Claire Fiddian-Green: A proposed new approach for career advising in Indiana

CEMETS iLab Indiana—a coalition of 300-plus Hoosiers I co-chair alongside David Becker, chair and CEO of First Internet Bank—is actively working to build the Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway, a new way for Hoosiers to access education and training starting in high school and extending through retirement. As part of this effort, the iLab is proposing a new approach for career advising in Indiana.

Here’s what the proposed advising framework for Indiana looks like, which we think would better connect high school students and adults with available careers.

First, beginning in the eighth grade, students, their parents or guardians, and their teachers all attend an intensive career-advising orientation session where they learn how the advising process will work and receive an overview of in-demand careers.

Second, students—with the support of their families and teachers—complete assessments to identify potential career interests. At this time, students begin asking themselves questions such as: Do I want a job where I sit at a computer all day or one where I am engaged in more hands-on activities? Do I like working with children or students, or do I prefer engaging mostly with adults? And so on.

Third, students narrow down their career interests by attending career fairs geared toward middle-schoolers. Also in eighth grade, they visit employers to get a more realistic picture of what it’s like to work in their preferred industry, be it health care or manufacturing or banking. Afterward, they debrief with career advisers, who help determine if it’s better to prepare for a preferred career by attending college, or by participating in a high-quality work-based learning program like the Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway.

Fourth, by the end of eighth grade, students—once more with the support of their families and teachers—develop a preliminary plan for their four years of high school. Will they enroll in certain classes that, for example, Purdue or Indiana University or Marian University will require for specific college majors, like computer science or finance? Or will they apply for a work-based learning program starting in high school?

Each student’s plan will be finalized by the end of ninth grade so they and their families are confident the student is moving in the direction that best supports their preliminary career aspirations.

Finally, and perhaps most critical to this approach, these career advisers are not school employees. Instead, they are professional career advisers who are equipped to support high school students and adults and also trained annually on labor market trends. This allows them to stay on top of the latest developments, including AI’s impact on careers.

While these advisers are employed by an offsite career center, they are assigned to specific schools in their region, which they visit on a weekly basis. This allows them to provide one-on-one advising to ensure students are on track for college or a high-quality work-based learning program. Importantly, these advisers work in close partnership with school counselors so that no student falls through the cracks. What’s more, these advisers also support adults with career exploration, serving as a comprehensive career advising community resource.

The world of work evolves continuously, and the pace has only increased due to the impact of automation and AI. It’s time our career-advising model evolves, too. By ensuring every student and adult receives customized, one-on-one career advising, we will better meet their needs as well as the needs of Indiana employers eager for a more robust talent pipeline. Read more at IndianaCareerApprenticeshipPathway.org.•

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Fiddian-Green is president and CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, whose mission is to advance the vitality of Indianapolis and the well-being of its people. Send comments to [email protected].

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