Student Occupational Awareness and Recognition Program (SOAR)

The Student Occupational Awareness and Recognition Program (SOAR) aims to expose, educate, and engage students in career development and decision-making. The program provides career services to students at public middle and high schools, grades six through twelve. Students receive in-depth education and direction on career choices and access to up-to-date labor market and career data. The SOAR Program offers many resources to help students to become workforce-ready!

Career Ready Certification

Unlock your students' future with a comprehensive Career-Readiness Certification program designed

to equip students with the essential skills and knowledge needed to embark on a successful career

journey. The five-session program supports the standards of college and career readiness and

empowers middle and high school students across Central Texas with the essential skills and

the knowledge they need to become truly career-ready.

 

Our program is led by Student Occupational Awareness and Recognition (SOAR) Career Coaches and is

based on valuable insights from major employers in the region, ensuring that students are equipped

with the tools they need to excel in the professional world. The program has been meticulously

crafted based on feedback from major employers across Central Texas, ensuring that it

aligns perfectly with the expectations of the job market.

 

Career Readiness Certification is three easy steps:

1.  Collaborative Planning: Contact us to engage in collaborative planning so we can determine the logistics of implementing the program. Visit with the appropriate staff and discuss any necessary resources or additional support needed from your SOAR Career Coach.

 

2. Program Implementation: After dates and class periods are determined a SOAR Career Coach will lead the five-session program (typically five class periods). Students completing performance-based assessments with a score of 70 or above will be awarded a certificate for their achievement.

 

3. Student Recognition: Upon successful completion of the program by the students, consider planning a certificate presentation ceremony in collaboration with Workforce Solutions and your Superintendent’s office. We want to celebrate the students' achievements and showcase the success of our partnership.

 

Career Session Topics Include:

 

Unlock Your Future

In this module, students will explore their own interests, values, strengths, and weaknesses to

gain a deep understanding of themselves. Students will identify their personal and professional

goals through self-assessment tools, reflection exercises, and group discussions. They will learn

how to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) career goals and create a

road map to achieve them.

 

Exploring Your Horizons

The world of careers is vast and diverse, and this module introduces students to the exciting

possibilities it offers. Students will explore a wide range of career pathways and industries,

gaining insight into the skills and qualifications required for each. They will master the art of

researching industries, companies, and job roles using online resources. This module ensures

students make informed decisions about their future, based on their interests and

industry realities.

 

Skills That Will Make You Shine

Employers value specific qualities in job candidates, and the employability skills module focuses

on developing these skills to enhance students' competitiveness. Students will explore skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability to name a few. Emphasis is always placed on students demonstrating and understanding these skills on resumes, during interviews, and in the workplace to help them secure and succeed in jobs.

 

The Art of First Impressions

Students will learn to convey their qualifications confidently, answer challenging questions, and

present themselves professionally. Students will refine their communication skills and boost their

interview success rate. Day two of this module goes beyond theoretical knowledge, providing

students with the unique opportunity to engage in mock interviews with accomplished business

leaders and seasoned workforce development professionals.

 

Our Career-Readiness Certification program provides students with a well-rounded foundation for their career preparation journey. It empowers them to understand themselves, explore potential career paths, and equip themselves with the skills and knowledge needed to pursue their chosen careers successfully. Join us on this transformative journey to unlock your students’ future and build

a path to success!

 

Additional Career Resources for Your Students and Campus:

 

Student Career Assessment and Interest Profiler

Your SOAR Career Coach can help your students find out what their interests are and

what kind of pathway they might want to pursue through self-assessment career exploration tools that can help students discover the type of work activities and occupations that they would like and find exciting. Students identify and learn about broad interest areas most relevant to themselves. They can use their interest results to explore the world of work.

 

Virtual Reality Career Navigation

SOAR’s virtual career exploration simulates the type of work that takes place in the employer's facility. With one-to-one instruction from a SOAR Career Coach who adapts to the student's performance, virtual reality career exploration safely replicates an on-the-job environment in the classroom - giving students real experiences related to the occupations without the overhead of a multi-million-dollar training facility while providing real-life experiences.

 

Student One-on-Ones

The words career, job, and occupation are often used interchangeably. The SOAR Career Program

helps students identify career pathways and the education that is needed to accomplish their

goals through one one-on-one discussion.

 

 

 

For more information call 254.742.4520 or contact Charley Ayres at

charley.ayres@workforcesolutionsctx.com