Parents want what is best for their children, and making sure that their child is career-ready is invaluable and can help set them up for their future.

Career readiness is a set of skills that teenagers should ideally have in order to adapt and thrive in the working world. We will discuss a number of ways you can make sure that your child is ready for the next steps of their life into adulthood.

Start The Conversations Early

While we want our children to enjoy their youth, we also have the responsibility to make sure that they are ready for their future. We need to instill career readiness in our teenagers from as young as middle-school age. This is where you should strike a balance between the two.

It is during this time that teenagers will start forming an idea of what they would like to do when they are older, you can help them make this a reality by taking an active interest in things your child likes or shows proficiency in. Help them identify their strengths, and seek out potential career options while they are still in school.

Homework And Lifeskills

Be more hands-on with their school life. Encourage and help them to learn and understand their school work and to participate in extra-curricular activities that they enjoy.

It is from this age that you can start teaching them about topics like financial literacy, professionalism, and how to develop a good work ethic. You can also start encouraging them to take on a more practical role in developing career readiness skills.

Gaining Experience

Encourage your young child to apply for internships, apprenticeships, volunteering, or shadowing work. This will help them gain insightful experience in the industry they are interested in. It also helps them network and make connections with people who can aid them in the future.

By taking part in this, it will also provide real-life working experience that they can anticipate for the future.

College Is Not For Everyone

College is not always accessible or useful for everyone, but there are still options that allow your child to follow their chosen path. There are a number of career and technical programs, as well as skills training other than academics for your child to use.

In addition to practical experience, there are professional development courses that focus on both the hard and soft skills that most jobs require. It is now easier for your child to be able to learn presentation skills, problem-solving skills, time management, work ethics, and interpersonal skills, which will help them in a competitive working environment.

The reason why professional development is a viable option is due to a lot of companies implementing diversity, equity, and inclusionary policies. This makes it accessible for people with the necessary skill sets to get a job without a tertiary education qualification.

This is because of a method known as skills-first hiring, which opens a company’s talent pool to a lot more options and provides opportunities for people of color. Surveys show that Black workers acknowledge the opportunities DEI policies provide them and state that it is a good practice for people of color.

Community And Resources

If your community has in place social bodies like churches and non-profit organizations that help youth obtain mentorship and apprenticeship opportunities, you should encourage your child to join these training programs on offer to help build their career readiness skills. This is what these opportunities are designed for. It will also help instill community and social values in your child.

By using this advice, coupled with your patience and support, you can help your child achieve career readiness and success well ahead of time. These skills are invaluable and will be useful at any point in their life.