FCPS says they will work with students to help them achieve college & career readiness.
Frederick, Md (KM) The Frederick County School System will be hiring 21 career coaches for its middle and high school students. The coaches will be working with students to help them be college and career ready when they graduate.
Kristine Pearl, the School System’s Supervisor of Career and Technical Education, says it’s part of the requirements under the Blueprint for Maryland’s School which was approved by the General Assembly in 2021. “The Maryland Blueprint requires all counties to implement a career counseling program for all middle and high school students that provides individual career counseling services, starting with the coming school year,” says Pearl.
Pearl says the career coaches will be working with middle school students on career awareness and exploration. “So that could include the use of those career skill inventories, interest surveys, or they could be planning career days, taking students on field trips to businesses,” she says.
“At the high school, they will be focusing on career exploration, but also incorporate career preparation, career seeking and advancement opportunities, like work-based learning or internships, apprenticeships,” she continues. “And they will be really preparing those students with mock interviews.”
The students will also be introduced to career advancement. “We don’t start at the top,” Pearl says. “But if you work hard, you come to work on time, and you continue to grow, then you will succeed.”
She also points out that sixth grade is not too early for students to be thinking about careers. “If the students can learn earlier, starting in sixth grade, what are some of those options once you get to high school, and kind of get motivated and excited about a career, to understand why they are learning the specific things they are learning,” says Pearl.
Along with that, Pearl says these career coaches will be working closely with local employers, “They will be having a significant number of employers come in as guest speakers; work with students; We’re going to have students going on field trips to the businesses, particularly those businesses which have a high demand and are growing,” she says.
Last week, FCPS entered into a memorandum of understanding with Frederick County Government, Workforce Services and Frederick Community College to bring these career coaches into the schools.
By Kevin McManus