Career Pathways
OVERVIEW
Career Pathways fosters growth and success for every student by supporting their journey from early learning through high school completion and beyond, and enhances public education through communication, engagement and partnerships.
Students develop a curiosity about the world around them, and grow skills and competencies through rigorous and relevant projects, activities and experiences connected to curricular outcomes.
From Kindergarten through Grade 12, there are initiatives at every grade level to encourage transferable skills students need for the future.
Through Career Pathways initiatives, students explore five pathways:
- Arts, Design and Communication
- Business and Information Technology
- Construction, Manufacturing and Transportation
- Health, Education and Human Services
- Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE CLASSROOM
KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE 4
AWARENESS
Students discover themselves by understanding their likes and dislikes, and become familiar with the idea of “work.” Hands-on learning opportunities and awareness-building resources emphasize the process of exploration over a final destination.
GRADES 5 TO 9
UNDERSTANDING
Students begin to understand opportunities available to them, and connect those opportunities to interests they identified in the Awareness stage. During this time, students explore and reflect on a variety of experiences to help them plan their next steps.
GRADES 10 TO 12
READINESS
Students continue to set goals and further develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes that increase their readiness to successfully transition beyond high school. With the involvement of community partners, students develop transferable skills, understand how their personal interests play an important role in exploring careers and reflect on skills they excel at.
SUCCESS THROUGH CAREER PATHWAYS
CAMPUS EPSB
Campus EPSB is an initiative designed to provide students with another way to earn high school and post-secondary credits, gain industry credentials, get ahead of their studies or prepare for post-secondary. Students can travel to another school or industry site for a semester to immerse themselves in an area of study that excites them, or get a start on their post-secondary education through evening dual credit courses. It's a great way for students to build on or discover their career passions and interests as they begin to plan their next steps.
USING MYBLUEPRINT
myBlueprint helps students in Kindergarten through Grade 12 learn about self-reflection, goal setting and portfolio building. This online interactive education and career-planning tool allows students to learn about pathways and occupations in an age-appropriate way.
There are two version of myBlueprint that support students based on their grade:
- All About Me (K-6): a visual, student-driven portfolio that supports goal setting and reflecting on learning
- Education Planner (Grades 7-12): dynamic student portfolios and career education resources
ACCESSING YOUR MYBLUEPRINT ACCOUNT
Students and teachers can access their accounts by signing in through SchoolZone. Go to the Resources tab and click on the myBlueprint logo. Parents and guardians can sign in through the myBlueprint page.
HOW WE WORK WITH FAMILIES
The Career Pathways model encourages student, parent, guardian and teacher conversations from Kindergarten through Grade 12. By informing families about unique programming and giving students access to myBlueprint tools they can use at home, we can continue to foster an environment where parents and guardians are partners in public education.
Whether students are preparing for post-secondary, transitioning to the world of work or thinking about vocational programming, together we can encourage lifelong learning, adaptability and resilience.
HOW WE WORK WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
There are many different ways organizations can be involved with Career Pathways. The goal of each relationship is to provide students with innovative experiential learning inside and outside the classroom. Whether you are a business, not-for-profit, trade union or post-secondary institution, we welcome opportunities to work together to enhance public education for our students.
Community Marketplace is an initiative that brings community friends into the classroom to share their passion and expertise with students. These opportunities help students make connections between what they are learning and the world around them.
To see how your organization can work with Career Pathways, please contact careerpathways@epsb.ca.
