It Takes Two to Tango: Rationale, Strategies, and Promising Models for Combining Education and Career Advising Presenters: Nikki Edgecombe, Community College Research Center Clare Bertrand, Jobs for the Future
Goals Establish the scope of the problem Understand what the research says and identify pain points at a systems and individual level Discuss opportunities and share strategies for better advising Identify promising models and discuss tools that enable student success 2
Discussion Some Stats 1 to 1000 advisor-to-student ratios are not uncommon at community colleges 32% of community college students do not attend freshmen orientation 50% don t recall meeting with an academic adviser the first week of college Most advising activities focus on academic planning and are often separated from career counseling/guidance Question for you.. To the extent that this reflects what happens at your institution, how do you think this impacts student outcomes?
Limited academic and career advising
Why does this matter? Students continue to fall through the cracks on the road to postsecondary credentials, including shorter-term ones. In the U.S., only 8 percent of community college students earn a certificate in 6 years, and a mere 14 percent attain an associate s degree in the same period of time. And if one does make it to graduation. Certain programs of study or pathways have higher returns on investment than others. Example: Among 2- and 4- year ins3tu3ons and District Technical Centers in Florida, graduates with an A.S. degree have median earnings = >$11,000 higher than graduates with bachelor s degrees and almost $20,000 higher than graduates with A.A. degrees who are in the labor market.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE RESEARCH CENTER JFF Bridging the Gap Conference / April 8, 2015 As currently structured, community college advising is limited in its ability to assist students in identifying career goals and academic pathways that will help them achieve those goals. Karp, 2013 6
COMMUNITY COLLEGE RESEARCH CENTER JFF Bridging the Gap Conference / April 8, 2015 Common traits of advising and counseling activities Fragmented services Lack of a point of contact Focus on information provision Emphasis on serving incoming students Traits developed out of rational strategies and real constraints, but may have negative impacts on how students experience advising and counseling activities and may reduce the benefits of these supports. 7
COMMUNITY COLLEGE RESEARCH CENTER JFF Bridging the Gap Conference / April 8, 2015 Evidence on career and academic guidance Career and Self- Assessment Inventories Career Courses E-advising Description Tools designed to help students clarify goals and decide which programs of study to enter Groups of students meeting with an advisor or counselor over multiple sessions, typically a semester or longer Advising and counseling activities mediated by technology that supplement traditional advising Examples Interests, strengths, and values inventories, Career Thoughts Inventory (CTI), O*Net Online, DISCOVER, and Choices Career counseling courses, success courses (e.g., College 101), with career advising components Lifemap (Valencia CC) Education Wizard (VCCS) Starfish Connect Agile Grad and Retain Colleague Student Planning Evidence of Effectiveness Self-assessment inventories are related to improved career-selection measures; inventories used in combination with other supports found to have positive impacts on vocational decision-making processes Integrated career counseling courses increased students ability to register for courses quickly and easily; success courses evidence mixed, some showing higher retention, credit accrual, and credential completion and others showing no long-term impacts Field is emerging and evidence is mostly inconclusive; descriptive analyses (subject to selection bias) suggest association with improved persistence rates, credit accrual, and degree attainment 8
Shifts we are seeing the field Supporting the student Northern Virginia Community College requires advising and College 101 for 17-24 year olds, first-time-to-college students Use of LMI to create pathways/programs that lead to credential with value in the labor market Identifying regional growth and creating transparent pathways Merging of academic and career pathways in more targeted, transparent ways Accelerating Opportunity CUNY ASAP Portland Community College Career Pathways Programs Use of technology to reach students sooner and with more personalized interventions Nudging technologies Platforms connecting employers to students directly for jobs and internships Reach Higher Whitehouse initiative National recognition of the importance of advising and the need to empower students with the right information to make the best decision
Examining Promising Models Best Bets Framework Guttman Community College s Ethnographies of Work Courses
What is a Best Bet? A best bet is a postsecondary program a college or job training program that: has a clear connec3on to careers that meet a young person s interests, needs and values, and the skills they want to learn has curricula and training designed to meet the needs of employers offers high levels of academic and social supports (e.g., tutoring, mentoring, childcare services, transporta3on assistance, advising) to help students get through and finish the program leads to well- paying, in demand jobs with advancement poten3al in the region
Best Bet Framework Exploration of life and career goals should precede and lead to a program of study. Localized Labor Market Analysis Postsecondary Program Analysis Employer Needs Analysis 12
The Process Learn the labor market What entry- level jobs are in demand and offer a good star3ng wage? Inves-gate postsecondary programs What programs are offered in high- demand fields, and who offers them? Strengthen employer rela-onships What educa3on/training, skills, and experiences are needed for in demand jobs with regional employers? Determine best bets Review findings from the labor market, postsecondary programs, and employers against a set of best bet criteria
Gathering the Right Information ON PSE PROGRAMS Program Design and Structure Entering and Succeeding in the Program Alignment with Employers Program Outcomes What will students learn as a result of comple3ng the program? What is the program s instruc3onal approach (e.g., hands- on learning vs. lecture- based)? What is the cost of the program? Median student debt upon finishing the program? Are there minimum scores required on entry- level tests? Is there a waitlist and, if so, what can students do in the interim? What supports exist to ensure that students are successful? What job(s) does the program prepare graduates for? How does the program involve employers (e.g., design, internships, etc.)? Can ex- offenders work in the occupa3on/field? What are rates of persistence and comple3on in the program? What percentage of graduates get hired? Where do they typically go, and how much can they expect to earn? 14
Identifying Best Bets Each profile: Captures important occupa3onal informa3on Summarizes what employers are looking for (requirements and preferences) Provides an overview of an associated postsecondary program Iden3fies career trajectory opportuni3es, including wage growth 15
MyBestBets: Web & Mobile Platform Streamlines and automates much of the Best Bet process. Includes regional labor market, postsecondary, and employer information. Empowers and engages students by arming them with critical thinking, networking, and selfefficacy skills. 16
COMMUNITY COLLEGE RESEARCH CENTER JFF Bridging the Gap Conference / April 8, 2015 Ethnographies of Work I and II at Guttman Community College (CUNY) Two 12-week, three-credit courses required for all programs of study Part of Guttman s First-Year Experience, which also includes City Seminar I and II, Statistics, and Composition Weekly 90-minute advisement seminar, which positions college itself as work, is part of course Satisfies CUNY Pathways (articulation) requirement Students required to attend college full-time during first year course approaches work as a cultural system invested with meanings, norms, values, customs, behavioral expectations, and social hierarchies. Students pose key questions through the lens of ethnography in order to investigate workplaces, occupations, and career pathways in an urban context. 17
COMMUNITY COLLEGE RESEARCH CENTER JFF Bridging the Gap Conference / April 8, 2015 Ethnographies of Work I Pose questions about workplaces, occupations, and career paths in an urban context Discuss myths and stereotypes about the work world Gain an appreciation of why work matters to individuals in a range of occupations Explore the changing nature of jobs in our fast-paced society Draw connections between the self and work Create an ethnography of student s journey as he/she contemplates the future Ethnographies of Work II Conduct in-depth investigations of specific occupations and careers of interest Analyze data on trends involving salaries, benefits, entry-level requirements, hiring forecasts, geographic saturation, diversity, and promotion opportunities Work on effective verbal and written communication, meeting the expectations of the wired office, and establishing professional relationships Add reflections to the ethnographic report written in Ethnographies of Work I about the journey of deciding on a career path 18
COMMUNITY COLLEGE RESEARCH CENTER JFF Bridging the Gap Conference / April 8, 2015 How Ethnographies of Work may address advising limitations identified in research Fragmented services Career exploration packaged into required course dedicated to topic and complemented by in-course advising seminar Lack of a point of contact Faculty member, with whom students spend extended time, is reliable point of contact Focus on information provision Emphasis on serving incoming students Focus on discovery and application of learning in preparation for formative, graded deliverable Supports extend for entirety of first year and designed to prepare students for work opportunities in second year 19
Discussion Questions Two approaches reviewed utilize some of the promising practices emerging from the research. Both are focused on helping the student become a more informed decision maker. Do you think it is the responsibility of the student or the institution to enable students to make better decisions about postsecondary programs? What are you seeing at your institution that works for students? What tools/resources are you using that tackle the four pain points: Fragmented Services Lack of Point of Contact Focus on Information Provision Emphasis on Serving Incoming Students
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