IN five months, fifth formers will be graduating high school. For the organised, their plans are underway. From fourth they would have, wittingly or unwittingly, begun to lay their path and the choices they have made will have great impact on their options for their post-high school life. But how many students (and their families) are actually being helped to make informed decisions that will take them meaningfully along a path that will reap the benefits that they aspire to achieve?

There are so many post fifth form options that position students well for the career paths they desire; the options available in Jamaica have never been greater. There are three sixth form options within the high school environment; CAPE, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, and the US High School Diploma. All three are designed to meet the varying abilities of students. Within the college scenario, there are teachers’ colleges, the Caribbean Maritime Institute, pre-university courses at most universities, including HEART, and a plethora of others. There is also the option of heading into the work world and beginning to make your mark in the 9-5 routine, climbing the corporate ladder with hard work, creativity, and discipline. Whatever the choice, it is important that the decision made at each step is well thought out and informed.

Most schools have career days and many governmental and private sector organisations host career expos that inform students about local employment options. Yet, there are a few travesties that seem to negate the effects of these efforts. For one, students are aware of a particular career, but do they know the available paths to qualification. Secondly, so many students are caught in the web of thinking that the most successful careers are to be found in being a doctor or a lawyer or the all-encompassing ‘business man’.

The career options available globally are endless; many of them are brand new and have developed out of need in these changing times. For example, there are versions and types of engineers being sought after in the fast-paced, ever-changing workplace that make it impossible to predict the striations. The question is, does a student at the threshold of sixth form study the subjects that will qualify for his/her dream job or does he/she choose a course of study that allows a chance to prepare for where his/her passions may lead?

The conducting of this research and tooling of students to keen awareness of choice and the various avenues of getting there is a science. If the path most travelled is the one that you want to take, then it can be a little less complicated, but there are still numerable pieces that have to fall into place to get exactly what is desired in the game of tertiary education and employment. For the students choosing to go to university, there are decisions; do I want to study locally or abroad? Can I qualify and be admitted for both? What is the actual college or university application process? What are the standardised exams that need to be prepared for and taken such as SAT/ACT?

Further to this, there is the huge issue of financing a university education. Money is the deal breaker in many instances and of many dreams. Has the money for this next step been put aside already? Is it going to be borrowed? Is a student going to be able to attract this money in the form of scholarship, financial aid or grants from schools or public or private entities? Has the student created the résumé that will help him or her attract money that is out there to be awarded? There are experts available to help students and their parents make the plans, connect the dots and evaluate what’s in place, what could be in place and what is available both locally and internationally. It is a team effort to identify and guide students to successful placements in tertiary institutions and/or making successful plans for their next steps. Seeking the help of your child’s school counselor about sixth form options or a college placement officer about university options is a smart and educated move at this juncture.

On a final note, many parents begin to plan the path they desire for their children from as early as the preschool years. It sounds ludicrous, but in truth, based on the pace of the world today, it may be the best mindset. Students need to be academically motivated, creative, driven and have rounded experiences for multiple years in order to be considered for the ranked tertiary education options, let alone the holy grail of colleges, the Ivy League. Fortunately, there are places and options available to students that include local universities, and international online programmes, yet the stiff competition remains as they attempt to hit the highest rung of the ladder. Every parent wants a successful child and depending on how you define success, being present in the daily lives of children and being meaningfully aware of the choices available to them at each step of the way is imperative. It is never too early to start.

Regardless of the avenues to university, the variety offered is astounding and works well to serve the range of students’ abilities and interests. The actual strategising to reach the end goal is important and can be an eye-opening and rewarding experience. In local parlance, ‘Don’t catch yuhself careless!’

Shirley Davis is Head of School, American International School in Kingston

Link up and learn more:

www.education.com/reference/article/10-ways-successfully-prepare-your-child/

www.forbes.com/sites/jasonma/2012/04/01/why-to-start-preparing-for-college-in-sixth-grade/

www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2013/03/when_to_start_preparing_your_child_for_college.html