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The workforce continues to evolve. As high school students begin to prepare for their futures, they are considering more and more options for the next chapter in their educational journey. Gone are the days when a four-year degree from a traditional college or university was considered the gold standard for postsecondary education. So, too, are the days when recent graduates prepared to stay in one job for most of their working years.
Students today know that they are more likely to change roles frequently over the course of their careers, that the jobs they can expect to choose from will be changing even more rapidly, and that getting a good education does not necessarily mean sitting in a classroom for four years. These students are seeking career training that will help them learn skills they can use right away and that will give them adaptability for learning additional skills on the job.
How do these high school students choose a program? How can they feel confident in choosing the right school? How can they ensure their parents and counselors are comfortable with their decision—even if the adults in their lives have been planning a four-year traditional degree track for them or haven’t pursued postsecondary education themselves?
A valuable third-party resource
There is no shortage of information (and misinformation) about schools out there. For prospective students and their families, it can quickly become overwhelming to sort through it all and to determine what information is valuable and what is not.
The Imagine America Foundation (IAF) has long strived to provide relevant and credible information, resources, and scholarship and award programs to students who want to get the career training that will make a difference in their lives. We’ve established ourselves as a trusted voice in the career college industry, a reliable third-party resource and a validation for our member schools.
Thousands of students from across the country visit our website every month seeking dependable information about our member institutions and the programs they offer. We have made it our mission to help connect those students with the postsecondary institutions who can provide the training and education they’re looking for.
An expansive blog
The IAF blog is a robust resource featuring articles on everything from choosing a program and finding a roommate to creating a budget and preparing for that first interview. The blog content we share has grown so much that we have divided into a number of helpful series to help students, parents, and counselors find the information they seek.
We know that succeeding in school takes more than just getting to class and completing homework, so we want to prepare students for holistic success. This is especially important for recent high school graduates, who may not have lived on their own before. Our financial literacy series includes helpful resources for starting a savings routine, understanding debt, and paying for school. Our housing series covers topics ranging from finding an apartment and understanding your lease to setting up utilities and preparing for moving day.
And the blog isn’t just for new and prospective students: our alumni blog series helps graduates prepare for jobs and consider additional training opportunities that can help them make the most out of their new career path.
An industry magazine
The magazine you are reading right now is the most trusted voice in the career college sector. Career College Central (CCC) reaches thousands of readers each quarter with news from the industry, marketing trends, the value of specific postsecondary education, and more. Our magazine is shared by industry stakeholders and counselors to help create the most effective and relevant education possible for students.
CCC offers up-to-date information on four key career sectors, with rotating industry focuses on health sciences, mechanical sciences, information technology, and business and the arts. These spotlights on each of these career categories is essential to helping prospective students understand which careers are projected to see growth over the next ten years, what types of jobs may be available after they have earned their degree, and what kind of training is needed for pursuing their dream job.
The magazine is also a great resource for high school counselors, who are eager to learn more about the career college industry and the benefits it can have for their students. As postsecondary education continues to evolve and more options become accessible to recent high school graduates, counselors want to give their students every opportunity available to succeed after high school. This means sharing information about the certificate, diploma, associate degree, and bachelor’s degree programs offered by career colleges. CCC does just that, showing counselors that our member institutions can help students pursue their dream careers—and often in less time than a traditional university program.
A mobile app
IAF knows that the more quickly and easily information can be accessed, the better. That’s why we created a mobile app to help keep students, counselors, and school administrators up-to-date on IAF right from their phones or other mobile devices. Our mobile app is available for free download on both Android and iOS devices.
The app allows users to find schools, apply for scholarship and award programs, and check application status. It also offers access to programs like the Financial Planning Made Simple tool, a financial literacy tool that helps students better understand how to make responsible borrowing decisions. You can even learn about popular job paths, catch up on our week in review, and read our magazine!
Critical resources
The resources that IAF provides are critical to thousands of high school students who are making decisions every day about where to go to school next year—and to the counselors who are eager to help them. If your school is struggling to reach out to high school seniors and recent graduates, we are ready to help you! As a member institution, you and your staff will have access to all of these resources—and more—to help you connect with these prospective students. Look for the next article in our series about marketing to high schoolers, including how resources like our new webinar series are helping us to engage with counselors nationwide, in the next edition of Career College Central—and contact us today to become one of our valued partner schools.
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