With over 75% of states facing a teacher shortage, education and training professionals are in high demand. Career exploration and hands-on learning are key to inspiring our future workforce to pursue these careers and prepare them for success in the workplace. Without career exploration opportunities, students may never consider a job in education and training or understand just how many jobs fall under that career cluster. Additionally, students may struggle to grasp just what these careers would be like without hands-on learning opportunities to help them paint a clearer picture of the job’s duties.
Family and Consumer Science (FCS) teachers play an important role in helping students explore jobs in not only childcare but also education and training. This is why it’s crucial for childcare pathway programs to offer education and training career exploration opportunities. Even if students don’t find a career path that suits them, they’ll likely learn soft skills that can help them no matter what job they find themselves in.
The following hands-on learning aids introduce students to a variety of careers within education and training as well as provide scenario-based learning opportunities specific to childcare careers. We’re also offering five of our Education and Training Career Scenario Cards to you for FREE. You can use them for icebreaker and journaling activities in your classroom today.
Engaging Tools for Exploring Education and Training
1. Education and Training Career Exploration Kit
Explore careers in early childhood, elementary, and secondary education as well as professional support careers with our Education and Training Career Exploration Kit. This supplemental kit includes student workbooks, posters, and standards-based lessons that introduce students to various careers. Use the scenario cards in this kit to help students develop important soft skills in the context of education and training careers.
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2. Employability Skills Program
The Employability Skills Program is an engaging, easy-to-implement program. It uses hands-on activities and real-world applications to teach students 20 education and training soft skills. Some skills covered include communication, interpersonal skills, time management, and responsibility. Use this program’s lessons and activities to supplement existing employability skills lessons or teach a complete unit on skills.
3. Child Care Career Scenario Cards
These Child Care Career Scenario Cards cover real-world situations in childcare careers. Use this set of 21 cards to develop soft skills within specific occupations through small-group discussions, as a large-group icebreaker, or as an individual challenge. These scenario cards can help generate real-life discussions with your students, prompt reflection activities, and more.
4. Shaken Baby
Use the Shaken Baby simulator and curriculum to help young people understand the effects of only a few seconds of shaking on an infant’s brain and how to safely soothe a crying infant. After being shaken, this unique simulator’s transparent head illuminates to illustrate a powerful visual of brain damage. Students can use the included swaddling garment for hands-on practice soothing the simulator. The simulator will stop crying when the swaddling blanket is applied correctly.
Additional Resources
Looking for more resources and activities for your education and training classes or childcare pathway program?
- Explore our childcare program implementation page to see how you can work these resources into your program
- Watch our recently recorded webinar on creating an ideal childcare pathway
- Make sure you get your free scenarios
