By Odell B. Ruffin
In hopes of attending college next year, John F. Kennedy High School senior Odilia Tchoumte was among many seeking both college and trade school opportunities at the First Annual Career Exploration Day held recently at the Show Place Arena.
Aliya Canton Job developer KEYS introduces Jessica Crumble to career day. / Photo: Odell B. Ruffin
Tchoumte, 16, arrived undecided on which school to attend. However after considering several colleges expressed interest in attending Howard University.
“The school is very popular. A lot of my friends are attending. I just want to make sure I have everything I need to be accepted,” Tchoumte said.
Knowledge Equals Youth Success (KEYS) is an organization sponsored by the Workforce Services Division of Prince George’s County. The economic development corporation youth services brought the event to general public for the first time.
“We serve youth in the county and have very specific interests in their goals with life after high school,” said Lachelle Johnson, youth program coordinator for the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corp. “So we wanted to provide a venue where they could get information about various higher learning institutions in the metropolitan area.”
Representative from institutions such as Stratford, Southeastern, Coppin State, Maryland and Howard assisted students during sessions that prepared them for admittance and financial aid.
“We look for students that can multi-task and keep their grade point average high,” said Brian Johnson, a Howard university recruitment officer. “College is another level, and we want students to a have clear understanding of what it takes to succeed.”
The forum also featured sessions on career prospects in healthcare, government, education and hospitality to inform parents and students.
“I find that a lot of young people are not aware certain career resources are available to them,” said David L. Nash, education and outreach liaison for National Library of Medicine.
The Government Accountability Office has said the work environment is shifting to a knowledge-based economy, which will require workers to have higher-level skills and more education. By 2014, the Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that almost 54 percent of total job openings will be filled by those with some college education or a bachelor’s degree or higher.
“We focus on preparing our students for high demand industries,” said Marcita Bentley-Pinkston, assistant director for youth services at the EDC.
“It wouldn’t make sense to prepare them for careers in which there is no demand.”
Furthermore, global competition has resulted in companies laying off workers and moving their operations to lower-cost locations, sometimes resulting in workers needing to be retrained for other occupations the GAO said.
“It makes good sense that our students come out qualified for their careers,” Pinkston said. “We don’t want them going to college for years, then realizing they made the wrong decision on a career choice.”
The students involved in KEY normally take a national college tour, but based on the economic downturn, the event was held in a single location with the career resource session as an addition this year.
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