User:Joanallyn/sandbox
Next Steps Idaho
[edit]Next Steps Idaho is a free research tool that helps Idahoans transition to post-secondary opportunities and fulfilling employment.[1]
Built by the Idaho State Board of Education (Idaho SBE), Next Steps Idaho is made stronger through the cooperation and shared vision of dozens of other state and private agencies—including the Idaho Workforce Development Council, Idaho State Department of Education, and the Idaho Division for Career Technical Education. It promotes all continuing education pathways including college, university, apprenticeships, professional certification, licensing, and vocational training.
Background
[edit]Origins
[edit]The Next Steps Idaho website was initially built in 2015 as part of a College Access Challenge Grant awarded to the state by the United States Department of Education. Its purpose was to encourage students in grades 8–12 to plan for post-secondary education options.
Integration of the Idaho Career Information System
[edit]Established in 1980, the Idaho Career Information System (Idaho CIS) was a program within the Idaho Department of Labor intended to support Idahoans in the college and career decision making process. During the 2018 legislative session, House Bill 432 repealed Idaho Code § 72-1345A, removing reference to the Idaho Career Information 2 System Program (Idaho CIS). At the same time, House Bill 672 included a line-item appropriation for Idaho CIS within the Idaho SBE’s FY2019 budget. Passage of these two bills moved Idaho CIS from the Idaho Department of Labor to the executive agency of the Idaho SBE, the Office of the Idaho State Board Education (OSBE). This move brought Idaho CIS and Next Steps Idaho together under the purview of one agency, but it created two separate web resources to maintain.
Upon evaluation it was determined that integrating Idaho CIS into Next Steps Idaho would afford the Idaho SBE greater ability to update and add new career planning tools into perpetuity.[2]
Expansion
[edit]In 2017 the Workforce Development Taskforce, created by the Idaho Office of the Governor, recommended building on the success of the then existing Next Steps Idaho website to address the needs of the adult population in Idaho. Groups to be served included young adults that did not continue onto postsecondary education, unemployed workers, transitioning adults that were looking for a change or advancement in their career, and subgroups that were rejoining the workforce after military service, incarceration or other absence.
Starting in 2019, the Idaho SBE and the Idaho Workforce Development Council (Idaho WDC) began collaborating to deliver an expanded Next Steps Idaho website that would function as a clearinghouse for the most timely and accurate information, tools, and resources. An expanded Next Steps Idaho launched in 2020 with tools for students, working adults, families, educators and others who play a supportive role for those seeking jobs, careers, and training or education in Idaho.
The Idaho WDC continues to place high strategic value and significant resources within this space. The group provides advisory support and outreach dollars from the Workforce Development Training Fund to Next Steps Idaho as part of its goal to connect all Idahoans to career information throughout their lives.
Purpose
[edit]Next Steps Idaho builds career-readiness confidence in three ways:
- Next Steps Idaho identifies visitors' skills and interests.
- Next Steps Idaho educates citizens about the many continuing education and career options available.
- Next Steps Idaho invites action towards a goal.
Programs
[edit]The following programs and products are facilitated through Next Steps Idaho on behalf of the Idaho State Board of Education.
| Title | Logo | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Admissions Idaho |  |
Direct Admissions Idaho is an agreement among Idaho's public colleges and universities to hold a seat for any Idaho public high school senior, which translates to automatic acceptance at a minimum of 6 in-state colleges each year for every high school graduate. This means Idaho students have priority admission status even if they don't have what is usually considered a college-going GPA or noteworthy entrance exam scores. (In order to claim their seat, students still need to officially apply to the institution they want to attend.)[3][4][5][6][7] |
| Apply Idaho |  |
Apply Idaho is a free, common application platform for up to 10 in-state colleges. Open October through June, this application is ONLY available to current-year Idaho high school seniors.[8][9][10] |
| Scholarship Idaho |  |
Scholarship Idaho is a single, common application for 8 state-managed scholarships. Eligibility is determined in real time and backed by school-reported data.[11] |
| Counselor Suite Idaho | (Logo not yet created.) | Counselor Suite Idaho—previously known as the FAFSA Completion Project or, colloquially, FAFSA Web—provides easy-to-read tables and data visualizations that document students’ progress toward continuing education ‘checkpoints.’ This platform is not available to students; only Idaho high school counselors, teachers, or administrators are able to create an account.[12] |
Tools
[edit]The following interactive tools are the backbone of Next Steps Idaho.
| Tool(s) | Description |
|---|---|
| Self Assessments | These career assessment tools leverage different sets of questions to help visitors identify what they like to do and what they value in work and life. |
| Career Cards | Allows visitors to filter through hundreds of jobs according to (in-state) industry demand, wages, job descriptions, and training/education requirements. |
| Programs & Places Directories | Catalogs for Idaho SBE accredited colleges and universities, private and proprietary schools, CTE programs, short-term training organizations, and more. |
| Scholarship Database | A listing of state-managed and for-use-in-Idaho-only scholarships to provide statewide options for residents and bolster in-state training/education. |
| Career Pathway Plans | Online, grade-specific journals composed of a dozen or more activities designed to spark student curiosity and help fulfill the State-mandated career development counseling requirement.[13] |
| Video Library | Short videos covering topics like financial literacy, peer-to-peer advice, job tours, and tutorials to help students (and would-be students) prepare for the next step in their education or career journey. |
| Curriculum Library | Lesson plans, presentations, and handouts focused on college and career readiness in grades 7 through 12—created by Idaho educators and ready for classroom use. |
| Resource Library | Written instructions on everything from applications to acceptance, job interviews to promotions. Particular emphasis on finding financial support. |
| Calendar | Days, times, and details for continuing education, career exploration, and professional development events in every region of Idaho. |
| Partners & Assets Kit | A searchable collection of Next Steps Idaho logos, partner logos (with a summary of their contributions), promotional materials, efficacy stats, and media contacts. |
Challenges
[edit]The Idaho high school graduation rate is 80%, on average. In 2021, 37% of those graduates enrolled in college, with roughly 4.3% of those students pursuing non-degree professional training.[14] In a population of 1.6 million, only 24.6% of Idahoans hold a college degree.[15]
The Idaho Department of Labor has identified long-term demographic challenges for in-state employers. Thousands of skilled workers are retiring from the careers they have invested a lifetime in and there are not enough youth to replace them. Put another way, "while the number of 16-year-olds grew 18%, (+3,970), between 2000 and 2019, the number of 65-year-olds grew 146% (+12,930)," according to Census Bureau statistics.[16][17][18]
References
[edit]- ^ Education, Idaho State Board of. "Next Steps Idaho". Idaho State Board of Education. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
- ^ Education, Idaho State Board of (2018-12-04). "Article: Idaho's Career Information System Helps Students and Adults to Find the Right Career". Idaho State Board of Education. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
- ^ "Direct Admissions - Next Steps Idaho". nextsteps.idaho.gov. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
- ^ "Agreement improves access to undergraduate education for Idaho students". Idaho Education News. 2022-10-25. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
- ^ Education, Idaho State Board of (2015-08-17). "STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVES DIRECT ADMISSIONS PLAN TO ADMIT STUDENTS INTO IDAHO COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES". Idaho State Board of Education. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
- ^ "Direct admissions show early success boosting enrollment in Idaho". Higher Ed Dive. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
- ^ Odle, Taylor K.; Delaney, Jennifer A. (2022-09-01). "You are Admitted! Early Evidence on Enrollment from Idaho's Direct Admissions System". Research in Higher Education. 63 (6): 899–932. doi:10.1007/s11162-022-09675-x. ISSN 1573-188X. PMC 8802261. PMID 35125626.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link) - ^ "Apply Idaho - Next Steps Idaho". nextsteps.idaho.gov. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
- ^ "'Apply Idaho' is a simple and free way to start college". Idaho Education News. 2017-11-22. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
- ^ "Apply Idaho Now Open". Weekly Mailer. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
- ^ "Scholarship Idaho - Next Steps Idaho". nextsteps.idaho.gov. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
- ^ "Counselor Suite Idaho - Next Steps Idaho". nextsteps.idaho.gov. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
- ^ "Idaho teens aren't getting state-mandated help planning their careers". Idaho Education News. 2017-09-27. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
- ^ Richert, Kevin; February 1, Idaho Capital Sun; 2022 (2022-02-01). "Sitting it out: Idaho's college go-on rate falls once again". Idaho Capital Sun. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
{{cite web}}:|last3=has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Idaho Lags Behind Nation In Percent Of People With A College Degree". StateImpact Idaho. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
- ^ Labor, Idaho Department of (2021-07-27). "Why Idaho Employers Struggle to Find Workers". idaho@work. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
- ^ "Here's why Idaho employers are having a hard time finding employees". krem.com. 12:07 PM PDT August 3, 2021. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Labor shortage continues, puzzling economists and straining workers". ktvb.com. 11:04 AM MDT October 5, 2021. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)