Career guidance from… kindergarten

Since kindergarten, my daughter has been used to the occasional visits from police officers and firefighters to school to interact and give some pointers or to programs to go to TV stations, museums, pet care centers to… learn a trade.

A middle school student at a police career introduction session - Photo: PQV

Elementary school students also often have the opportunity to present their parents' occupations along with illustrated uniforms provided by their parents. By the time they enter secondary school, career guidance becomes clearer.

Important activities of general education

In the US, vocational education is considered an important part of the general education program. The "Independent School District" - ISD (short for Independent School District) is a local educational management unit similar to the "education department" in Vietnam in the past, very interested in this work.

Northwest ISD (NISD) and Keller Center for Advanced Learning (KCAL) are pioneering the implementation of the Career & Technical Education (CTE) program - a training model that combines cultural studies and vocational training, helping students orient their careers early, develop practical skills and prepare for the modern labor market.

On opening day, the school introduced the CTE program to parents of children entering middle school at Tidwell.

This is a practical vocational training program, linked to businesses and has many practical training academies located in high schools, including many occupational groups such as agriculture and bioengineering (Animal Science, Plant Science), architecture and construction (Architectural Design, Construction), content creation and digital communications (Creative Media, Digital Communications), business administration and entrepreneurship (Business Management, Entrepreneurship), medicine and health (Biomedical Sciences, EMT), tourism and cuisine (Culinary Arts, Hospitality), technology and STEM (Robotics, Software Development) and aviation - transportation (Aviation, Logistics)...

Each academy has medical laboratories, workshops, mock kitchens, film studios and creative studios that mimic real business environments. Students learn both academic and vocational skills and can earn an Industry Certification upon graduating from high school – a solid stepping stone for employment or further study at university.

When I was quite surprised by this early approach, Mr. Robert introduced the CTE program to parents and shared: "CTE helps students understand the professions in modern society, learn practical skills related to technology and prepare for college or skilled professions.

Therefore, CTE not only trains "general workers" but also focuses on professional skills, technology application and the development of in-depth career thinking.

The door to a practical career

NISD hosts an annual series of “Academy Nights” for eighth-graders and their parents. This is an opportunity for students to tour vocational academies, meet teachers, see learning facilities, and learn more about each career.

This year's schedule of open houses for students visiting academies includes Northwest High School for construction, cosmetology, creative media, STEM; Eaton College for aviation, business administration and entrepreneurship; and Byron Nelson for biomedical sciences , culinary arts and hospitality.

Students can register online for a single academy during the priority period and will be transferred to the school that offers that program for both study and work. I decided to have my daughter try out the culinary tourism career at the academy at Byron Nelson High School.

Students participating in this program will learn about restaurant operations, culinary skills, food safety and have the opportunity to practice at a student-run restaurant called Byron Bistro.

Victoria Hooker, a lead teacher with experience working in a variety of educational and restaurant settings, and a degree in culinary and restaurant management, shares: “Byron Bistro is located on campus and is run by students: senior classes do the back-of-house (BOH) and junior students do the front-of-house (FOH) service.

The menu changes daily. The restaurant also provides catering services for school or community events run by students under the supervision of professional teachers.

Thanks to career guidance right in school from middle school, American students can understand themselves early, choose the right direction and accumulate practical skills through career experience programs in high school. The CTE model has helped them not only study for exams but also learn to live and work in the 21st century.

This is also a valuable suggestion for Vietnamese education in incorporating career guidance into the curriculum earlier, increasing practice and cooperation with businesses, helping students confidently step into their future careers in the increasingly fierce competition in today's labor market.

Early formation of professional awareness

In career guidance classes for secondary school students, students are guided to explore their abilities, interests, and suitable career groups; and participate in "Career Day" - where doctors, engineers, IT specialists, pilots, etc. come to school to share about their actual work and do experiential projects such as programming mini robots, designing houses with 3D software, or cooking in the practice room. From there, students gradually form a sense of career and prepare for the decision to choose a vocational academy (Academy) when entering high school.

Advanced Career Center

In addition to early career guidance in school, Keller School District also has the Keller Center for Advanced Learning (KCAL), an advanced career center that serves students from multiple high schools. KCAL specializes in aviation, programming, engineering, health care, communications, and manufacturing.

Each day, students spend part of their time at KCAL learning hands-on, guided by professionally certified instructors and working on real industrial equipment, before returning to their home school to study other subjects. KCAL also partners with companies such as Bell Flight, Lockheed Martin, Texas Health, American Airlines, etc. to help students have opportunities to intern and find jobs early.

PHAN QUOC VINH (from the US)

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/huong-nghiep-tu-mau-giao-20251029095439774.htm