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“Choosing and preparing for a career is the most challenging developmental task of all for the late adolescent and

young adult. It is essential for achieving emotional independence and

for making decisions concerning marriage and family. It is the

organizing center for the lives of most men and women” (Chickering &

Havighurst, 1981, p. 32).

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Career Exploration Program

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A Panel of Leading Career Development and Planning Experts helped us redesign the ASVAB Career Exploration Program.

• It is truly a comprehensive career exploration and planning program that is helpful to all students.

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Perceived barriers to using the ASVAB Program…

• Image that this is just a test for the military

• It will result in recruiters contacting your students.– Recruiters will make contact regardless—as

a result of No Child Left Behind– Schools select the Release Option (see p. 13

in the Counselor Manual)

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Career Exploration

Learning about Self

Learning about

the World of

Work

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Our Objective…

• Provide students with the information and tools and show them the connection between short-term activities and long-term goals.

• Participation in the CEP– Supports and strengthens existing vocational

aspirations, or – Stimulates exploration of the world of work, and – Increases self understanding.

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Our Objective in the Interpretation

• Change the way the students look at themselves, the world of work, and the relationship between the two. – Expressed interests vs. Inventoried interests

• Expressed interests can carry parental expectations, unrealistic aspirations, and stereotypical level knowledge of what an occupation actually involves.

• The FYI was designed to stimulate exploration without overloading the student with detailed results.

• Our job is to increase the likelihood of exploration by appealing to intrinsic motivation and providing extrinsic motivation

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14 5 17 26 24 8

70% 42% 72% 92% 94% 66%

E S A

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ASVAB

Measures current strengths

• Academic Skills• Occupational Competencies

Nationally-normed

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The ASVAB test battery is “distinguished by superior norms,

a thorough investigation of test fairness, and unsurpassed

criterion-related validity data” (Career Development and

Counseling: Putting Theory and Research to Work, p. 346, Ryan Drane

and Tirre, 2005)

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In career exploration programs, it is crucial to test a

broad array of abilities.

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Career Exploration Scores

Verbal Skills

Word Knowledge Paragraph Comprehension

Math Skills Arithmetic Reasoning Mathematics Knowledge

Science and Technical Skills General Science Electronics Information Mechanical Comprehension

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What Does This Mean For Students?

• 3-factor model (Verbal, Math, and Science and Technical Skills)

• We developed a competency-based linkage to the occupations in O*Net

• Students get a snapshot of their skill sets and the same skill sets required in occupations of interest.

• No other career exploration program provides this to students.

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Our goal is to help students develop an effective strategy to realize their career

goals.

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Next StepsResearch the occupations you

identifiedExplore related careersTalk to your parents,

teachers, and counselorsExperiment with occupations Interview individuals in

careers of interestPlan what high school courses

that you will need to help you prepare for occupations

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WWW.asvabprogram.com

• Various career planning tools for students

• Lesson plans for educators/counselors

• Information sheets for students, parents, educators/counselors

• Electronic version of ASVAB norms, Counselor Manual, etc.

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Maximizing the benefits for students…

• History timeline lesson plan…see inside front cover of your notebook

• History and English teachers can share this project—Seaside High School’s experience…

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What are the costs?

3.5 hours testing time50-90 minute interpretation

sessionA recruiter might contact students

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