Career Development

     SST offers individual and group assessments to help students identify their strengths and weaknessess and discover more about who they are. The three components to career development are:

• Self-knowledge
• Career Exploration
• Decision-making Skills

     Career exploration is available through the many types of WORK-BASED LEARNING experiences available here at SST. Long-term planning, educational and career goal-setting, and personal reflection help develop decision-making skills. This ongoing, year-round career guidance is available to all of our students at SST.

SST Encourages Non-Traditional Career Choices

     All SST programs and classes are open to both females and males. The staff at SST encourages all students to pursue non-traditional careers to meet the increasing demand for female automotive and electronics technicians and male child care and health providers. More and more people are discovering non-traditional careers to be rewarding, fulfilling and challenging. All students should select their SST program based on their interests, skills, and personal goals regardless of gender.

School to Career Transition Opportunities

     WORK-BASED LEARNING is designed to provide structured experiences that offer students an opportunity to learn about emerging careers and develop greater insights into their unique skills and talents. WBL options include Job Shadowing, Internships, and Cooperative Education.
     JOB SHADOWING is a required activity for all students. During a one or two day visit, students observe a range of job activities that provides exploration of various positions within a career field. This experience helps students decide on a future path of work and study. A tour of the facility and informational interview with one of the employees is included in the Job Shadow.
     INTERNSHIPS & COOPERATIVE EDUCATION permit students to spend several weeks at worksites related to their career choice. Students develop broad skills and receive first-hand knowledge of a particular career. The experience combines classroom instruction with paid or unpaid work experience related to their technical programs. Additional course credit may be awarded based on the length of time at the work site. These experiences involve a great deal of self-knowledge and commitment from the student, school and business.

Career Network Luncheons at SST

     Marilyn Kellogg, SST Career Advisor, has been creating many opportunities for students to explore and develop career plans. One of the unique ways has been through the Career Network Luncheon.
     Its purpose is to introduce students to an insight into the world of work, where they are asked to participate in a professional setting. They also learn the value of networking to advance their careers.
     To make this as authentic an experience as possible the students are greeted as business associates. The Career Network includes presentations by the business people with information why they chose to work in the field, training and education needed, their organization's unique qualities and advice for the future, a question and answer period, and an informal luncheon.
     Ms. Kellogg will continue to create opportunities for students in all programs. The goal is for every SST student to participate in job shadows or internships and develop a career plan BEFORE he or she graduates!