New Junior Achievement program teaches high school students about careers, steps to get there

Related Photos

Discussion

November 16, 2009

By TARA HETTINGER The News and Tribune Mon Nov 16, 2009, 10:01 PM EST

Molly Harvey knows she wants to be a graphic designer. However, the 14-year-old New Albany High School student wasn’t sure how to get from high school to her career.

She is one of many students in Southern Indiana taking part in Junior Achievement's “Real Jobs, Real World” program, which piloted in Kentucky last year and is in its first year in schools in Clark, Floyd and other area counties.

Students are taught by local volunteers who follow a lesson plan set up by JA on careers, such as what they need to do now to get into college, what careers will be in demand by the time they graduate, how much money they can expect to earn and more, according to Leila Burch, program manager with Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana.

“This helps me plan what college to go to and how to get to college,” Harvey said. “I would be clueless on what to do [without this].”

Burch said it's important for this program to target high school students, especially freshmen.

“They need to understand that their career path starts now,” she said. “We want to give them the tools they need to succeed.”

One of those tools is informing students about jobs that offer tuition reimbursement.

“I’ve learned that you can go to college and how you can get jobs to pay for all of it and you work there for a certain amount of time after you graduate,” 15-year-old Jessica Push said.

Regan Springer, 15, knows she wants to be a nurse. However, this class is helping her realize the different specialties she can do in that field to fit in with her interests.

“It’s getting me there,” Springer said of the class preparing her to enter her career. “I feel like more of an adult when we talk about careers and stuff and it makes me less nervous.”

Though not all students are fully on board. Nacy Gamble, 14, said she doesn’t like the program since the career she wants, classical musician, isn’t covered in the top ones that are needed in the state.

The class at NAHS is taught during the career information and exploration class, which is taught by Kim Scott.

“It’s little lessons that just emphasize everything else we’re learning in class and it's better for them to hear it from someone else too sometimes,” Scott said. “I really like it.”

Jo Hatfield, one of the volunteers, also works as a career counselor at Indiana University Southeast.

“The goal is for them to have an idea of who they are, what would be a good match for them in careers and have a sense of direction for their next step,” Hatfield said. “Having a path and a goal makes all the difference in the world. If you can see it, you can become it.”

Burch said a grant is allowing JA to expand the program to 26 counties in Kentucky and Indiana this year. She said she is looking for more volunteers to teach the program.