Southeast Texas P-16 Council

A new report from MetLife shows that two-thirds of teachers (63%), parents (63%) and Fortune 1000 executives (65%) think that knowledge of other cultures and international issues is absolutely essential or very important to be ready for college and a career.

The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Preparing Students for College and Careers examines the priority  that  all students graduate from high school prepared for college and  careers, what being college- and career-ready entails, and the implications of this goal for teaching.

Among other findings

• More students worry a lot about having enough money to pay for college (57%) than about being able to get into college (31%) or to succeed in college (33%).
• Hispanic and AfricanAmerican students are more likely than white students to worry about being able to succeed in college (48% vs. 34% vs. 27%).
• Parents say schools are not doing enough to tell  them how students can get into and pay for college. About half of parents rate their child’s school as fair or poor at providing information to parents on the requirements to get into college (46%) or about the availability of financial aid for college and how to get it (52%).
• Middle school students and parents in particular express a need for information.  Half or more of middle school students (53%) and parents (60%) rate their schools fair or poor in providing information to students about what the requirements are to get into college.
• Students have high expectations for college, and these expectations have increased over the past two decades. In 1988, 57% of middle and high school students said it was very likely they would go to college. By 1997, this level had increased to 67%. Today, 75% say it is very likely they will go to college.
• On average, teachers predict that 63% of their students will graduate high school ready for college without the need for remedial coursework, and that 51% of their students will graduate from college.

The results are based on a national survey of 1,000 public school teachers (grades 6-12), 2,002 public school students (grades 6-12), 580 parents of public school students (grades 6-12), and 301 business executives from Fortune 1000 companies conducted in  fall 2010.  In addition, education thought leaders and teacher leaders participated in a related online strategy session.

The U.S. Department of Labor has released My Next Move, a new, free, and easy-to-use online career search tool.

Students and adult learners can use My Next Move to search over 900 different careers and see important information including skills, tasks, technologies, salaries, and employment outlook.

Users can discover related apprenticeships and training, and search actual job openings. They can also find careers through a keyword search; by browsing industries; or through the new 60-item, web-based O*NET Interest Profiler Short Form, a tool that offers career suggestions based on a person’s interests and level of work experience.

My Next Move was developed by the National Center for O*NET Development through a cooperative grant agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor.

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis said “By leveraging technology in a user-friendly tool, My Next Move will help those seeking career guidance learn more about work opportunities in fields that are of interest to them and that are likely to have job openings today and well into the future.”

Those accustomed to using the stand alone O*NET Interest Profiler appreciate this new and improved Interest Profiler which reduces the 180-questions to 60, has a printable report, is searchable by green jobs and high growth sectors; and links to training programs in your state.