Implementation
To begin your journey of supporting each learner in career pathway transition planning, the following will help your school in implementing Hopeful Transitions.
What does implementation look like for schools?
Phase 1
The Career Transition Coach will…
• Build rapport with the school principal/champion through regular and ongoing check-ins
• Be introduced to the staff at the beginning of the school year
• Connect with school staff to build relationships and an understanding of the needs within the school
• Be provided with opportunities to communicate with staff
• Deliver professional learning to the full staff
• Work with staff to implement student and staff surveys to determine goals for advancing career pathway transition planning within the school
• Collaborate with staff champions to create a school-based action plan
based on data from surveys and school improvement plan goals
Phase 2
The Career Transition Coach will…
• Support the implementation of goals within the action plan
• Evaluate and monitor progress of the action plan goal(s)
• Collaborate to update the goals within the action plan
• Provide ongoing data and updates to EECD/district supervisor/school Principal
Phase 3
The Career Transition Coach will…
• Celebrate successes with the school
• Create and implement a staff survey to measure growth and
determine next steps
• Support staff in action planning for the next school year
School Leadership
Implementing Hopeful Transitions in your school is a process that requires strong leadership, with the support of a Career Transition Coach. The following are documents that provide school leadership with frequently asked questions/answers, as well as a detailed implementation process map with roles and responsibilities.
Questions to Consider in Preparing for Implementation
The following are questions that schools can use to prompt reflection in preparing to implement Hopeful Transitions. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has created this set of questions based on reasearched indicators of teenage Career Readiness.
Do we help all students through secondary education to engage regularly with people in work through career fairs and especially career talks?
Do we have a program of workplace visits and/or job shadowing which enables all students to critically investigate workplaces for themselves?
Do we teach our students how to apply for a job, including interview practice?
Do we help our students to reflect on their existing and planned education and training choices in light of what they are learning about their career ambitions and the requirements of desired employment?
Do we know if our students are engaging in career conversations about their career plans?
Do we have a policy to encourage and enable a culture of career conversations?
Do we have confidence that all students will have first-hand experience of work before leaving secondary education?
Do we give all students the opportunity to experience work of interest for themselves on two or more occasions?
Do we help students to prepare for and reflect on their first-hand experiences of work?
Do we know what the occupational expectations of our students are?
Do we know how ambitious our students are and have policies in place to encourage and enable high ambitions?
If students are uncertain, do they have a process for investigating what is behind the uncertainty?
Do we know if our students’ occupational and educational plans are aligned?
Do we know if our students are able to see a clear relationship between their educational experiences and later employment outcomes?
(Adapted from the OECD Education Policy Perspectives, OECD 2021)