Summary

CareerLaunch was developed by Boys & Girls Clubs of America to give Club members a web-based career exploration resource. Designed to supplement JOB READY! training, CareerLaunch allows Boys & Girls Club teens to explore more than 1,100 occupations from the O*NET database. Teens can identify careers, set personal goals, identify potential barriers to employment, and search for jobs. CareerLaunchVersion 1 was released to Clubs in May 1999. The next release in 2002 will be based on O*NET 3.0. It will also be expanded to include fun and engaging skills activities, incentives, games, bulletin boards for Club administrators, and a career chat feature to connect Club members to mentors. 

The development of CareerLaunch was made possible through funding from the U.S. Department of Labor, in conjunction with funding for the JOB READY! training program. This program prepares Boys & Girls Club teens for meaningful and productive work in today's labor market. 
 

How is O*NET being used?

Boys & Girls Clubs of America (B&GCA) is the nation's fastest-growing youth development organization, with a primary focus on young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Clubs offer a broad range of age-appropriate activities, focused on helping members develop aspirations and acquire the skills they need to succeed as responsible and productive adults. 

The B&GCA Career Preparation program, in particular, helps teens make sound educational decisions, explore a variety of careers, and develop skills for success in the workplace. A major new resource for Career Prep participants is JOB READY! training, designed specifically to prepare teens to compete in today's highly-skilled, technology-based labor market. It builds on the Department of Labor Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) Report. 

To support JOB READY! training, Boys & Girls Clubs of America created CareerLaunch, a Web-based career exploration resource. Drawing on the New York CareerZone pilot and other tools using O*NET, the Clubs designed a user-friendly interface to connect Clubs to O*NET and other occupational data. Teens can access job descriptions, skills, interests, educational requirements, and work activities for more than 1,100 O*NET occupations. An interactive, online assessment survey is used to start teens on their search. The results of the survey bring up a list of possible careers drawn from the O*NET database. A link to the U.S. Department of Education's colleges/technical schools helps members determine further academic or training requirements for a particular career. Additional links to America's Job Bank and other employment sites provide current job opening information for teens searching for jobs in their area of interest. When the new version is completed, CareerLaunch will provide a key educational resource for the Clubs' Career Prep program. 
 

Who is your target population?

Boys & Girls Club members, ages 13-18, who participate in JOB READY!, Career Explorers Club, Keystone Club, and Junior Staff Career Development Programs 

Club staff 

Program Administrators 
 

What kind of results is O*NET helping you to achieve?

CareerLaunch has been piloted in Boys & Girls Clubs since May 1999 as a support to the Career Prep program. Clubs have recruited and trained more than 5,000 teens and placed more than 4,000 in summer jobs. These participants used CareerLaunch as a resource tool to explore areas of interest, make career decisions, set realistic goals based upon sound data, and to find jobs. With the ongoing support of staff, these young people were able to experience success on the job. 
 

What are the related program initiatives?

Boys & Girls Clubs provide youth with a broad range of age-appropriate activities that enable young people to make sound choices and enhance educational skills. Teens learn to set goals, explore career possibilities, practice employability skills, and seek out information on postsecondary education. Related B&GCA programs include: 

JOB READY! - training that builds on the Department of Labor Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) Report 

Career Explorers Club - program designed to help young teens broaden their horizons and begin to make connections to careers. 

Junior Staff Career Development - mentoring program designed to develop a qualified, competent, and committed workforce for Boys & Girls Clubs and other human service organizations. 
 

Is your product, program or service available for others to use?

Boys & Girls Clubs of America operates nationwide. Specific programs and materials are designed for use by members in Club-sponsored activities. Version 1 of CareerLaunch is currently available to the public on the Internet. However, a new version is being developed and will be available only to B&GCA members and staff. To find out about Clubs in your area, check the B&GCA homepage at:http://www.bgca.org and choose "Find a Club." 
 

What other strategies make your product, program or service successful?
The strategy that guides Boys & Girls Clubs of America emphasizes the development of new generation-changing program initiatives in three key areas: education, technology, and career development programming. The goal is to help Club members create aspirations and develop the tools they need to succeed as responsible and productive adults. In particular, the critical support and interaction with caring and knowledgeable adults are key to the effectiveness of CareerLaunch. 
 

Contact information.

Brazellia W. Baker 
Boys & Girls Clubs of America 
1230 West Peachtree Street, N.W. 
Atlanta, GA 30309-3447 
(404) 487-5876 
bbaker@bgca.org 
http://www.bgca.org 
http://careerlaunch.bgca.net