An investigation of at-risk students career aspirations

Abstract

The transition from adolescence to a forty hour a week, tax paying member of society can be for some, chaotic and overwhelming. According to Peterson, Long, & Billups, (1999, p. 34) a recent study examined eighth graders who are either misinformed or not informed before they select their highschool freshman year courses. The investigation found that: One, students do not posses clarity of their interests, abilities, values, and talents. The other effect is that students acquire only a vague or superficial understanding of the high school curriculum; thus, students do not posses the fundamental components that would enable them to formulate clear and appropriate career aspirations, which serve as a focal point for educational decision-making. Though transition clearly can be a challenging process for teens, it is doubly hard for teens labeled as at-risk. Many definitions exist which attempt to paint a clear picture of at-risk youth. Mclaughlin and Vacha (1992) define at-risk youth as, “students who are either at risk of failing to graduate or at risk for developing emotional and or behavioral problems…” Added to this definition are youth who have been labeled at-risk due to among other things, the diagnosis, of a disability, such as a learning Disability or Add or ADHD (p. 25). “Many potential barriers to career development exist for youth with disabilities. Un-like their non-disabled peers they may not have the same amount or kind of pre-vocational or work experience and preparation in the work environment,” (Chubon 1985; Dahl, 1982; Conger, 1999, p 13). The following study examined career aspirations of at risk youth who live in a rural area and attend an alternative school in Wisconsin. Originally thirty students were to take a thirty- item survey entitled Career Aspirations Survey. However, due to unforeseen delays in permission slips being sent home to parents and signed and returned, only five students completed the Career Aspirations Survey. Consequently, the results of the survey were not statistically significant and yielded no concrete scientific data as to the career aspirations of at risk youth. The surveys were valuable for educational purposes in that the surveys provided a glimpse into the career aspirations of at-risk youth.