O*NET
in Action: NYCareerZone
O*NET Resources ~ A Piece of the Action Customer-Responsive New York CareerZone® Pilot Excites Students, Counselors & Teachers Statewide
"This [Web] page opens up very fast and gives you great information on the job that you want to find out
about. There were great facts and awesome details . . ."
Designed by the State Department of Labor, the New York CareerZone Web site is "an O*NET delivery system"
that has revolutionized the way New Yorkers access career information. Launched as one of five O*NET
pilot programs, the NYCareerZone System is now a statewide resource for teachers, counselors, and career
center staff. The system engages students and job seekers in career exploration and helps them develop
their skills in career planning.
The Need
O*NET Role
One portfolio is designed for middle school students (grades 6-8) and focuses on occupational
exploration. The other, designed for high school students (grades 9-12), focuses on helping students
identify their abilities and develop career plans for moving successfully from school to postsecondary
education or training.
NYCareerZone complements other career information resources in use across the state. It is tied to The
RealGame curriculum and various training programs used in the Labor Department's Workforce Investment
programs.
The NYCareerZone team provides hands-on user training, including a history of the O*NET system and what
it offers. Staff find that teachers are often very excited about the wide variety of occupations
available in the labor market and the ease of learning about them through O*NET Job Profiles. During the
hands-on training, staff often notice some teachers "madly typing in the back of the computer lab.
When asked what they're looking for, a common reply is 'Well, my daughter wants to be a _____, and
I want to take this home to show her.' When they say that, they're hooked. If they want to show it to
their kids, they'll want to use it with their students."
Key Results
Whole classes are going to the computer lab to work on their portfolios and explore careers using the
system. Academic as well as tech-prep and business teachers are building its use into their curricula,
particularly when they see how they can link their curricula to the state's learning objectives and their
students' career interests.
Early in 2003, more than 110,000 portfolios were in use, and the number is growing by an average of 300 a
day. The Web site gets 70,000 visitors each month. As one user reported, "CareerZone is FABULOUS!
Very well organized, great information."
Teachers and counselors are delighted to find an occupational information source they can access at
home or in libraries. They find the system so easy to use that they don't feel totally overwhelmed
by the amount of information provided.
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