FORALL FAMILIES
Let's navigate the journey together.
- Top
- Welcome
- The CCL Framework
- Family Guide
- Featured Resources
- FAQs
- Family Stories
- Submit a Story
Dear Families and Caregivers
From traditional nuclear families to extended families, single-parent households, and non-traditional family structures, the varied composition of families underscores the importance of an inclusive approach to Career Connected Learning. This diversity fuels a broader perspective and adaptability, enabling the program to cater to the unique needs, aspirations, and values of every student and family, regardless of their background or structure.
Career Connected Learning in Oregon focuses on leveraging the unique backgrounds and interests of our youth, fostering collaboration with educators, families and industry.
The CCL framework encompasses career awareness, exploration, preparation and training. Students not only develop and assess their academic and workplace skills, but they also identify their aptitudes and interests for long-term planning. Family involvement becomes crucial at this stage.
Families are integral to the career exploration process, often being the primary influence on their children’s career choices. Research underscores the importance of family members engaging in early and continuous conversations with students about their future paths, thus shaping their career planning in a more informed and personalized way.
Remarkably, it is projected that 65% of children currently in grade school will pursue careers that don’t yet exist. This statistic highlights the vital role that families must play in fostering flexibility, curiosity and resilience in their children’s career preparation, enabling them to adapt to an ever-changing professional landscape.
With love,
- the CCL Team
CCL Framework
How your student experiences career connected learning
Awareness
Grades 1 – 4
Career awareness activities help students learn about themselves and the world around them. Students learn about a wide variety of jobs and imagine how their interests relate to future careers.
Exploration
Grades 5 – 8
Students continue to develop their interests and appreciate their unique strengths. Guided by their interests, students explore a variety of jobs and identify what skills are needed.
Preparation
High School and Beyond
Students continue exploring careers, while learning about opportunities and tools to help with planning.
Training
High School and Beyond
Through career research and workplace discovery, students apply learning through hands-on and work-based learning experiences. Students develop employability, technical and professional skills. Strategies link educational decisions with career options.
GUIDE FOR FAMILIES
At any stage of your student’s career development, families and caregivers like you play an essential role in helping them navigate the professional world. Whether they are exploring options or planning for college and careers, our resources can help keep you informed and empower your student to succeed. We recommend starting here, with the CCL Guide for Families.
Featured Resources for Families
My WorkSource & iMatchSkills
Elementary | Middle School | High School
iMatchSkills is the State of Oregon’s online job matching system. It allows job seekers to search for open job listings, create resumes, and apply for jobs. iMatchSkills also allows people to connect with employers by WorkSource staff and get alerts about new job postings and job fairs.
Visit My WorkSource
Oregon Career Information System (CIS)
Elementary | Middle School | High School
View Oregon CIS
ASPIRE Oregon
High School | College
Visit ASPIRE Oregon
Northwest Youth Corps
High School & Beyond
View Northwest Youth Corps
FAQs
What Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs are available at my student’s high school?
An overview of Oregon’s CTE programs can be found at this link.
What are the requirements for an Oregon High School Diploma, Modified Diploma or High School Equivalency (GED)?
What are Personalized Learning Requirements?
Where can I access information about financial aid?
Family Stories
Meet the Huntleys
Kelsey and her family fostered four children. Fostering has been a continuous process of building trust and letting the kids know they are loved. Foster children experience immense trauma, but with the support of many, including educators and counselors, Kelsey aims to provide a nurturing environment. Their daughter Julie's experiences in foster care shaped her career aspirations. Torn between law and therapy, she settled on becoming a child trauma therapist. This decision stems from her firsthand experiences, which she believes equip her to empathize more with kids in similar situations.
Meet the Jacobos
Despite a challenging upbringing, Valerie is committed to being a supportive presence in her children's lives. A site manager at a medical facility with years of experience, she appreciates the satisfaction of helping patients. Motivated by her own journey, she encouraged her son, Anthony, to consider the merits of the profession. Today, they work in the same office, with Anthony as a medical assistant in the early stages of his career. Together, they have established their own careers while providing the best possible care to their patients.
Golda LoBello
Meet Sienna and her mom, Golda—the LoBello Family from Elmira. Join them as they discuss future career path exploration with Sienna, a high school student with a passion for chemistry. Sienna is considering a career in dentistry, attracted by its scientific aspects and daily variety. The LoBellos emphasize the importance of balancing passion with practical considerations such as lifestyle and job demands. They encourage students to keep their options open and remind them that career paths can evolve over time.
Austin and His Mother on Preparing for the Future
Austin and his mother share their perspectives on preparing for the future and the importance of keeping options open. Austin appreciates his parents' support and the Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways at Cottage Grove High School, which offer a chance to explore various career paths. His mother emphasizes lifelong learning and the value of pursuing passions. They highlight the importance of trying different things, maintaining flexibility, and building a supportive network with teachers and other adults to help navigate the journey to adulthood.
Do you have a student story to share?
Helping Oregon Students Create a Vision for their Future.
Career Connected Learning
