College and Career Readiness Overview

College and Career Readiness Overview Handout 9.1-A

What makes a student college and career ready? Navigation101 defines a college and career ready student as one who has five key attributes:

SELF-AWARE. A self-aware student is one who can define his or her interests and values and can translate them into career ideas. Self-aware students can also identify their top transferable skills, credentials, and experiences.

KNOWLEDGEABLE. A knowledgeable student has learned about career opportunities, is aware of the post-secondary education or training needed for those careers, and understands the high school classes that are required to graduate and move on to post- secondary. Knowledgeable students also understand how their other life activities (recreation, leisure activities, and volunteer service) help them explore personal interests, develop transferable skills, and provide balance in their lives.

PLAN-READY. A plan-ready student has identified short-term and long-term goals, and outlined methods to achieve those goals. Plan-ready students can connect the work they are doing today to their goals for tomorrow.

QUALIFIED. A qualified student has worked to acquire transferable skills, experience, and credentials through school, volunteer service, and work. A qualified student has developed a financial plan and has identified social networks that can provide support and mentoring. The Navigation101 student-led conference gives students a chance to show that they are qualified by presenting their work.

FINANCIALLY READY. A financially ready student has learned how to manage money responsibly and has developed a financial plan for life after high school. A financially ready student understands financial aid and is prepared to seek financial aid to cover the costs of post-secondary education.