Career Readiness

Career Readiness is a comprehensive approach District 228 uses to provide students career awareness, exploration and opportunities in order to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to become real-world ready. Career Readiness programming includes: counseling, experiences, courses, and credentials.

CAREER COUNSELING
Developmental Guidance lessons help students explore possible new careers based on their abilities and interests. Through the Developmental Guidance Program, district counselors provide students with a four-year curriculum, which addresses the personal/social, academic and career domains of development. Students develop their career decision-making skills through self-knowledge, educational and occupational exploration, and career planning. Students receive course selection information and learn how to connect their education to potential future college or career plans.

Connecting students' interests to their potential career paths early creates active participation in their own academic success. District 228 utilizes career planning tools in Naviance to assist students in identifying their individual goals. Naviance is a comprehensive college and career readiness software program that helps align student’s strengths and interests to post-secondary plans and connects learning to life. Students and families can access Naviance at www.naviance.com

CAREER 
EXPERIENCES
Bremen High School District 228 offers  experiences to expand students’ occupational awareness including: job shadowing, career guest speakers, career days, mock interviews, resume writing workshops, elective fair,  and fields trips such as, Manufacturing Day, STEM Day, Robotics Olympics, Graphic Arts Open House, Law Day, Welding Works , and community programs such as the Police and Fire Cadets.

CAREER AND COLLEGE
South Suburban College (SSC) partners with District 228 to offer students dual credit.  This is college credit for approved high school courses and orientation career courses. These courses will give students a jump start in high demand fields. Special college cohorts through SSC provide training for Emergency Medical Technician and Basic Nursing Assistant Training.

Each building has a designated area in the school with the resources necessary for students to access information on careers, colleges and universities, and financial aid. The College and Career Center, or CCC, is staffed by counselors four days a week during all lunch and study hall periods. Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) representatives are in the CCC one day a week to make college and career related presentations, help students complete college applications, and assist students in navigating the financial aid process. On designated days, English tutors are in the CCC to assist students with writing essays needed for college applications and scholarships. College representative and career speaker presentations also take place in the CCC. Dates for these visits are posted in the CCC and on the Student Services web page.  Students must sign up for these presentations in advance. In addition to assisting students, counselors present the following lessons in the CCC: ● Summer Opportunities (freshman) ● Career Research and Development (sophomores) ● Interviews for Post-Secondary Planning (juniors) ● Writing the Personal Statement (seniors) ● Mid-Year Assessment (seniors).

CAREER CERTIFICATIONS
Students can earn a variety of industry credentials in high school including: CPR, Microsoft Office, OSHA, Serv Safe, Adobe Photoshop, EMT, Mandated Reporter, Welding, First Aid, Lifeguard, Early Childhood Educator Level 1, Food Handler, Stewards of Children, Financial and Digital Literacy.

CAREER CONTACT INFORMATION
District Career Readiness Coordinator: Renee Mack [email protected]
Bremen Career Counselor: Carla Cheatham [email protected]
Hillcrest Career Counselor: Robin Vela, [email protected]
Oak Forest Career Counselor: Jen Ambrose [email protected]
Tinley Park Career Counselor: Cheri Walsh [email protected]