Career Development for Teens Through the Southern Virginia Workforce Readiness and Preparedness Summit

A 2019 needs assessment distributed by the Pittsylvania County unit of Virginia Cooperative Extension indicates that professional development is among the top five priority issues for youth in the county. Despite an economics and personal finance course being a requirement for all Virginia public high school students, youth still do not receive adequate exposure to the elements of career readiness before graduation. Using the experiential learning model as the foundation, this project aims to immerse high school students in a non-traditional classroom environment to learn and develop soft skills such as a proper handshake, the importance of eye contact when communicating, the value of networking, and a general overview of proper etiquette. Additional project goals include teaching students how to write resumes and cover letters, how to prepare for a variety of interview styles, and how to present themselves as polished professionals. An evaluation of this program indicated that participants feel more prepared for their futures/careers, know what to expect in an interview, know how to write a resume, have improved their communication skills, and have learned how to dress professionally.