Perkins

Expanding Students' Options 

• Encourage all students to make academic and career decisions on the basis of their individual abilities, interests, and values rather than their gender. 
• Encourage students to pursue a career of interest to them even though the people in the field are primarily of the other gender. 
• Encourage all students to take three to four years of high school math and science in order to be better prepared for the technological and skilled trade careers. 
• Use nontraditional role models- both women and men for career days, mentoring, shadowing, or group guidance classes. 
• Discuss the impact of career choice on wages.
• Discuss the ways stereotypes affect perceptions of careers. 
• Meet regularly with students who are nontraditional in a career and technical education program to support them and to discuss problems that may arise. 
• Provide realistic information about the changing roles of both female and male workers in the paid workforce. 
• Recognize barriers that young men and women face in response to socialization processes and pressures when they work in nontraditional jobs. 
• Provide students who are about to enter the workforce with information about their employment rights and discrimination laws.  

Use of Mate​rials

• Review all counseling and testing materials for sources of gender bias and stereotyping- modify or purge as appropriate. 
• Find and make available in your office area materials on nontraditional career fields. 
• Coordinate social media postings and in-school displays to depict individuals of both genders working at a variety of jobs, including nontraditional occupations.

Equity Advocacy

• Encourage school administration to provide new and earlier opportunities for students to explore nontraditional options at elementary and junior high levels using Pennsylvania's Academic Standards for Career Education and Work.    
• Meet with faculty in nontraditional programs to discuss the importance of their role in recruitment and retention. 
• Review economic, social and/or demographic trends that may affect students' career choices and options. 
• Develop a comprehensive sexual harassment training program for school staff, students, and employers.
• Attempt to educate parents on an on-going basis about the need for expanded career options and preparation for home and work realities for both men and women. 
• Act as an equity advocate in the community, supporting academic and career decisions based on interests, and values rather than gender.​​

Curricular bias in materials and structure include:

Invisibility:  Under-representation of certain groups, which can imply that these groups are of less value, importance, and significance.

Stereotyping:  Assigning only traditional or rigid roles or attributes to a group, thus limiting the abilities and potential of that group; denying students' knowledge of the diversity and complexity of, and variations among, any group of individuals.

Imbalance/Selectivity:  Presenting only one interpretation of an issue, situation, or group; distorting reality and ignoring complex and differing viewpoints through selective presentation of materials.

Unreality:  Presenting an unrealistic portrayal of this country's history and contemporary life experience.

Fragmentation/Isolation:  Separating issues relating to people of color and women (or other protected groups) from the main body of text.

Linguistic Bias:  Excluding the roles and importance of females by constant use of the generic "he" and sex-biased words.  Linguistic bias includes issues of ethnicity, culture, and language proficiency as well. (Bethke, 1985)

Cosmetic Bias:  Creating an illusion that particular texts or materials have been infused with equity and diversity when in fact minimal efforts have been made to address diversity throughout the entire text.  Shortcuts to transformations of texts include adding a few pictures and adding "special focus sections" that discuss, yet segregate information about under-represented groups with exceptional or stereotypic stories. (Sadker/Lerner, 1997)​

Recru​​​itment

• The best recruitment tool is an effective program. Word of mouth is your best friend.
• Website—highlight nontrad students and activities in a variety of programs. Provide updates about all programs offered.
• News releases – postings and articles about successful participants will encourage others to enroll.
• Networking – use social media to strengthen contacts with businesses, graduates, and the community.
• Radio/TV Public Service announcements. Create a 30 or 60 second PSA that can be shared with a local station. Set up an on-air interview for nontrads.
• Career fairs – invite middle students to attend.
• Brochures/Flyers –informational mailings to middle school parents about career nights
• Do informational sessions on career choices for school groups.
• Presentations by successful nontrad persons and for outside groups.
• Provide updated labor market information and career counseling.
• Publicize sustainable support services and groups, including mentors.

Rete​nti​​on​

• Meeting students' needs encourages them to stay in programs.
• Positive reinforcement for exhibiting appropriate employment skills – attitude, dress, demeanor, professionalism, etc.
• Encourage nontrads to keep in contact with each other (peer networking) for support and friendships.
• Alumni group meeting on a regular basis following class sessions.
• Invite nontrad graduates to speak at Orientation or other functions.
• Submit newsletter articles to the home school.
• Support service availability for school and summer activities– childcare, transportation, tools/supplies, tuition, etc.
• Tutoring assistance for those who have a need.
• Regular financial aid seminars for all types of training.
• Help participant identify one person in their circle who will be supportive of their efforts.
• Mail new nontrad participants in area schools information concerning support services you offer.
• Offer job-shadowing experiences in their field.
• Provide a mentor currently working in their field.
• Establish a policy to meet with students before they withdraw from a program to discuss reasons for withdrawal.

One of the main barriers to attracting more students into nontraditional programs is the shortage of positive role models in these occupations.  Many students are receptive to the notion that they can be anything they want, but in terms of real influence on academic and career decisions, role models speak louder than words.  Sharing experiences with students to expand their academic and career options can help them realize the benefits of keeping those options open.

Who Can Serve As Positive Role Models?

• Teachers
• Parents
  
• Community Members
  
• Older Students
  
• Recent Graduates 

Tips for Using Effective Role Models

• Present role models in such a way that the student can identify with them.  The most effective role model will connect with their audience as a "real person" working in a real job.
• The role model should discuss not only what they do on the job, but the impact the job has on their private and family life, interests, and life goals.
• Ongoing publicity is essential to provide recognition of women and men working in nontraditional careers and to encourage young people to consider all their career opportunities.
• Sometimes the most effective role models are older students who are enrolled in nontraditional programs.  Students who have chosen a nontraditional program might be asked to help with recruiting, speaking, and mentoring. 

Questions for Adult Role Models

• Describe a typical day on the job.
• What is the salary range for work such as yours?
• How do you use math, science, and computer skills in your job?
• What is it like to be a woman (or man) in this job?
• How did you decide on this particular career? 

Sources: Vocational Options in Creating Equality. Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady BOCES.  Volume XIV, No.1 March 1993.  Michigan Center for Career and Technical Education, Michigan State University.