TO HELP GET EMPLOYEES INVOLVED IN CAREER ACTIVITIES (NOW AND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR)

DOWNLOADS:

* Virginia Career Week proclamation by Governor McDonnell. Print and post.

* Podcast about VIRGINIA CAREER WEEK by Dr. Thomas Brewster, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Virginia Career Education Foundation

* COMING SOON:
   
   2011 Online Contest with prizes for Students and Teachers

* Poster for employees’ lounge or break room or for use anywhere

* Editorial for submission to local newspaper

* Sample-e-mail-message

* Table Tents for break room, dining room, counters, waiting rooms. (Run 81/2″ x 11″ sheet twice, cut to separate and fold in half)

* Four-page Career Planning Guide

* VCW logo 

ITEMS TO REQUEST: contact vcef [at] cox [dot] net

* Book covers / Posters – 7 designs based on 7 of 16 Career Clusters. Use for bulletin boards, covers for career papers, games, etc.

* Bookmarks – 250 per package (also available as download; customize with your message on one side)

* Postcards, printed on both sides; message to parents on one and to students on the other  (available as download ONLY; customize with your message on one side)

* Recycled (thinking GREEN!) 12 CTE Success Stories and 4-pp. Career Planning Guide. Great for bulletin boards, discussion starters, Web site research projects, lessons, and games.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES FOR BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, & GOVERNMENT:

*  Use as many of the tools provided above as possible to publicize VIRGINIA CAREER WEEK and ongoing career planning with your employees. Many of your employees are parents or grandparents of our current students and future workforce. Encourage your employees to talk to young people in their lives about the importance of career planning and to check out www.knowhowvirginia.org as a family.  By doing this, you are making an investment in our youth and in your future workforce.

* Begin a local e-mail bureau of “Ask a ______” for professionals willing to answer direct e-mail questions from students concerning particulars about their career. Share with school/college counselors. VCEF will post on Web site if you’ll send us the information a vcef [at] cox [dot] net

* Develop a speakers’ bureau of people in your community willing to speak to students about their career – detailing academic/technical preparation, experience, pathway they took, benefits, etc. – make available to school counselors and teachers.VCEF will post on Web site if you’ll send us the information a vcef [at] cox [dot] net

SHARE “WHAT’S WORKING” IN YOUR COMMUNITY:

• Send us information on Proven Practices in your area with contact information. (SEE LIST BELOW FOR IDEAS)
• Give us feedback about your involvement in career education – frequency, numbers, age groups, numbers of presentations, links to your Web site.
• Report to VCEF

PROVEN PRACTICES & LINKS:
Here are some great ideas for career-related programs that work. Follow the links for more information.

* Career Café (Peninsula Council for Workforce Development)

* Future Focus Expo, Virginia’s Region 2000 Technology Council EXPO

* Hanover Career Student Resource, Inc.

* Seventh Grade Career Expo (multiple school districts in the Charlottesville Area) Business recruitment by PIEDMONT FUTURES — Connecting Commerce to Classroom, A Piedmont Virginia Business-Education Alliance.

* Virginia Beach Advance Technology Center Career Connections. Contact: Anne Marie Garvey

* Career Days/Nights (See Trailblazers for Step-by-step guides to organize your career events)
   In addition to basics about the event, the following are very helpful to your presentors:
   1. Exactly where to unload and and enter the building
   2. Specific directions for parking - a parking pass to display in the window and reserved parking are nice extras
   3. Student helpers to assist with unloading and loading
   4. Expedited sign-in for visitors if possible
   5. Notification in advance if table covers will be provided
   6. The number of students/visitors expected in attendance
   
* “Other Options” Night for parents of 9th graders (Bethel High School, Hampton, VA ).

* VHHA Health Career Camps, sponsored in conjunction with local hospitals

* Tech Prep Summer Camps and Job Fairs at Paul D. Camp Community College

* Tech Tour, Virginia Piedmont Technology Council

* Virtual field trips via Internet video

* Internships for students, teachers, counselors (Peninsula model for summer internship for teachers/counselors). Contact: Dr. Crystal Taylor

* Mentorships (model curriculum at Williamsburg-James City County Schools)  Contact: Dr. Sharmaine Groves

* Practice Interview Sessions with feedback from employers in the area. Contact: Gail Bess

* Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce “Business Dinners” brings teachers into area business and industry site for information about the company, hiring requirements, etc. Contact: Beth Doughty, President

* Host “Women in ________” or “Men in ________” to promote nontraditional employment (Northern VA, “Women in IT Day” ) Contact: Carroll McGillin

* Chesterfield Department of Career and Technical Education Web site.

* John Tyler Community College Quick Connect