Kaskaskia College offers career pathways tool to help students, parents prep for college
(Photo courtesy Kaskaskia College)
The choice of what path to choose after high school can be daunting for both a parent and student, but Kaskaskia College (KC) is trying to make that decision a little easier. The college is offering a unique online tool called Career Pathways that can help both students and parents identify interests through career exploration, compare costs and help guide families through dual credit opportunities ahead of enrollment.
Kelsey Tate is the Dual Credit & Career Pathways coordinator for the college. She said she works with families from as young as middle school to showcase how this tool can be transformative when choosing either work, higher education or a trade program after high school.
“Parents have shared that using this tool can be vital in the decision-making process for their child,” said Tate. “Career Pathways helps set our college apart and gives our families reassurance that their student has looked at all their options, knows the cost of their program and looked into what transferring out of KC could look like. We want our students to feel confident and assured that they have support from Kaskaskia and that they know they are making the right choices for their future.”
The tool also showcases which dual credit opportunities are available between Kaskaskia College and the participating district high schools in Bond, Clinton, Fayette, Marion and Washington Counties. This allows students to see what courses in high school will allow them to get a head start on college. This tool can be great for parents and students about to head into high school as well.
“There are plenty of students who are not sure what they want to do in life and that’s okay because our Career Pathways tool offers a career coach,” said Tate. “This feature offers a cluster of interests and careers under a larger umbrella to explore. This innovative tool is extremely helpful and can help students navigate their interests.”
As part of the school’s recent service model and an addition to its registration process, new and prospective students will have access to an interactive touchscreen that displays the Career Pathways tool when they register. Career Pathways can be utilized on either Kaskaskia’s website or their mobile application. There are several resources available, including a Career Coach, financial aid and grant options, job postings and employment resources. If you are interested in more information on Kaskaskia College’s programs, head to www.kaskaskia.edu.
Kaskaskia College is a public community college in Centralia, Illinois, serving all or part of nine counties, including Bond, Clinton, Fayette, Marion, Washington, Jefferson, St. Clair, Madison and Montgomery. Committed to making education affordable and accessible, the College has multiple locations throughout these counties and has education centers in Greenville, Nashville, Salem, Trenton and Vandalia while also providing heavy industrial trade programming at the Crisp Technology Center in Centralia. The school, which is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, offers a broad spectrum of degrees, programs and certification options, specializing in two-year associate degrees, transfer degrees and vocational education in a variety of career and technical fields that focus on immediate employment upon program completion.
