Degree Name

Education Specialist (EdS)

Semester of Degree Completion

1986

Thesis Director

Paul D. Overton

Abstract

Statement of Problem

The concern of this study is the type of facility presently available for career planning activities at Mt. Carmel High School, in Mt. Carmel, Illinois. The present facility offers only a minimum opportunity to the Mt. Carmel students for effective career investigation. Hopefully the work applied to this research project will result in paving the road to a modern, successful career center at Mt. Carmel High School. This can best be accomplished by gathering the information necessary to convince the local administration and board of education through presentation of the information acquired, about the need and value of establishing a career planning center at Mt. Carmel High School.

Procedures

The project began by accumulating available materials related to career centers. Types of materials included articles dealing with career resource centers, guidelines for establishing career centers, catalogs of career center materials available, etc. After review of these materials it was still difficult to actually determine the how, what, when, and where about making recommendations for establishing a career center at Mt. Carmel High School.

Using the information acquired for direction, a number of career centers were visited and interviews conducted with the people who had hands on experience in the areas of development, operation, promotion, and evaluation. This proved to be an ideal method of gathering information and finding answers to questions that pertained directly to the situation at Mt. Carmel High School.

Conclusions

As a result of the researching process several conclusions were reached. One, there is a definite need for and a trend toward the inclusion of career planning centers in schools visited in the area. Two, the types of centers, the size, the materials included, the success of centers, etc. were directly effected by such things as economy; support of school boards; administrations; teachers; and probably most important, the person directly responsible for the operation of the center. There were many factors that have to be considered when developing and operating a career center. The specific needs of a particular community and the support of that community are important. All schools should provide career planning centers for their students and in most cases this can be accomplished. The one factor, outstanding above the rest, is the need for someone to pursue, crusade for, and support the program, as well as to elicit the support of others for the purposes of developing and maintaining a successful and progressive career center.

Recommendations

As a result of the research conducted, and the conclusions reached, recommendations have been prepared for the superintendent and principal at Mt. Carmel High School concerning the development of a career planning center at the school. The recommendations begin with an introduction which explains the reasons and needs for establishing a career center. Next is an outline of steps to follow for setting up a career center. The recommendations also discuss location and physical structure of a center for Mt. Carmel High School. Approximate costs and some suggestions for means of financing the project are also included. Also recommended is the inclusion of a career planning class at Mt. Carmel High School which would help facilitate the use of the career center. Some suggestions and proposals for operation and evaluation are also included in the recommendations. Guidelines, suggestions and encouragement for the establishment of a career center at Mt. Carmel High School have been provided but also the importance of support and assistance from the administration, board of education, teachers, and members of the community is strongly emphasized.

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