988. The new WIOA is designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services to succeed in the labor market and to match employers with the skilled workers they need to compete in the global economy. 

 

Why is it important? 

 

Helping more Americans become attached to the workforce; this Act looks to bridge the skills gap we keep hearing about in America. It can provide funding to Oklahomans who are in post-secondary training in a program that leads to industry recognized credentials. It will help job seekers and workers access employment, education, training, and support services to succeed in the labor market and match employers with skilled workers they need to compete in the global economy.

 

 At risk youth, for the past 15 years,  have depended on funds from the Workforce Investment Act Youth program to assist them with developing job skills, providing career guidance and funding for school. The new WIOA provides additional funding for youth who are out of school, determining their next steps. 

 

The new WIOA promotes the use of career pathways and sector partnerships to increase employment for in-demand industries and occupations. States will now be required to map out how they will provide training, employment services, adult education and vocational rehabilitation through a coordinated, comprehensive system. 

 

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act streamlines and modernizes the maze that was federal job-training programs so that workers can access the right training, immediately. 

 

In short, this will ensure better career services to job seekers and federal funding for training will lead to a better, workforce in our country.   

 

For access to these funds and services, youth between the ages of 14-21, as well as adults who need training, can contact their local Workforce Office to determine eligibility.  

 

Please click here for a full information on new Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

 

 

 

 

 

Career Advisor - a little something for every counselor

Each month we send a newsletter to school counselors in Oklahoma containing information relevant to not only to them but to school counselors everywhere. Here is the link to our webpage where the current edition, as well as archived editions, is located. We hope you find the information it contains useful and even find something that makes you smile! Happy reading…

 

http://www.okcareertech.org/educators/career-and-academic-connections/bulletin-board/career-advisor-newsletter