Build Your Future curriculum trainings available across Michigan

Career exploration and workforce preparation curriculum helps youth build important skills, learn how and where to improve your knowledge and skills with this training.

With Michigan’s economic environment showing signs of improvement and a population steadily aging, employers will be looking at young people to fill these employment gaps. However, youth and young adult participation in the labor force has been falling for decades and has continued to decline due to the recent recession and increased job competition. With limited or no work experience, youth need help exploring careers, identifying their talents and interests, and enhancing their skills so they can become employable. Michigan State University Extension has created “Build Your Future” curriculum to meet this growing need.

Learn how to implement this new National 4-H curriculum focusing on career exploration and workforce preparation. The “Build Your Future” curriculum helps teens investigate career interests, identify goals, develop employable skills and explore post-secondary education options and sources of funding. Nine engaging chapters provide a fun structure to help teens learn about their choices, make important connections and plan successful and meaningful careers.

The MSU Extension Career Exploration and Workforce Preparation work team was awarded a 4-H Youth Development participation fee grant to bring this training across the state in 2014-15. A variety of training options will be offered, including two webinars, six short introductory sessions and five in-depth Build Your Future curriculum trainings. The introductory sessions and webinars will be short, provide a general overview of the materials and are offered for free.

Those attending the full Build Your Future curriculum training will receive much more than an overview and online resources. Participants will experience first-hand a variety of learning methods such as networking activities, competing in quiz bowl, a simulated business, informational interviewing, analyzing case studies and much more. At the completion of the training, attendees will have what they need to start using the curriculum immediately. The full, in depth curriculum training will be 4-5 hours in length and offered at a significantly reduced rate of only $30.The cost includes:

  • The full curriculum
  • The Facilitator’s Guide and the Student Career Journal
  • Lunch
  • A curriculum toolkit with precut and printed materials, quiz bowl tools, pre-sharpened pencils, career blocks and much more to make using Build Your Future easy and convenient

To learn about and register for a full Build Your Future Curriculum Training, visit http://events.anr.msu.edu/BYFgrant/ to find a training near you.

MSU Extension is pleased to offer this professional development opportunity to assist youth development staff, teachers, volunteers, and community members interested and committed to providing quality career development programming.

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