2019 Annual Conference

Informal Learning

Shared Concurrent Session (Approx. 12 or 20 minutes)

This session addresses the skillsets, education, and training backgrounds of individuals known as advisors or counselors providing college and workforce preparation advising to middle and high school youth.

Those interested in the professional development of the service providers for youth transitioning from school to work or higher education.

To discover the gaps in the literature around preparation of counselors and advisors assisting students with college access and workforce preparation. To determine the commonalities in their preparation and discover the opportunities for adult educators to assist to prepare these professionals to work with these youth.

Across the US there is a need for improved college access and workforce preparation advising. This role is either added to school counselors other responsibilities including testing coordination, psychological counseling and administrative work or provided through a supplemental program. These supplemental programs exist to support the needs of high school students’ college access and workforce preparation needs.

Research on college access and workforce preparation programs focus on youth outcomes, skill deficits, skill development, parent and family support, and public policy. Research which specifically addresses the advisors qualifications’, preparation or skill development required to serve youth needs for college access or workforce preparation is scarce.  College and workforce readiness advisors vary in levels of education across many disciplines, experience in youth programming, knowledge of the college admissions process, career pathways, or needed referral services. Therefore the purpose of this session is to examine the literature around college and workforce readiness programs as it pertains to advisor preparation including the formal and informal learning opportunities, of advisors working in a college and workforce advising program as part of a statewide program evaluation.

After presenting the findings of the literature review and initial findings from focus groups, participants will be engaged through a dialogue around the issues of advisor preparation for college and workforce planning. We will also have discussion prompts prepared to elicit further perspective and experience in the area. The discussion will help to progress our work in this area.