Career Counselling at the Middle School Level: A Case Study
Among the national standards stressed by The American School Counselor Association (1997) is the academic and career development among all students. In other words, it is essential that students understand the connection between academics to the world of work. Although 18 percent of Canada's high school students drop out of school (Canadian Centre for Adolescent Research, 2000), current data indicate that 9.4 percent of American high school students drop out of school (United States Department of Commerce, 2003). Since the unemployment rate of high school dropouts in Canada is 55 percent (Little, 2003) and 18 percent in the United States (United States Department of Commerce), it is necessary for students, especially at the middle school level, to understand the relevance of learning to their future career choice. These high school dropouts are confronted with barriers preventing them from succeeding in the world of work. Thus, at-risk students must develop skills that will adequately prepare them for career options and make them more desirable to future employers (Legum & Hoare, 2004).