2. Career Information Tools
Are you trying to find out where you fit in the fast-changing landscape of
today's job market? Youth Link can help you sift through the options and learn
how to tailor your aptitudes and skills to a specific career.
If you are just beginning to think about what you are going to do after high
school, you may want to start by attending a Canada Career Week or Youth
Information Fair near you. You'll find the Web sites in this section. You can
take an aptitude test, score yourself and discover what occupations might suit
you. Or you can take a pre-conceived notion and turn it on its head. For
instance, you may know your strength lies in math and science, but not be
aware of all the career choices available. The Canadian Space Agency's Space
Awareness and Learning program can introduce you to the science of space
walking and robotics, or inspire you to pursue a career in climate change or
space exploration.
If you're looking for information on various occupations, you may want to
check out Career Directions. This resource provides detailed information on
185 occupations that don't require a university degree.
If you're planning to go on to further education, there's a source for
information about universities, colleges and private-sector institutions, and a
link to a directory of Canadian universities. You could look into the growing
opportunities for technicians and technologists trained at Canada's
community colleges and CEGEPs. You'll find just about everything you need
in this section, listed alphabetically.
This material is not just for students. If you are about to make the transition
from school to work, there's information on how to test your employability
skills and market yourself. If you like the idea of self-employment, you can
find out about what qualities you need to start your own business.
Volunteering is also a great way to gain work experience - and give something
back to the community.
You'll also find information about Sector Councils. Sector councils are
associations that represent different parts of the economy, such as apparel,
fish harvesting, trucking, plastics, mining and women in trades and
technology. Employers, unions, professional associations and educators work
together to tell you about the opportunities in their fields through these
councils. Many of them have job search tools and work experience programs
you may want to investigate.
Happy exploring!
|