Onboarding developed around exploration

Onboarding in a college orientation or bridge program can include learning about the career exploration tools at the college and the programs offered at the college. The goal of onboarding is to expand students’ awareness of the opportunities available to them, to help students connect their interests to the college’s programs and careers, and to build practical knowledge about what the education and career pathways may be in particular fields.

Explicit skills-building

To support students' agility in the future workforce, counselors, instructors, and student support staff can support students to develop, recognize, and understand what researchers have identified as resilient skills. These skills are common to a variety of disciplines, making them important in preparing students to change jobs and be successful in diverse careers. 

Active learning connected to real-world problems

Active learning provides students the opportunity to build knowledge and problem-solving skills around real-world problems. In an active learning environment, students are given voice and choice, they co-construct projects, they lead and collaborate when solving problems.

Intentional career exploration support for first generation college students

First-generation college students can face more barriers to accessing college tools and resources because college is unfamiliar to them and they may not have access to networks of people in their lives to support their education and career goals. Building systems that intentionally support first-generation students in exploring opportunities at the college starting before they enter through their journey will help them to find a major that is exciting to them and leads to a career. The intersection of interests, passions, and career pathways is not always clear. Colleges can make it more transparent with proactive and systematized career exploration support. 

Opportunities to work with teams

Colleges can provide students with opportunities to work in teams through student employment opportunities, student leadership opportunities, interdisciplinary projects, and student clubs. The ability to work in teams and collaborate is a desirable skill in many employment sectors thus providing students with experience that will help them thrive in college and career.

Career exploration that deepens as the student progresses through a program

Students need opportunities to explore careers early in their college experience and they need these opportunities to continue. Early career exploration may occur with career surveys and industry speaker panels, while deeper career exploration will involve job shadowing and internship opportunities. These opportunities should be available to all students, not only those who are in traditional career technical fields.

Support for students who change majors

Research shows that most students change their major in the course of their undergraduate education. When students change their major, colleges can support them in their decision-making and career exploration by providing counseling sessions that focus on the impact of the change and opportunities available with the new major. These counseling meetings can include discussions on transfer goals, personal economic needs, and regional workforce growth.