High School

  • Career Preparation experiences are geared toward 11th and 12th grade students and deepen student knowledge and develop skills necessary for success in employment and postsecondary education. These experiences are recommended for students who have a clear goal of entering the workforce directly after high school or of enrolling in a closely related postsecondary training program. These experiences are structured primarily to give students extensive practice in applying fundamental technical and practical knowledge and skills in their chosen careers. Career Preparation experiences take place over a longer timeframe and involve more responsibilities. These experiences include: Guest Speakers, Career Days, Workplace tours, Practicum, Job Shadowing, Internships, School-Based Enterprise, and Registered Youth Apprenticeships. 

  • Guest Speakers

    Designed to meet specific learning outcomes, guest speaker presentations are educationally rich,are tied to the curriculum, and assist students in connecting what they’re learning in the classroom with the workplace. Using guest speakers to support learning is structured career awareness in which students listen to a presentation to learn about the speaker’s career, business or organization and industry, and ask questions to help them consider whether they might like to pursue a career in the industry. 

    WBL Continuum: Career Preparation

    Grade: 9th-12th Grades

    SPS Sites:

    • District Wide

  • Career Days

    Designed to expose students to a variety of careers and jobs by connecting them with industry professionals, providing a realistic picture of the workplace, and informing career planning. Career days allow students to listen to multiple speakers and seek information about the industry and the career options it provides. They also learn about the education required for entry into the industry and participating businesses' role in the local economy.

    WBL Continuum: Career Preparation

    Grade: 9th-12th Grades

    SPS Sites:

    • District Wide

  • Workplace Tours

    Designed to provide exposure to the industry sector, potential career opportunities and jobs, build occupational knowledge, and build an understanding of the education and training needed for entry into careers in the industry. A workplace tour is structured to allow students to learn about the business, meet employees, ask questions, and observe work in progress. 

    WBL Continuum: Career Preparation

    Grade: 9th-12th Grades

    SPS Sites:

    • District Wide

  • Practicum

    Designed to give students exposure to jobs, careers and industry, offer the opportunity to build a relationship with a knowledgeable adult, offer a chance to practice communication skills and develop professional skills, help students to make the connection between school and the workplace,and inform career planning. Students are matched one-on-one with an adult professional to explore potential careers and related education issues. 

    WBL Continuum: Career Preparation

    Grade: 11th-12th Grades

    SPS Sites:

    • Central
    • Hillcrest
    • Kickapoo
    • GO CAPS
    • LAUNCH Missouri’s Workforce

  • Job Shadowing

    Designed to promote exploration of a field of interest, provide an up-close look at a particular occupation, company and industry and the career path to that occupation, and allow students to practice and demonstrate key work- readiness skills and appropriate workplace behavior. Job shadowing is a structured career exploration activity in which a student is paired with and observes the workday of a business partner, interacts with their clients or customers and attends meetings and other appointments with the person they are shadowing. 

    WBL Continuum: Career Preparation

    Grade: 11th-12th Grades

    SPS Sites:

    • Central
    • Glendale
    • Hillcrest
    • Kickapoo
    • Parkview
    • GO CAPS

  • Internships

    Designed to develop hands-on experience in a field of interest, provide productive value for the employer, provide exposure to a wide range of careers and jobs within the industry, offer opportunities to develop, practice and demonstrate employability skills, and build occupational knowledge. An internship is a highly structured, time-limited, career preparation activity in which students are provided the opportunity to learn by doing real work and be productively engaged in the workplace. 

    WBL Continuum: Career Preparation

    Grade: 11th-12th Grades

    SPS Sites:

    • Central
    • Glendale
    • Hillcrest
    • Kickapoo
    • Parkview
    • GO CAPS

  • School-Based Enterprise

    Designed to develop hands-on experience in a field of interest, provide productive value for the employer, provide exposure to a wide range of careers and jobs within the industry, offer opportunities to develop, practice and demonstrate employability skills, and build occupational knowledge. An internship is a highly structured, time-limited, career preparation activity in which students are provided the opportunity to learn by doing real work and be productively engaged in the workplace. 

    WBL Continuum: Career Preparation

    Grade: 11th-12th Grades

    SPS Sites:

    • Central
    • Glendale
    • Hillcrest
    • Kickapoo
    • Parkview

  • Registered Youth Apprenticeships

    Designed to provide on-the-job work experience that gives students the opportunity to master academic and workplace skills. Students can make connections with real world expectations. This experience reinforces the importance of interpersonal skills, decision making, problem solving, critical thinking, and teamwork skills which give students a forum to develop positive workplace experiences as they enter the workforce or prepare for continued education. 

    WBL Continuum: Career Preparation

    Grade: 11th-12th Grades

    SPS Sites:

    • District Wide