May 2002 Edition

Welcome to our second edition! This month, we describe the Teamsters effort to connect youth with the wide variety of career choices in high wage, high growth industries. We share local and state resources that relate to employment and career development in today's dynamic global economy.

We hope you find these resources useful. If you have any suggestions for future editions, please send a message to Sharlene Mentor at SMentor@teamster.org. If you missed last month's edition, please contact us and we will be happy to send it to you.

IBT Education Staff 

What's in This Edition

Member Notices
Conferences & Meetings Nationwide
Resources to Build Your Own Education Curriculum

~ Mentoring
~ Contest: Web Site on Exciting Careers in Transportation
~ Videotape Series: Career Assistance
~ Photo Journal: Education Week on the Web
~ International Education

Articles of Interest

~ Education Week on the Web
~ Special Section on Child Labor: Labor Quiz

Get Connected: Web Site Links

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Member Notices

Teamsters and America's Youth

On April 25, 2002, the Teamsters Union, in conjunction with Youth Professional Development (YPD) in Prince George's County, Maryland, met with adolescent parents at Northwestern High School. Through classroom presentations, Teamsters Education Department representative Sharlene Mentor shared information and insights on benefits, Family and Medical Leave Act and career choices. Through the Skills for Tomorrow Occupational videotape and questionnaire, students were exposed to high growth, high wage industries and learned how to chart a course to reach their dream careers. They left knowing that they must acquire certain skills to become a nurse, truck driver or airplane pilot.

Some of the students are bilingual and we demonstrated how second language skills can be a strength in the workplace. The students seemed to appreciate that YPD brought experts in to help them make these kinds of connections. When asked what she learned from the Teamsters presentation, Yessenia Meja a senior, exclaimed, "I have had several jobs in retail and never ever thought to ask about benefits before!" Yessenia will be re-entering the work force soon.

YPD supports adolescent parents by: promoting self-sufficiency; promoting academic-achievement; nurturing parenting patterns; and offering information regarding education, career development, personal and professional growth.

Help Wanted: A Few Good Teachers

The Teamsters Union Education Department placed an ad for the Skills for Tomorrow Outreach Project in the May/June 2002 issue of Teacher Magazine. In addition to the normal circulation this issue will be sent to 10,000 graduates from the best teaching colleges in the United States this year. Teamster Affiliates and project partners may use this ad in their respective areas. For more information regarding the ad contact Sharlene Mentor in the Teamsters Education Department at 202/624-8966.

Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE)

High Schools and Transition into the Workforce

Statement of Carol D'Amico, Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education, Before the House Subcommittee on Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations: "I am pleased to appear before you to discuss the programs and fiscal resources administered in the Office of Vocational and Adult Education that focus on high school and transition into the workforce. In these remarks, I will address the specifics of the Administration's budget request and the policy context in which those requests are made."
<http://www.ed.gov/Speeches/04-2002/20020425b.html>

Conferences and Meetings Nationwide

Advanced Peer Trainer Workshop (Level II)

May 15-17, 2002
Santa Fe, New Mexico

The National Peer Helpers Association is set to establish a culture of people-helping-people. The mission of the Association is to equip individuals to help others by promoting standards of excellence in peer programs. This workshop involves participants in group leadership activities with supervised feedback and coaching. Participants focus on the issues, skills, and practices associated with training peer trainers, improving peer training abilities, and strengthening program development. A variety of peer program models are examined.
<http://www.peer.ca/ATP.html>

 
Join Hands Day: It Starts With Us

June 15, 2002
Sponsored by America's Fraternal Benefits Societies in Partnership with The Points of Light Foundation and the Volunteer Network National Network

The purpose of JOIN HANDS DAY is to bring youth and adults together to improve their own communities. A benefit of the day comes through the friendships that will be made across generations. The new partnerships will be an important first step in bringing more young people into leadership roles in many organizations.
<http://www.joinhandsday.org/scripts/whatisit_index.cfm>

PAL Advisor Middle/High School Training

July 11,12, 2002
Orange County Department of Education

This is a two-day training on how to establish a PAL Program, securing staff and parent support, selecting students, implementing the PAL curriculum, group facilitation, community and Orange County Department of Education resources, and program evaluation. One upper division university credit can be earned from this training. For more information contact Vicki Walker at: vicki_walker@ocde.k12.ca.us.

First Nations Peer Training Workshop (Level I)

July 15-19, 2002
Sponsored by Peer Resources, Victoria, British Columbia.

The five-day First Nations workshops are designed for persons who wish to recruit and train First Nations youth as peer helpers. The seminar integrates Aboriginal customs and traditions into both the workshop process and content.
<http://www.peer.ca/FNW.html>

Generation Next 2002

August 19-20, 2002
Atlantic City Convention Center, New Jersey

Generation Next is an annual statewide conference in New Jersey for individuals and institutions involved in vocational-technical and adult education. The conference is intended for all persons involved in all aspects of career preparation, workforce development and adult literacy. This year's program will feature a broad range of topics to address New Jersey's continuing commitment to provide opportunities to support new and future entrants to the workforce.
<http://www.state.nj.us/education/gennext02/>

National Career and Technical Education Conferences

Regional conferences are collegial, personal gatherings of career and technical education professionals featuring research-based information, tailored to help you move your program into the 21st century.

1. Bring a team to develop an action plan, or come individually to obtain research-based information to address identified problems for your local or state CTE program.

2. Learn how the most current research translates into practice that meets your needs.

3. Interact with subject matter experts in small group settings and draw on their experiences and research findings to help you implement your plan.

4. Network with your peers from across the region to share outstanding methods and innovative ideas.

Each regional conference is organized around critical sub-themes in career and technical education. All conferences feature noted speakers and practical concurrent sessions. These conferences will provide information needed to redesign secondary and/or post-secondary workforce education programs resulting in meeting the challenging issues of building a competitive workforce and achieving higher standards.

For a complete calendar of upcoming events nationwide please visit:
<http://www.nccte.org/resources/calendar/>

Resources to Build Your Own Education Curriculum

Mentoring

Become a Mentor

A mentor is an adult who, along with parents, provides young people with support, counsel, friendship, reinforcement and constructive example. Mentors are good listeners, people who care, people who want to help young people bring out strengths that are already there. When you become a mentor, you can change a child's life for the good.
<http://www.mentoring.org/>

Find a Mentor

Whether a young person is looking for a mentor or a parent seeking a mentor for your child, you have come to the right place. In this section, you will discover what mentoring is - and what it is not - you will learn through real-life stories of young people and their mentors, tips on how to find a mentor and down-to-earth training so you can get the most out of your mentoring relationship.
<http://www.mentoring.org/find_a_mentor/find_a_mentor.adp
Menu=nav_left_become.adp&Preload=become_a_mentor>

Contest: Web Site on Exciting Careers in Transportation

Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Futures Program
DEADLINE DATE: May 31, 2002

This contest is open to teams from high schools in the United States. Regional and national winners will be chosen and awards made for First, Second, and Third Place. Teams are expected to develop a website regarding the chosen theme.

THEME: Exciting Career Opportunities in Transportation

The website contest entries developed by students will assist other high school students in examining transportation career opportunities and be a resource for guidance counselors. Winners will receive a certificate and winning websites will be linked to the Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Futures Program website <http://education.dot.gov>. The accomplishments of the winning teams will be featured in the Program's quarterly newsletter.

This contest is sponsored by the U. S. Department of Transportation. The purpose for the website entries is to Provide Guidance in Choosing and Pursuing Careers in Transportation. For further information contact <mailto:alex.landsburg@marad.dot.gov>. Entries can be directly submitted through the "form fill-out" or sent to the email address Website Contest <alex.landsburg@marad.dot.gov>; or faxed to (202) 493-2288.

Videotape Series: Career Assistance

The following videotapes can be useful in a classroom setting to assist students with obtaining the necessary basic skills required to get and keep a job. Students will learn what employers are looking for during interviews, how to interview well and how to stay on the right path at the workplace.
<http://www.jist.com/videos.shtm>

First Impressions....The Key to Successful Interviews (18 minutes)
This is an entertaining and effective tool for teaching the skills necessary to make every interview successful. After each interview, the viewer gets the opportunity to find out what was right, or wrong. "First Impressions" presents you with a series of things you can do to improve your first impressions!

Social Skills at Work...Keys to Success (17 minutes)
Keeping a job requires more than just an ability to do it well; it calls for the ability to contribute to a pleasant and positive work environment. This videotape offers a realistic presentation on this topic in a way that anyone can appreciate. It focuses on a few common problems many experience in the early phases of a job.

Why Should I Hire You? (15 minutes)
Why should someone hire me? This is the most important question any job seeker must answer. This program answers this interview question as well as many others. It will also help the applicant understand what employers look for in a potential employee.

Eight Ways to Lose a Job...and How to Head in the Right Direction (20 minutes)
So... your resume was flawless, your interviews sparked with all the polish of the perfect candidate....the job is yours. Or is it? This video highlights "easy" mistakes, ones that can be easily avoided. Presents a variety of on-the-job mistakes followed by an analysis of what went wrong and what could be done to improve the situation.

IBT Education Department's Videotape Lending Library

The IBT Education Department also maintains a videotape lending library with a host of titles related to helping young people with high wage careers in growth industries. For more information, call Sharlene Mentor at (202) 624-8117.

Photo Journal: Education Week on the Web

Education Week on the Web regularly supplements feature articles with expanded photo coverage. These photo extras and galleries are intended to give readers a close-up perspective of the issues and personalities discussed in the articles. Below is a selection of some of their recent photo exhibits. These photos can be used in classroom exercises or to enhance power point presentations etc.
<http://www.you-click.net/GoNow/a15864a56558a106465963a5>

International Education

A compilation of stories examining educational policies and practices across the globe. Whether an emerging or developed country, each has lessons from which American policymakers can learn.
<http://www.you-click.net/GoNow/a15864a56558a106465963a3> 

Articles of Interest

Education Week on the Web: What Challenges Face New Teachers? Do New Teachers Face Challenges?

Julia G. Thompson has 28 years of teaching experience. She is the author of the new book. "First-Year Teacher's Survival Kit," published by the Center for Applied Research in Education (Prentice Hall). Education Week on the Web monthly e-newsletter, Career Coach (see more info below), interviewed Ms. Thompson via e-mail regarding the challenges new teachers have. Her book offers strategies and resources to help new teachers overcome these hurdles.

Career Coach is a free monthly newsletter for teachers who want to stay on top of the latest hiring practices and manage their professional development. You'll find news and opinions; job-search and career-development strategies and ideas; updates on books, Web sites, and reports; and conference and job fair listings.

To read this interview in its entirety please sign up to receive Career Coach at <http://www.edweek.org/emails/>. This interview is in the April 2002 issue.

Special Section on Child Labor: Labor Quiz

This labor quiz will help students understand how kids in other countries work for little or no pay. Students will understand how important labor laws and standards are. This will be a great exercise for Junior High and High School students. This quiz was developed by the International Labour Organization (IOL). ILO brings governments, workers and employers together to promote

decent work. Kids all over the world do all sorts of work. Some kids have to do work that is bad for them-- we call that bad kind of work child labor. Test your knowledge about child labor with this quiz. 

What is child labor? Child labor hurts and exploits kids. Child labor is...

1. Work done by kids full-time under the age of 15.

2. Work that prevents kids from attending school, such as unlimited or unrestricted domestic work.

3. Work that is dangerous for kids and that is hazardous to their physical, mental or emotional health.

Many common items are made with child labor. <http://www.us.ilo.org/ilokidsnew/make.html>

What isn't child labor? Sometimes kids do work that, while it might not be all that fun, isn't bad for them. Child labor is not...

4. Light work or chores done after school.

5. Apprenticeship or internship opportunities

6. Helping out on the family farm or business, if it doesn't interfere with educational opportunities.

For the Child Labor Quiz, visit: <http://www.us.ilo.org/ilokidsnew/>.

For more information on Child Labor visit: <http://www.us.ilo.org/ilokidsnew/whatis.html>

Get Connected: Web Site Links

The following links offer career planning assistance complete with career personality quizzes and information on current job trends.

Working in the 21st Century

This is an excellent resource to assist with presentations to young people and educators. A portrait of the U.S. workforce at the beginning of the New Millenium. This interactive site includes a set of charts and related information on a wide variety of subjects ranging from education and employment to demographics and retirement. This data is supplied by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
<http://www.you-click.net/GoNow/a15864a56274a106465963a28>

Which Career is Right For You?

Oftentimes, our jobs and careers are a reflection of our basic need for a salary and benefits, rather than an expression of our talents and personal style. When we choose careers that don't suit our personalities, we can become confused, bitter, unhappy and burned out. This quiz will quickly assess scores and offer suggestions regarding the types of career choices one can make based on these scores.
<http://quiz.ivillage.com/work/tests/career.htm>

Career Mosaic (High school and adult)

Site has an online job fair, a job database, career center, free online resume posting, college information for continuing education, and information on international employment opportunities.
<http://www.careermosaic.com/>

Career Paths Online (Students and youth)

Begin here with career planning at the beginning levels of determining interests and values or "career scaping."
<http://www.careerpathsonline.com/>

End of Issue

To find out more about the Teamsters Union--a vital part of your community in the U.S. and Canada--and our School-to-Work network, visit <http://edu.teamster.org/edu.asp> and <http://www.ibtstw.org>.

If you received an email sending you to this page, it is because you subscribed to be a part of the Teamsters Skills for Tomorrow listserv network. Should you wish to unsubscribe, please click on the following link. <http://www.ibtstw.org/listunsubscribe.asp>.