Odyssey High School students explore careers of interest during half day job-shadowing and apprenticeship opportunities with community business leaders. Whether they’re helping out in the stockroom or conferring with executives in the boardroom, these experiences will help guide and inspire our students’ choices about the possibilities of their lives! Watch the video “What is Work?”
New January partners:
Habibi’s Hutch
Austin Subaru
Handshake Management
ALPS Property Management
Marbridge Ranch
Soundcheck Austin
TX House of Representatives
Special Thanks to our new Career Connections partners for 11/16/11
Colvin Automotive
Austin PC Tech
Hotel Allandale
Flashpoint Recording
…and more!
Special Thanks to our Career Connections partners for 10/19/11
Charles Maud Toyota
Three Graces Spa
Axiom Engineering
CompuZone
Quick Co. Real Estate
Lonestar Riverboat
…and more!
Special Thanks to our Career Connections partners for 9/21/11:
North Loop Signs
PCTLC Computer Repair
The Bass Emporium
First Texas Honda
Oxford Commercial Real Estate
Stanley Metalworks
Baby Signs
Four Seasons
…and more!
Career Connections I
Pre-Requisites: Available to High School Students
TAKS 127.3 & 127.4: Exploring Careers & Career Portals
Students explore their aptitudes and preferences for future employment as defined by the U.S. Government’s 16 Career Clusters. Using these career fields as a starting point, they secure job shadowing visits for themselves at employers throughout the city. Over the course of the year, they go on at least 10 job shadowing visits. They prepare interview questions for these and role play various workplace expectations: dress, appearance, office manners, introductions, taking instruction, expressing gratitude, requesting references, and more. They participate in an extensive reflection process that includes recorded interviews, written reflections, and group discussion.
Research has shown that students with learning disabilities are particularly in need of career readiness training. Reasons consistently cited for this population’s struggle in the work-place include: poor self-awareness, lack of social skills, and difficulty with pen-and-paper tasks. “On the other hand, successful employment of adults with learning disabilities has been attributed to their choosing careers in their areas of strength and due to a quest for control of their lives. This quest for control included such factors as goal-setting, persistence, and adaptability (Gerber, Ginsberg, & Reiff, 1992).”
We aim for a pattern of determination, exposure, experience, and reflection. If our students can weigh these considerations while still in high school, their self-concept will be all the stronger and their future decision-making processes regarding education, training, and career will be influenced for the better.
Career Connections II
Pre-Requisites: Career Connections I
TAKS 127.13 & 127.14: Career Preparation I & II
Students in the second year of Career Connections will secure semester-long apprenticeships with employers in fields of interest. Over these 10-15 visits, students will have the opportunity to build a set of relevant, immediately applicable workplace skills. They will continue a process of constant reflection, but will focus on academic facets of their internships. For some students, this program can translate into an immediate employment opportunity upon transition out of Odyssey. For others, the program can serve as an eye-catching piece in a college application.
Some of our Spring partners included:
Second Time Around
Sound Check Austin
Texas School for the Deaf
Star of Texas Inn
A very special thanks to our career connections partner of Thursday, February 17: Ginny’s Printing. You can see a video about our visit here.
Special Thanks to our career connections partners of Thursday, April 7, 2011:
Silicon Labs
Barley & Pfeiffer Architects
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Travis County Parks
Austin Books and Comics
Special Thanks to our career connections partners of Thursday, January 20, 2011:
Judy Paul
Travis County Tax Assessors
1/2 Price Books
Lars Stanley Studios
The Elizabet Ney Museum
My Smart Hands
Special Thanks to our career connections partners of Thursday, November 18:
1/2 Price Books
Hobby Lobby
UT Facilities Services
TX Department of State Health Services
Special Thanks to our career connections partners of Thursday, November 11:
512 Realty
Critical Mass Interactive
Crumley New York
KVUE
Harry Ransom Center
Special Thanks to our career connections partners of Thursday, October 14:
Great Hall Games
McCombs School of Business
Sea of Beads
Landers Studio
UT Police
Special Thanks to our career connections partners of Thursday, September 30:
Fiddler’s Green
Austin Market Research
Blockhouse Creek Animal Hospital
LBJ Library and Museum
Sweet Charity
3D Squared
Special thanks to our career connections partners of Thursday, September 2:
Great Hall Games
Bravo Interior Design
Spidermonkey Marketing
Palmer Todd Interior Design
Old Timer Watch Repair
Blanton Museum
