Lighting students’ career path

Workshop to help students explore options for their future

Not everyone knows exactly what career they will pursue when they leave high school.

For many who have spent a year or two out of school, that picture may be even more unclear.

This is where Career Transitions, and Project SPARC comes into play.

On Tuesday, Career Transitions will host a free workshop from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Lethbridge Public Library, as part of the Project SPARC initiative, which aims to provide young people between the ages of 17-20 the opportunity to explore and discover future career pathways.

Project SPARC will help youth re-engage with their education, and encourage them to see the value of completing high school, in the broader context of future career opportunities.

“It is to help provide them with some hope that there is someone out there that can help them,” said Judy StolkIngram, executive director at Career Transitions. “There are options. They can take the next step on their career path.”

The Tuesday event will help introduce young people to the career-planning process.

“The session will provide some tools to help them figure out their interests, check out possible career options, and navigate the world of postsecondary,” said Stolk-Ingram. “We also want them to know we’re not there just to share information, and that we’re there to support them and get them through the entire process.”

Funding options for career training, scholarship opportunities and community resources will also be shared.

“There are so many little pieces we can help provide that are designed to start moving students in a forward direction and get them unstuck,” said Stolk-Ingram, who added Career Transitions can provide youth access to first-aid training, industry training and many other opportunities, often at little to no cost.

Through Career Transitions and the Project SPARC initiative, youth can discover career exploration and selfassessment options, have access to skill-building workshops, job shadows and one-on-on mentoring. Postsecondary connections and tours are also possible, along with resume building and job searching, as activities will be selected based on the needs, values and interests of each participant.

And with the state of the Alberta economy, and the fact each year many students exit school without a plan, StolkIngram added it is important to begin planning for your future.

“With every graduating class, only about 35-40 per cent will move directly into postsecondary schooling,” she said, and added about 800 students graduate high school each year in Lethbridge. “So, if 60 per cent of students don’t have postsecondary plans, that’s 500 kids, and it’s becoming harder and harder to find that first job. If a student is leaving school and doesn’t have a postsecondary plan and doesn’t have a meaningful job, it’s a rough start to their transition to adulthood.”

It is Stolk-Ingram’s hope more youth will connect with Career Transitions to assist them through the process, to ensure they do not lose hope.

“The longer they spend in that state, the more challenging it is to get re-engaged,” she said, and added it is also important for parents to know how Career Transitions can help. “Parents want the best for their kids, but if they don’t know how to help, conversations may not be as constructive as they could be.”

In the end, Stolk-Ingram added Career Transitions has numerous ways it can help young people find what works for them.

“The bottom line is there is no one formula that is going to work for every person. We want to help these youth find their own formula.”

Visit www.careersteps.ca for more information (Project SPARC can be found under the Programs tab), or call 403-3283996.