Counseling Corner: Willowbrook Guidance Department to host career readiness events for students

As part of the Willowbrook Guidance Department’s goal to prepare students for post-high school success, counselors have updated their career programming for students. Events for the 2017-18 school year include:

• Career Exploration Program: In collaboration with Junior Achievement of Chicago, the Willowbrook Guidance Department will host a Career Exploration Program on Oct. 11 focused on the 16 Career Clusters. Sophomore students will get to select which professions they would like to hear about, and participants will share information about their background, education, career and daily work life to give insight into that respective field. Activities for this event are:
  • Keynote speaker: Will focus on the importance of identifying a desired career path. Students will discover the personal characteristics needed to compete in today’s workforce.
  • Naviance career assessments: School counselors will introduce the career exploration process through completion of the Career Interest Inventory and the Career Cluster Finder. Students also will be introduced to career search resources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
  • Career Cluster Workshops: Students will have the opportunity to attend three career cluster presentations of their choice.

• Schoolwide Career Day: Junior Achievement of Chicago will return in January 2018 to Willowbrook to provide students with interactive presentations about various careers. Teachers will have the opportunity to request a career professional whose expertise corresponds with the course being taught. Those presentations are meant to assist students in connecting class instruction to real-world career possibilities.
  
  
• College and Career Awareness Week: In partnership with the Willowbrook Parent Organization (WPO) and Junior Achievement of Chicago, the Willowbrook Guidance Department will host a College and Career Awareness Week from March 19 to 23, 2018. Counselors are seeking local businesses, alumni and community members to provide informational booths or presentations for students during that time. Those who are interested in volunteering can contact Willowbrook Guidance Counselor LeVar Ammons at Lammons@dupage88.net or 630-530-3422.

For questions or more information about the above events, contact Ammons.