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O*NET Resources ~ A Piece of the Action
New Book for High School Teachers, Counselors, Parents Indicates How O*NET® Resources Can Help "Unfocused Kids"
Unfocused Kids--Helping Students to Focus on their Education and Career Plans, by Suzy Mygatt Wakefield, Ph.D., was published by CAPS Press. Harvey Schmelter-Davis describes O*NET use in his chapter, "O*NET in Action: Expanding Youth Career Horizons."
"One intent of my book was to have clearly explained hands-on resources for educators. Writing on O*NET, Harvey Schmelter-Davis has provided one of our most instructive chapters. Knowing how to access the vast O*NET database is a crucial skill for educators when helping students to focus on their education and career plans." ~ Suzy Mygatt Wakefield, Ph.D., Editor, Unfocused Kids--Helping Students to Focus on their Education and Career Plans
Dr. Suzy Mygatt Wakefield was troubled by the number of unfocused adolescents she and her colleagues were encountering in high schools across the country. Convinced that "these kids need our help," Dr. Wakefield called on some 30 educators to share their insights and ideas to help high school teachers, counselors, and parents provide needed support. The result is Unfocused Kids--Helping Students to Focus on their Education and Career Plans.
The writers reflect a wide spectrum geographically and professionally, including university professors, district administrators, school counselors, classroom teachers, career specialists, and a school board executive. They offer practical advice, models, programs, and resources that address the career development issues of youth who are floundering in school or have dropped out. The book was developed in cooperation with the Educational Resources Information Center/Counseling and Student Services (ERIC/CASS) Clearinghouse at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. It will be published by CAPS Press this winter.
"O*NET is a wonderful national resource for expanding the career horizons of young Americans, and especially those who don't have a clue about what to do with their lives." Harvey Schmelter-Davis, MA, NCC, DCC, John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, Rutgers University
ERIC/CASS Director Dr. Garry Walz thinks the book will provide an "excellent resource" for practitioners. He is particularly pleased that one chapter focuses on the O*NET system and how to use it. "Counselors should be using O*NET," he says, "but many still don't know about it." The book will help spread the word.
"O*NET is a wonderful national resource for expanding the career horizons of young Americans, and especially those who don't have a clue about what to do with their lives,"says author Harvey-Schmelter Davis. An O*NET enthusiast, he has demonstrated its value in dozens of workshops for counselors, career development specialists, teachers, and students. At Rutgers he developed a training package with Suzanne Guibert to introduce O*NET to educators.
In his chapter, Mr. Schmelter-Davis explains the O*NET system from a counselor's perspective and suggests how to use it in career counseling and teaching. He describes how others are using O*NET resources to help youth focus on their strengths and interests and relate them to career opportunities in the workplace. Schmelter-Davis likes the system because:
. . . "O*NET has extensive and very useful information about a wide range of occupations. It can be used with well-known assessment and counseling tools to help kids discover career fields they never knew existed and what they're all about." Many states and private vendors are now using O*NET data in their career information systems and materials for middle and high school students.
"Counselors should be using O*NET, but many still don't know about it. This [chapter] should help spread the word." Dr. Garry Walz, Director ERIC Clearinghouse on Counseling & Student Services
. . . "O*NET is updated regularly." In November 2003, a brand new version of O*NET OnLine (5.1) was released. It's easy to use and features new kinds of information about occupations and careers. O*NET OnLine can be accessed via the Internet at http://online.onetcenter.org. For printer-friendly descriptions of enhancements and updates and O*NET background material, go to www.workforceaguirre.org.
. . . "O*NET has professionally developed, self-directed Career Exploration Tools, such as the O*NET Interest Profiler (an interest inventory), Work Importance Locator (a work values assessment) and the recently released O*NET Ability Profiler. The results are all connected to O*NET occupational information, as well as other major sources of job and career information." To learn more about the Career Exploration Tools, visit the O*NET Resource Center at www.onetcenter.org.
In emphasizing the value of the O*NET system, Dr. Wakefield observed, "Not only does this chapter explain the three O*NET Career Exploration ToolsT, but also why learning to use the O*NET OnLine website http://online.onetcenter.org is a crucial skill for all educators. Harvey Schmelter-Davis's chapter is a great resource for educators to better understand the vast O*NET database and corresponding career resource tools."
Contact
To obtain more information about Unfocused Kids--Helping Students to Focus on their Education and Career Plans,
contact:
Suzy Mygatt Wakefield, Ph.D.
Email: mygattwakefield@comcast.net
Telephone: 425-828-6186
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