In Education for Employment, students are given many opportunities to assess their career skills and interests, explore options, and develop pathways for the future.  Although dual enrollment opportunities are not available in this program, the EFE instructor and College and Career Center Specialist collaborate and communicate with EFE students and parents constantly regarding college and career options. On Back-to-School Night, the EFE instructor introduces parents to the course overview as well as distributing a copy of the VA RU Ready for Parents publication to help parents support their child in preparing for a career pathway.  A majority of the EFE students are the first generation in their family to consider college so parents are unaware of the unlimited career opportunities for today's teenager. This planning guide is a great beginning for dialog between parents and students.  Throughout the year, students are encouraged and supported to take advantage of the following career planning services:

1. The ASVAB Test - this free assessment is sponsored by the military, but assesses strengths and interests for all students.  The Career Center Specialists opens slots first to EFE students for the ASVAB Test and then the rest of the student population.  The EFE instructor encourages every child who is considering the military as a possibility, whose parents are in the military, or is enrolled in our JROTC program to take the ASVAB test.
2. SAT and ACT fees are waived for Education for Employment students so that they may take them free of cost due to the nature of this program.
3. The EFE instructor proctors all of the SATs and ACTs given at Hayfield in the extended time setting for students with Individual Learning Plans (IEPs) and other accommodations.  The majority of EFE students has learning disabilities and a "comfort zone" in a testing situation could maximize their test scores for college acceptance.
4. College Night is an annual event held here at Hayfield each October and actively promoted.  If EFE students attend the sessions offered and have the presenters’ signatures on their program, extra credit is given.
5. A schedule of college visits to Hayfield is established each September and students may sign up for sessions on the Family Connection web site.  When students express an interest in a college/university and enroll in the section, electronic reminders are sent and passes are printed for the students to leave class and attend the college presentation.  Class time is allowed for students to explore these scheduled visits and register for the ones of interest to them. 
6. Several local technical colleges such as Westwood College, EPCI, and Devry University come and speak to the EFE students, acquainting them to a career-focused curriculum approach to higher education.  Many of these students would not find success in a traditional university setting; however with hands-on learning, smaller class sizes, free tutoring, and real world experiences through internships they would thrive.
7. Testimonials by my former students-the power of peer networking is utilized by inviting former students to come back and speak to EFE classes.  This year when Westwood College came, one of my former students, Mariam Al-Botani, spoke as a freshman who shared experiences from high school Education for Employment and her consequent decision to pursue a criminal justice major at Westwood. Currently she is balancing college and full time employment at her previous high school job site. Since graduation, she has been promoted from service coach managing a shift of 15-20 servers to an assistant chef at the Greensprings Retirement Community dining services.  As an educator, I could not be more proud of Mariam’s personal and professional growth.  She is a success story!      

As one can see, college is not for every student.  If a student wants to attend college, there is a fit for everyone; however the need for all students to further their learning and training after high school is emphasized. The choices are unlimited--it could be a community college, technical school, university, military, apprenticeships, or on-the-job training.  Being a lifetime learner is the key to being successful in an ever-changing workplace.

Effective training programs, be it in schools or businesses, need collaboration to operate. It is a disservice to students if communication, collaboration, or cooperation is ignored.  Management is most effective when teamwork between colleagues is involved. As an instructor of Education for Employment, collaboration on career paths occurs most with the Special Education Department chair and its case managers. The majority of the Education for Employment students has an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and need special accommodations to learn best.  The National Retail Federation’s (NRF) Customer Service Test is a 90 minute online assessment to receive industry certification.  Just like any standardized test, such as the SOLs or SATs, accommodations can be applied for a month before the testing date by completing an Accommodations Application Form for each student and submitting a copy of the IEP as professional proof of a learning disability.  The accommodations can include a variety of testing assistance strategies such as extended time, audio testing, a scribe or translator, use of a magnifier, and testing in a classroom alone to avoid distraction.  These students deserve the best testing situation for success. Collaboratively the Special Education Department chairperson and EFE instructor compiled the necessary IEP information on 17 students and completed their individual application forms to send to NRF.  This is an annual collaborative effort.  Weekly the EFE instructor is contacted to attend IEP meetings, re-evaluation meetings, parent conferences, complete teacher narratives, and progress reports. In a majority of cases, the only general education teacher that the student has is the EFE instructor.  Due to the active participation, my title at Hayfield is the “honorary member” of the Special Education Department. Collaborating for the good of the students is always the greatest reward!

Another valuable resource in the area of career paths at Hayfield Secondary is the Transition-to-Work Specialist.  Sharing many of the same students, collaboratively career goals are developed with them.  The Transition Specialist will often take seniors out of EFE class to discuss progress on their career path or administer career assessments.  Both the Transition Specialist and EFE instructor attend the scheduled IEP conferences and parent conferences when requested.  Likewise searching for job leads/job fairs to match the students’ strengths and interest to career options for the future workplace are collaboratively pursued. One student who was enrolled in the EFE program for three years, decided to stay until 21 years of age to obtain the best possible technical training possible.  He was interested in culinary arts, but did not wish to work in fast food. Collaboratively, the Transition Specialist and EFE instructor found part-time employment for the student at Ruby Tuesdays and then Safeway in the deli department.  He was counseled to take a Culinary class at Edison Academy to obtain more specialized skills.  Two years now since high school graduation, he is a cook at Romano’s Macaroni Grill and seems to be pleased with his progress in the food  industry. A current EFE level 2 student is assigned a job site internship through Special Services and I am constantly informed of the student's performance and employer evaluations.  See attached documentation.

There are many other resource personnel that collaborate with to make the EFE students’ learning experiences more successful.  As you have seen referenced in earlier criteria, the expertise the College and Career Center Specialist is utilized constantly.  Likewise, “ESOL” students are integrated into the EFE classes.  Their ability levels are varied based upon individual proficiency with English as a spoken and written language.  Collaboration with the high school ESOL Coordinator as well as directly with ESOL teachers of specific students to best meet their limited language needs is essential. Finally the administrative staff and school counselors are invaluable resources for all students; thus open communication is maintained through a variety of formats to include verbal conversations, parent conferences, emails, student progress reports, narratives, and discipline referrals to enhance student academic success.