Workshops
Preconference Workshops
Monday, January 26, 2009
Want more in-depth training on a specific topic? Choose from a variety of in-depth professional development workshops.
Credit is available for workshop attendance: approximately 4 hours for half-day workshops; 8 hours for full-day workshops.
1. Exploring 21st Century Jobs - Workshop and Tour
9 am - 5 pmAre you equipped to counsel and help prepare your students and adults for the kinds of jobs that the chancing global economy needs? These jobs may require specialized skills and education that past generations only imagined. In this workshop and tour, participants will learn what jobs will be in demand in the 21st century and discuss how they can best work with students and adults to prepare them for these jobs. You will visit several companies that represent 21st century careers and hear from these employers directly about the kinds of employees and skills required. Tour sites include Epic Systems Corporation, where healthcare software including MyChart, a computer-based health record for doctors and patients, is developed. You will also travel to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Research Park, home of 115 research related companies in the areas of science, medicine, and technology. Individual sites you’ll visit include WiCell**, a company at the forefront of stem cell research.
Workshop presenters include Dennis Winters and Victoria Udalova, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development; and Jennifer Wegner, Education Consultant/FBLA State Adviser, Business and Information Technology Education, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction; Madison, Wisconsin. Participants will be able to purchase lunch in the Epic Systems employee cafeteria.
**Please note that closed-toed shoes and long pants are required on the WiCell tour.
2. Building and Strengthening Leadership Skills
8 am – 12 pm
In today's team work environment, how you interact with others often determines job or project success. Leading a team or project that achieves positive outcomes may require you to reexamine and adjust your leadership style, and develop new leadership skills. In this workshop, participants will explore the topic of leadership and learn practical ways to increase their leadership potential and effectiveness. Key topics will include how to determine the skill levels of your team members or employees: ways to meet their developmental needs; and effective methods for soliciting, receiving, and evaluating feedback. Each of these areas will be explored as a means to create working relationships that draw the best from others and result in more effective and rewarding results.
Bret Anderson is a training team leader for the National Veterans Training Institute at the University of Colorado-Denver, a non-profit organization that specializes in training workforce agency specialist. Among his leadership endeavors, Bret led the development of the course "Leadership for the Integration and Implementation of Veteran Services," designed to help One-Stop Career Centers continue their evolution toward integrated services for all clients, especially veterans. He has served as project leader for the Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program and is the owner and president of h2 Communication, LLC, where he works with private and public organizations in areas of communication and technology. Bret teaches courses in communication theory, interpersonal communication and leadership theory at the University of Colorado-Denver. Previously, he was assistant vice president and training team leader of performance support with Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith.3. Developing Muticultural Competence
8 am – 12 pm
Establishing the multicultural competence of professionals who deliver career development services is now a critical issue in our schools and workforce agencies, due to a number of factors. These include: 1) demographic changes, 2) achievement gap and income disparities, and 3) the globalization of the world's economy. This workshop will explore issues related to establishing multicultural competence as individuals and in the organizations where we work. Participants will use cultural identity indices and other indicators to identify their level of multicultural competence, and to identify additional experiences they need to continue their multicultural development. Discussion includes an introduction to an organizational social justice perspective and evaluation of participants' schools and organizations related to culturally responsive programming. Activities and discussion will highlight ways to improve your practice in order to provide optimal career development activities for students and clients.
V. Scott Solberg, Ph.D., is the Director of Wisconsin Careers at the Center on Education and Work, University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a widely recognized national and state leader, having published more than 20 empirical and theoretical articles relevant to youth development, academic success, career development, and counseling psychology. Scott is the author of Success Highways, a proven dropout prevention program for at-risk middle and high school students including African Americans and Latinos. His Academic Success Identity Program, designed to build the resiliency skills of at-risk, low income and minority students, has been associated with increases in students’ grades and course completion. He is an active member of the Society for Vocational Psychology of the American Psychological Association and a member of several international psychology associations. Scott is chair of the American Psychological Association’s Coalition for the Psychology in Schools and Education. He received his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of California-Santa Barbara.
Kimberly A.S. Howard, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of Counseling Psychology at the University Wisconsin-Madison. Her specialization is addressing the career development needs of middle school youth, including examining the career development of diverse, low-income youth as it relates to vocational development and resilience. Her work has appeared in numerous journals including The Counseling Psychologist, Career Development Quarterly, Professional School Counseling, Peabody Journal of Education, and Children's Services: Social Policy, Research, and Practice. Kimberly has done presentations nationally and internationally about the design of culturally responsive career development programming. She is chair of the Career Section of the American Educational Research Association and an active member of the Society for Vocational Psychology, a section of the Society for Counseling Psychology of the American Psychological Association. Kimberly is also an ad-hoc reviewer for the Journal of Career Development. She received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Boston College.
4. Career Assessments and Career Decision Making
8 am – 12 pm
Have you tried "everything" to help a client or student identify and commit to a career, and still have no positive results? In this workshop, participants will explore specific assessments that identify perceived and real barriers to career decision making. These include the Career Decision Scale, Career Thoughts Inventory, and the My Vocational Situation. You will learn how to identify issues that are often related to elevated scores on these inventories, and review practical strategies for addressing these barriers. In addition, we will examine non-standardized approaches to career decision making, such as the Ideal Day, Five Lives, party game, and card sorts. These informal assessments will expand the variety of approaches you have available to use with your undecided clients and students.
Debra Osborn, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Counselor Education program at the University of South Florida. She received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the Florida State University in 1998, with a specialization in career counseling. She is co-author of Using Assessment Results for Career Development and most recently authored a monograph entitled, Teaching Career Development: A Primer for Instructors and Presenters. She has been teaching master's level career development courses and appraisal/testing courses for more than 10 years, and has authored or co-authored 30 publications in the career area including books, book chapters, monographs, articles, and technical reports. She is past president of the Florida Career Development Association, and currently is running for president for 2010 of the National Career Development Association (NCDA). She has made 41 state and national presentations on career topics, including 12 presentations at NCDA global conferences. Debra is a National Certified Counselor. She was selected as an Emerging Leader by the American Counseling Association, and was awarded the Presidential Service Award by NCDA, both in 2005. She was named Florida's Counselor of the Year in 2006 by the Florida Counseling Association. In addition, Debra was selected as a member of NCDA's 2008-2010 Leadership Academy.
5. Career Academies and Smaller Learning Communities
8 am – 12 pmThis workshop will focus on two key areas of high school reform today: smaller learning communities and career academies. Studies show that students in career academies perform better in high school and are more likely to continue into postsecondary education. How can you ensure that your efforts are successful and sustainable? Led by an expert in the field of academies and reform, this workshop will explore smaller learning communities, career academies and career clusters, including how career and technical education fits in. Participants will examine in depth the National Standards of Practice for career academies. These standards were developed by an informal consortium of national career academy organizations. Drawn from many years of research and experience, they are framed around ten key elements for successful, sustained implementation of academies. This is a hands-on workshop where group interaction will provide maximum “take away” benefit to participants.
Susan Katzman is president of the National Career Academy Coalition, an umbrella organization for career academies. Previously, she was divisional director for Career & Technical Education at the St. Louis Public Schools for 36 years, where she was involved in career education, curriculum writing, technical education, career academies, and high school reform projects. Susan and her staff introduced the implementation of 14 career academies into the district high schools, and their career education program has received national recognition including designation as a model youth employment/training program through the Council of the Great City Schools and the national Planning for Life Award through the U.S. Army and USA Today. Susan has keynoted or presented at more than 60 national conferences and developed college and career programs that are now used as national models. She has been involved with the US Department of Education, Workforce Investment Board, Council of Chief State School Officers, Council of Great City Schools, the High School Alliance, Academy for Educational Development, National Academy Foundation, The Chartwell Group, Association for Career & Technical Education, and National Alliance of Business. Susan is the author of The Role of Career Education in School-to-Work Transition, ERIC Clearinghouse, and, most recently, wrote a major chapter for the new book, The History of Career Education.
6. High School 101: 21st Century Skills and High School Transition
1 pm - 5 pm
Nationally, 30% of all students who enter the 9th grade never finish High School. Multiple studies have reported that students who see the relevance of what they are beings asked to learn are more likely to commit to the educational process. Students who find the process of instruction to be engaging are more apt to stick around. High School 101, used in 680 schools nationwide, is an innovative project-based strategy focused on engagement and relevance. This high energy workshop will address the ten High School 101 units that provide students with vital 21st Century skills - financial literacy, time management, people skills, tolerance, business literacy, test-taking/study skills, choices/consequences, technology literacy, learning styles, and communication skills. Participants will get a sneak peak at each unit of the course and will be introduced to a research-based approach for delivering 21st Century skills that will help students succeed in the classroom and the workplace. The High School 101 curriculum has been used to successfully teach vital 21st Century skills to more than 300,000 middle and high school students. It is aligned to the findings of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
Chad Foster is the best-selling author of Teenagers Preparing for the Real World and Financial Literacy for Teens, and co-author of High School 101. His student books have been read by more than one million students and his project-based curricula are used in 4,000 classrooms nationwide. Chad is one of America’s most sought-after speakers on the subject of preparing students to succeed in the “real world” of work, their inevitable destination.7. Building Motivation for a Lifetime of Success
1 pm – 5 pm
What is the world like for those labeled as uninterested, unenthusiastic, or just plain unmotivated? In this workshop, participants expand their understanding of these individuals, and receive ideas for how to effectively motivate, encourage, and inspire them to take charge of their learning and their lives. You will explore practical solutions to the issues confronting those who struggle to succeed, and leave with strategies and skills you can use immediately. Topics include: understanding how thoughts create reality; individual learning styles and how they determine strengths and weaknesses; the connection between family patterns, peer pressure, and job and classroom performance; and the five facets of motivation. You will examine your personal communication style and learn ways to modify it to promote optimal rapport with at-risk students and clients, as well as examine your role modeling and how your choices and boundaries impact those you serve.
Ron Glodoski is a national expert and speaker on issues of bullying, substance abuse, resiliency, and motivation. He is also a living example of why no child should be left behind. His personal triumph over abuse issues, a traumatic brain injury, and learning disabilities have equipped Ron to speak firsthand to the challenges facing many youth and adults today. Endorsed by educators, mental health and criminal justice professionals, Ron’s powerful Staff Development and Parent Programs provide an inside look at the hearts and minds of youth today. He shows what can be done to help heal the past, change the present, and create the future. These programs gently confront and challenge teachers and others to examine personal attitudes, judgments, and learned behaviors that may be blocking their effectiveness. Ron’s book, How To Be A Successful Criminal – The Real Deal on Crime, Drugs, and Easy Money, has received national acclaim by parents, educators, administrators, judges, police officers, counselors, and social workers. Ron spoke to a standing-room only crowd at Careers Conference 2008, and has been invited back so he can provide more in-depth training as a workshop presenter at Careers Conference 2009.
8. Success in a Full- or Part-time Private Practice
1 pm – 5 pm
Want to earn an extra $15,000 - $50,000 a year part-time without quitting your day job? Now is a great time to take advantage of the market's demand for career consulting services. In this hands-on workshop, you will learn a three-part system that can help you develop and grow a thriving full- or part-time career consulting practice. This system is built on three business foundations: cutting edge services, 21st century marketing techniques, and a sales process based on using the counseling skills you already have. Participants will learn how to get the phone to ring with prospects; how to position, price, and package services; and how to handle the financial and other aspects of the business. This workshop will engage participants in practical individualized exercises that they can use to develop a customized plan to fit their own circumstances and needs.
Jack Chapman is a nationally recognized author, lecturer, and business owner in the field of Career Consulting. As Executive Director of the Private Practice Alliance, Jack shows career counselors how to use their already developed coaching and counseling skills to market themselves and achieve a thriving private practice. Jack writes a regular column on Private Practice for the Career Planning and Adult Development Newsletter and for ACP International. As the Chicago/Milwaukee President of the oldest and largest executive career consulting firm in the country, Jack quadrupled its size, client load, advisors, and profits in two years. In 1996 he downsized and returned to a private practice called Lucrative Careers, Inc. where he works with people from all walks of life helping them land satisfying jobs. He is the author of How to Make $100,000 in Private Practice and Still Be a Decent Human Being. His book, Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1000 a Minute, has been called the "bible" of salary negotiations.
9. On the Brink: Exploring the Mental Health Crisis on College Campuses and the Role of the Career Development Professional
1 pm – 5 pm
The news is grim: one out of two US college students is likely to suffer from serious depression. While there is a growing awareness of the mental health crisis facing college campuses, scant attention has been paid to its impact on career development theory and practice. Career counseling is personal counseling. Yet, many career professionals struggle to bridge the career development/mental health gap with the college students they serve. This session will address the trends impacting the mental health crisis, explore the role of career professionals, examine best practices and applications, and briefly outline implications for improving advocacy and public policy regarding students’ increasing mental health needs. Discussion includes action steps to address the situation and implications for advocacy and public policy to support the mental health needs of college students.
Carmen Croonquist, MS, CCMC, JCTC, is the Director of Career Services at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and an instructor at Century College in St. Paul, MN. She is a certified career/life management coach, a trainer for the Dependable Strengths Articulation Process, and a certified branding strategist through Reach Communications. Referenced as a career portfolio expert by Richard Bolles in the 2007 edition of What Color is Your Parachute, Carmen has spoken widely on career portfolios and an array of career/life development concepts regionally, nationally, and internationally. In 2005, she provided a series of lectures in Iceland to help foster portfolio development throughout various educational institutions in the country. In 2007, Carmen was the keynote speaker at the Nordic Networks Conference in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Mike Stebleton, Ph. D., is a faculty member in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis He is an assistant professor in the Department of Post-Secondary Teaching and Learning. He holds adjunct faculty positions at St. Mary's University of Minnesota and Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, MN. His research interests include: narrative approaches to career development, the role of media on career-decision making, student engagement and retention issues, positive psychology, and multicultural influences impacting life-career planning. Mike is the lead author of the textbook titled Hired: The Job Hunting/ Career-Planning Guide, 3 ed., published by Prentice-Hall (2006). He has presented at numerous state and national career development conferences.10. Building Career Pathways for the Emerging Economy
1 pm – 5 pm
The United States faces an impending economic crisis that is characterized by an increasing mismatch between the needs of employers and the skills of the current and emerging workforce. This interactive workshop will examine global competition and education’s role in economic development. Participants will receive an overview of career pathway programs of study and career clusters and have the opportunity to reflect on the implications for their school, district, or institution. The presenter will share guidelines for curriculum alignment and improvement, which is critical to improving student performance and implementing career pathways. Participants will discuss guidelines for building programs of study and an action plan for career pathway implementation.
Carol Jurgens is an educational consultant whose work focuses on building secondary to postsecondary transitions through career clusters, pathways, and programs of study. She is recognized as an expert in the areas of work-based learning legal issues, tech prep articulation, career and life skills assessment, and statewide collaboration in implementing career education. Previously, as State Director of Tech Prep and Work Based Learning at the Nebraska Department of Education, Carol worked with the School Counseling and Career and Technical Education State Directors to design, plan, implement, and market the Nebraska Career Fields/Clusters Model, including the Nebraska School Counseling Career Development Guide and related curriculum and professional development.
Carol’s awards include the Nebraska Marketing Association Distinguished Service Award, Marketing Teacher of the Year, and the Nebraska Vocational Association Teacher of the Year. She was a founding member, president, and consultant of the National Association of Tech Prep Leadership (NATPL), and served on the National Tech Prep Network (NTPN) Advisory Board. Carol is a national presenter and has written or contributed to publications including the Nebraska Work Based Learning (WBL) Manual, WBL Instruction Guide, WBL Coordination Techniques Guide, and Nebraska Career Education Principles Guide.
Pre-registration is required for Monday workshops. Find prices and registration here.