Our United Way partners with Miami-Dade Beacon Council and Miami-Dade County Public Schools to bring Career Connections to life. Executives are recruited from the seven One Community One Goal target industries, along with local entrepreneurs to encourage students to pursue their dreams.
During the series, Miami-Dade County Public Schools high school students are exposed to careers they hadn’t considered and learn about unconventional pathways to success. Speakers explain what it takes to be successful and how it feels to have a job that you’re passionate about. They encourage students to set goals.
“I liked the way they gave us advice on the career paths they took. I think it was great because there were a lot of seniors in the audience and most of us are very confused,” said a student from Turner Tech.
Each panel has proven highly beneficial to students, with 77% admitting to learning about a new career they had no previous knowledge about, and 75% of them agreeing they had a better idea of what kind of education or training they would need to pursue for certain careers.
“I learned how important technology is…it really affects their jobs as it evolves,” said a student from the NAG Mega Student Industry Conference. And technology is reinforced at each panel, too. Students that attend can participate in a social media competition, where they’re asked to post a photo/video on Instagram with a meaningful quote, a key takeaway or a fact they learned from the panelists, proving that social media can be beneficial for students as they prepare for their futures.
The goal of Career Connections is to inspire students with career guidance, career growth and career path information. The program prepares students and gives them a wealth of possibilities for the future.