Youth are workforce ready and financially literate
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EmailMichigan 4-H career exploration and workforce preparation programming contributes to youth being ready for the workforce.
In 2017, Michigan State University Extension’s 4-H career exploration and workforce preparation programming reached a total of 13,547 participants; a 22 percent audience increase compared to 2016. That number includes 12,547 youth; a 27 percent increase from last year. The remaining 1,000 adults were participants in trainings and educational programs to enhance their work with young people. In addition, we reached another 33 out-of-state participants. Program participants represented 76 of Michigan’s 83 counties.
We provided a total of 329 events, programs and workshops across Michigan that included career exploration, entrepreneurship, and money management and workforce preparation topics such as interview skills, resumes, networking and team building.
Our programs focused on the following learning outcomes:
- Youth participants have a basic understanding of financial management.
- Adult participants are trained to utilize youth financial literacy curriculum.
- Youth participants learn about the basic skills necessary for employment.
- Adult participants gain knowledge in how to utilize workforce preparation concepts.
- Youth participants gain self-awareness as it relates to future career possibilities.
- Adult participants gain knowledge about how to utilize career exploration concepts.
- Youth participants have an understanding of the foundations of how to start their own business using entrepreneurial concepts.
- Adult participants are trained to utilize youth entrepreneurship curriculum.
In addition, we worked towards these action outcomes:
- Youth participants plan to apply the financial skills learned to their everyday lives.
- Adult participants teach financial literacy concepts.
- Youth participants apply appropriate employability skills.
- Adult participants teach workforce preparation concepts.
- Youth participants have career or job goals in a plan enhanced through their programming experiences.
- Adult participants teach career exploration concepts.
- Youth participants plan to apply entrepreneurial skills to their interests.
- Adult participants teach entrepreneurial concepts.
Many times, young people who attend our programs learn the importance of and practice setting goals towards their future plans. As part of participating in these career exploration and workforce preparation programs, 81 percent of youth look at the steps needed when setting a goal and 81.5 percent of youth know where they want to end up and plan how to get there. This data is based on 461 individuals evaluated in 2017.
Michigan State University Extension and Michigan 4-H Youth Development help to prepare young people for successful futures. As a result of career exploration and workforce preparation activities, thousands of Michigan youth are better equipped to make important decisions about their professional future, ready to contribute to the workforce and able to take fiscal responsibility in their personal lives.
