Required Reporting to Teacher

• Collaborated completion of HS Course Planning Document
• Weekly Email overviews of topics being explored each week
• Submission of completed Final Project

Final Project - Transition Plan

Explore you personal interest and attributes in connection with education and career planning

Final Project Description:

• Choose two careers of interest
• Investigate post secondary training or schooling required for both
  • Make a list of specific schools or programs that supply training in your desired field
  • Make a list of the estimated cost of pursuing each career
• Look at the current job market to assess demand for that career
  • Is this a good time to be going into this career?
  • Is there a lot of demand for this type of employment?
• For one of the careers you have selected develop a "Personal Education or Career Plan" outlining:
  • An overview of the career and why you wish to pursue it
  • Current steps you can take to achieve that goal - High School Graduation, specific high school courses, other courses or training, etc.
  • The necessary post secondary training - including estimated cost and desired location
  • Resources you would use to support your career development - scholarships, grants, family support, part time jobs, etc.

Final Project

Organize and format your Final Project in a pleasing manner before presenting it to your teacher.

Explore Careers

• Go to this website, set up a free account and take the quizzes; there are several. Career Navigator and Quizzes - These quizzes are designed as a starting point in self discovery. Through the Career Quizzes you can explore your abilities, interests and preferences as part of making a career decision. By choosing a resulting occupation the Career Navigator will provide you with information (wages, number of jobs available and employment prospects, etc) to help you make an informed career decision.
• When you are at the careers site, you can click on any of the occupations and it will take you to information about that occupation. It provides a description, what training you need for that occupation, etc. At the side it lists the average wages. At the bottom it gives you related occupations. Look at those as well.
• Peruse your possibilities in Trades - Discover Trades
• Choose at least two careers of interest.
  
  • Investigate secondary and post secondary training or schooling required for both.
    • identify specific schools or programs that supply appropriate training for each career
    • learn the estimated cost of pursuing each career
  • Look at the current job market to assess demand for each career. (Use your employment searching skills.)
    • Is this a good time to be going into this career?
    • Is there a lot of demand for this type of employment?
  • Look at the current wage for each career
    • How much might you earn if employed in each career?
    • Could these wages support your desired lifestyle?

Developing a Personal Education or Career Plan

Choose one of the careers investigated. For your chosen career:

• develop and present a "Personal Education or Career Plan" outlining:
  • An overview of the career and why you wish to pursue it
  • Current steps you can take to achieve that goal - High School Graduation, specific high school courses, other courses or training, etc.
  • The necessary post secondary training - including estimated cost and desired location
  • Resources you would use to support your career development - scholarships, grants, family support, part time jobs, etc. (How will you pay for this schooling?)
• develop and present a strategy outlining:
  • how you will approach a job interview (your physical appearance, clothing, etc.)
  • how you will prepare for your job Interview (what you will send ahead and what you will bring with you)
  • including the important things you would like to remember while at your interview (what you will do and say while at your interview)
• develop and present a "Personal Financial Plan" (personal budget) outlining:
  • estimated monthly wage you would earn in this career minus the monthly expenses of
    • tithe and/or charitable giving (10% or other selected amount)
    • rent or house payment: Check your local paper. Choose housing that will meet your needs. List the type of housing, the address, and the cost per month.
    • furnishings: Make a list of furniture and appliances you will need. Find the cost of outfitting your apartment or house. If you buy new, assume you will pay off a loan for the furniture in 12 months. Add 12% for interest and divide the total by 12 to get your monthly payment.
    • food: Determine how much it will cost you to eat each month. If you like the way your family eats and you would prepare similar food, calculate how much per person it is costing per month. Record this amount. If you would like to eat differently, make out a menu for 3 days. Use the paper, the internet, or go to the store to determine the cost of these groceries. Multiply by 10 to get your approximate monthly food cost. Be flexible, some items like a bag of sugar will last for more than 3 days.
    • transportation: 
      a) From the paper, choose a vehicle you could buy. Add interest on your loan and divide by 12, to get the monthly cost. You may wish to investigate leasing a vehicle or using alternate transportation.
      b) Determine the cost of insuring this vehicle for one year. Divide by 12 to get the monthly cost.
      c) Discuss with your parents to determine the cost of gasoline and maintenance for one month.
    • clothing: Using the paper, the internet, store prices to determine the cost of a complete wardrobe - summer and winter. To get the cost per month, divide the total amount by 12. Keep in mind the occupation you have chosen. Remember to include footwear and coats, etc.
    • deductions and medical care: determine the monthly deductions for medical insurance, income tax, EI (UI) contributions, CPP contribution, dental, and life insurance. (estimates are fine)
    • investments: Decide if you are investing in R.R.S.P.'s for the future, or contributing to a company pension plan. Pension plans cost about $40/ month. R.R.S.P.'s allow a percentage of your income each year, $1000 a year would not be unusual. Remember to calculate for 1 month.
    • entertainment: Determine how much you want to put aside for movies, dining out, recreation, fitness, travel, holidays, etc. Calculate it for 1 month.
    • other: any other expenses that you may have (feeding a pet, paying off school loans, taking piano lessons, paying for a spouses education...)
  • Add up all your expenses for one month. Show how this compares to your monthly salary. If your salary is not sufficient to cover your expenses, go over your expenses and adjust until it is. You may need to find a less expensive place to live, a less expensive car, or go out less.