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 orientation session - Photo: PQV

Elementary school students often have the opportunity to give presentations about their parents' occupations, often wearing illustrative uniforms provided by their parents. Career guidance becomes clearer when they reach middle school.

Important activities of general education

In the United States, career education is considered an important part of the general education curriculum. Independent School Districts (ISDs), which are local education management units similar to the "education departments" in Vietnam in the past, pay close attention to this work.

The Northwest ISD (NISD) and Keller Center for Advanced Learning (KCAL) are pioneering the Career & Technical Education (CTE) program – a blended learning model that combines academic and vocational education, helping students to identify career paths early, develop practical skills, and prepare for the modern job market.

On the first day of school, the school introduced the CTE program to parents of children who had just started secondary school at Tidwell School.

This is a practical vocational training program, closely linked to businesses, with many practical training academies located within high schools, covering various vocational groups such as agriculture and biotechnology (Animal Science, Plant Science), architecture and construction (Architectural Design, Construction), creative media and digital communications (Creative Media, Digital Communications), business management and entrepreneurship (Business Management, Entrepreneurship), medicine and healthcare (Biomedical Sciences, EMT), tourism and culinary arts (Culinary Arts, Hospitality), technology and STEM (Robotics, Software Development), and aviation and logistics...

Each academy has medical laboratories, workshops, simulated kitchens, film studios, and creative studios, just like in a real business environment. Students study both academics and vocational skills and can receive a national vocational certificate (Industry Certification) upon graduating from high school – a solid stepping stone if they choose to enter the workforce or continue their studies at university.

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

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

The door to a real career.

Every year, NISD organizes a series of "Academy Nights" events for 8th-grade students and their parents. This is an opportunity for students to visit vocational academies firsthand, meet teachers, see learning equipment, and gain a better understanding of each profession.

The schedule for student visits to these academies this year includes Northwest High School with programs in construction, beauty, creative media, and STEM; Eaton School with aviation, business administration, and entrepreneurship; and Byron Nelson School showcasing biomedical science , culinary arts, and hospitality.

Students can register online, choose a single academy during priority time, and will be transferred to the school offering that program to learn and practice simultaneously. I decided to let my daughter try exploring culinary tourism at the academy within Byron Nelson High School.

Students participating in this program will learn about restaurant operations, culinary skills, food safety and hygiene, and will have the opportunity to practice at a restaurant they will operate themselves, called Byron Bistro.

Victoria Hooker – a head teacher with experience working in various educational institutions and restaurants, and holding degrees in culinary arts and restaurant management – ​​shared: "Byron Bistro is on campus and student-run: senior classes handle the 'back-of-house' (BOH) kitchen and junior students participate in the 'front-of-house' (FOH) service."

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

Thanks to career guidance provided in middle school, American students can understand themselves early on, choose the right path, and accumulate practical skills through career experience programs in high school. The CTE model has helped students learn not just to pass exams, but to live and work in the 21st century.

This also offers valuable suggestions for Vietnamese education in incorporating career guidance into the curriculum earlier, increasing practical training and collaboration with businesses, helping students confidently enter their professional futures in the increasingly fierce competition of today's labor market.

Early development of professional awareness

In career guidance classes for middle school students, they are guided to explore their abilities, interests, and suitable career paths; they participate in "Career Day" – where doctors, engineers, IT specialists, pilots, etc., come to school to share about their real-world work and participate in experiential projects such as programming mini-robots, designing houses using 3D software, or cooking in the practice room. From this, students gradually develop an awareness of career paths and prepare for the decision of choosing a vocational academy when they enter high school.

Senior Career Guidance Center

In addition to early career guidance at school, the Keller School District also has the Keller Center for Advanced Learning (KCAL), a high-level career center serving students from many high schools. KCAL focuses on fields such as aviation, programming, engineering, healthcare, communications, and manufacturing.

Each day, students spend a portion of their time at KCAL for hands-on learning, guided by professionally certified instructors, and working on real industrial equipment. Afterwards, they return to their main school to study other subjects. KCAL also collaborates with companies such as Bell Flight, Lockheed Martin, Texas Health, and American Airlines, giving students opportunities for internships and early job placement.

PHAN QUOC VINH (from the USA)

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