Today, as you sit in a classroom, slog through homework, or study for a test, your goal is graduation. Your focus is on getting out of school and getting on with your life.
But that diploma is not the destination.
The ultimate objective is a career: turning your education into a paycheck and making a living doing something rewarding and satisfying.
That's where High School Career Connect can help.
The University of North Texas and the Greater Texas Foundation established High School Career Connect to provide career advice, postsecondary planning, and workforce trends to help eighth graders choose endorsements and high school students select college majors.
Through HSCC's one-on-one peer mentors and based on a student’s skills and interests, HSCC maps the primary high school-to-career paths (jobs, certificates, and college degrees), then helps formulate career strategies.
As a result, students possess individualized career paths, suggestions on majors, plans for their postsecondary experience, and increased confidence in their career path, helping them graduate with an enhanced skill set and increased employment potential.
In 2018, just 52 percent of Texas high school graduates enrolled in postsecondary education (two- or four-year college or trade school), and only 19 percent completed that education.
The Texas House of Representatives passed House Bill 5, requiring eighth-grade students to choose academic tracks, called endorsements, they want to follow in high school in pursuit of a career, to give students an early start on their areas of interest and increase their chances of success in college and careers.
High School Career Connect addresses that gap in career preparation
Working with middle and high schools in Denton County, Texas, HSCC provides students and their parents with career assessments, guidance, and planning resources.
HSCC conducts one-on-one mentorships, class presentations, assemblies, workshops, and fairs to provide students with the career resources needed to navigate their desired career path. HSCC’s staff also provides resources on collegiate financial aid and admissions procedures.
High School Career Connect is FREE.
High School Career Connect was formed in 2017 with a grant from the Greater Texas Foundation and support of the University of North Texas.