In high school, students begin to seriously consider their post-secondary goals and plans, making it a critical time for our union to offer career exploration opportunities. When connecting with students in grades 9-12, include information on how they can pursue specific, AFSCME represented careers.

Approaches

Career fairs or career days are a great way to introduce young people to a career in public service and our union. These events are often hosted by schools or community-based organizations who invite workers from multiple careers to talk with young people. Career days usually include scheduled presentations and activities while career fairs are typically less structured, with young people exploring information at exhibit tables and booths.  

Although these career events are typically designed to share information with young people, the most successful events will also be engaging. To foster engagement, make presentations interactive and give young people the opportunity to discuss their interests, experiences, and goals. Create excitement at your events by utilizing visuals. If possible, bring tools, models, or work samples to the event. Photos are a great substitute if supplies are not logistically possible. You can even incorporate a game or online quiz you create around the information you are sharing. Offer union giveaways as prizes for answering a certain number of questions correctly. 

To maximize the impact of your event, find ways to keep in touch with the people you connected with. Print our sample contact sheet or create a digital one to collect participant information.

Field trips offer an exciting way to introduce a large group of young people to careers in public service. Being on a job site may make career exploration more memorable than a classroom presentation. It is also a chance for you to impart a more in-depth understanding of job duties, working conditions and our union’s impact in the workplace. This will leave young people feeling more engaged and increase the likelihood they will consider a public service career path in the future.  

Career-oriented field trips can also help young people feel more comfortable in workplace settings and further establish our union within the community. If our members work in places that already host field trips, like museums or state government buildings, consider partnering with these employers and educators to incorporate career exploration into their agenda. This can be as simple as offering a tour of staff areas or allotting time for an employee to discuss their career path, job duties and union membership. 

Craft the field trip itinerary based on what is appropriate for your workplace and/or occupation(s) as well as the age range of your group. Here are a few suggestions of activities to consider: 

      • Workplace or Behind-the-Scenes tour
      • Interactive/Hands-on Activities 
      • Informational interviews with workers, especially our union members!

Pro Tip: For large groups, divide and rotate them among activities to create a more personal, engaging experience.  

Mentoring programs offer an engaging way to introduce young people to our union and a career in public service. Mentoring describes an ongoing relationship where mentors (union members or staff) provide guidance to mentees (young people). Mentors can be paired with individual youth or small cohorts of young people to share their public service experience, answer career questions, and discuss youth interests and goals. Successful mentor programs pair trusting, consistent relationships with strategic career exploration. 

Mentoring programs offer a way to generate youth interest in the public sector while also reinforcing our union within the community, increasing our union’s visibility, support, and power. There are many ways to structure mentorship programs to align with your capacity, industry needs and youth interests. You can also partner with an existing mentorship program in your community (see the Partners tab for suggestions). Pairing mentorship programs with job shadowing or field trips creates even more opportunities for career exposure.   

Job shadowing programs give young people the opportunity to observe a “day in the work life” of their host. In one-on-one pairings, a shadow learns about their host’s career through direct observation, opportunities to ask questions and hands-on experiences when appropriate. These programs offer career exposure that can be influential in future career decision-making, especially when the shadow’s experiences are engaging

Consider creating a union job-shadow program where young people can shadow AFSCME members or staff to learn more about public service and collective power. Be sure to plan activities for hosts and their shadows and create a program structure that aligns with our union’s goals. If a workplace you represent already has a job shadowing program, consider how our union can support this program and improve the experience for AFSCME members and the young people shadowing them. 

Download our guidance on Planning a Job Shadowing Day to see a sample agenda and get ideas for your own event.

Internships provide hands-on career experiences for young people, giving them the opportunity to learn about careers in public service while developing workplace skills for their future. Internship programs often range from a few weeks to several months, offering work-based learning opportunities over the summer or during the academic year. Some students may earn credit toward their degree for their work in an internship.   

Consider hosting an intern or supporting an internship program at a workplace you represent. Interns develop skills and learn about an industry, organization or occupation while working on individual tasks, assignments or projects that support the workplace. Through their work and learning, interns often provide fresh perspectives, contributing innovative ideas that can strengthen our public services and our union. Engaging internships can also encourage young people to pursue a career in public service, creating a youth talent pool that aids in recruiting and filling vacancies when they arise. Remember, an intern’s primary role is to learn, so it is important that our union and union members shield them from inappropriately being used to address staffing shortages or impede upon permanent bargaining position roles.  

(Note: Like all work, internships should be paid whenever possible and be designed to fulfill any applicable course credit requirements for students. Although unpaid internships are not uncommon, unpaid programs become inaccessible to many young people. Paid programs increase access to early career opportunities and promote economic mobility among a more diverse youth talent pool, ultimately supporting diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion goals.) 

Is your union currently facing a challenge you’re stuck on resolving? Are our members confronting a workplace problem that needs solving? Consider collaborating with young people to find solutions! Partnering with an educator to create a project based on an obstacle or challenge provides opportunities for students to engage with real-world situations. You may be surprised by the innovative ideas young people bring to a variety of issues, large and small. Classes studying subjects that are relevant to our union are often the best candidates for group projects.  

Group projects give students the opportunity to apply their knowledge and develop critical-thinking, problem-solving and teamwork skills while making a real-world impact. These projects also allow students to learn more about a career in public service and about AFSCME. Projects can be structured to fit the nature of the issue, the class size and the skill set of students. They may be tackled by small groups or the entire class. Timelines can also vary from a single lesson plan to a semester-long project. Be sure to collaborate with the teacher or program lead on what will work best for everyone involved.  

Partners

Teachers’ unions share our commitment to worker power and expanding prospects for students’ futures. Local teachers’ unions offer expertise on education systems and can provide information about existing career development initiatives across school districts. Teachers’ unions can also introduce you to educators who can help you connect with students by…  

      • scheduling career exploration events or activities at their schools 
      • coordinating curricula with outreach activities 
      • providing insights on student skills and interests 
      • coordinating class projects  

Tip: Be mindful of how your youth outreach and engagement activities might increase workloads for educators. Center student and teacher experience when collaborating with teachers’ unions.  

School boards and administrators are useful partners, as any school-sponsored activities or events will typically require their approval. School boards and administrators can connect you with educators, student organizations, and career development initiatives in their school system. They can also provide useful information about their school or district, such as linguistic diversity, existing resources and common barriers students face. Discuss ways your outreach can strengthen student outcomes with these partners. Affiliates with broader geographic jurisdiction may consider partnering with school boards or administrators across the region to maximize the number of youths reached and ensure equitable access to opportunities.  

Tip: Be mindful of any costs that might be associated with your outreach activities (e.g., transportation for field trips). Low- or no-cost activities ensure more equitable access to career exploration for students.

Parents, families and guardians play an important role in the lives of youth, making their partnership crucial for engaging young people in career exploration. Expanding the circle of support for youth can benefit all career exploration approaches and can be especially important for experiences like internships or job shadowing programs where youth might be reliant on adults for transportation.  

When parents, families or guardians are informed and involved, they can encourage youth to pursue career exploration opportunities. Keeping them informed is essential, so make information accessible and readily available with content from flyers to websites offered in multiple languages. Remember, many members are parents and guardians themselves, so involve them in establishing connections with youth through their children’s schools, clubs and programs.  

Tip: Remember, young people may have different goals for themselves than the adults in their lives. Find ways to center youth autonomy while meeting the needs of those caring adults.   

From independent local programs to chapters of the Boys & Girls Club, community-based organizations and afterschool programs offer excellent ways to connect with youth. Partnering with these organizations allows you to reach school-age youth outside of the classroom. Consider which age groups an organization serves when planning your outreach. Successful activities can range from career days to field trips. Programs designed to focus on mentorship or to be safe spaces for youth of diverse backgrounds can make great partners! Some organizations may already incorporate career exploration into their programming. Even programs not specifically youthoriented may be able to connect you with young people in your community, so be sure to talk with your union’s current community partners. Once you have established a solid relationship with a community-based organization or after-school program, consider partnering with multiple organizations to expand your reach. 

Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs help students develop technical and academic skills relevant to a variety of careers. Youth in high school CTE programs access career exploration and preparation often while earning college credits or engaging in work-based learning as part of their secondary school studies. Partnering with CTE programs allows young people to explore public service career opportunities, so research the CTE programs offered in your area to see whether any match the fields your union represents. Consider the knowledge, skills and abilities needed in those fields and collaborate with educators to incorporate them into the CTE curriculum. You can even help CTE programs offer career exploration or preparation through one of the many activities in the approaches tab.  

Tip: Teachers’ Unions and School Administrators can help you identify CTE programs that align with the fields your union represents. 

Youth apprenticeship programs are designed for older youth in high school or out of school (aka “opportunity youth”).  These programs combine work-based learning with relevant technical education, generally concentrating more on classroom learning, whether at a secondary or post-secondary school, while making sure to connect it with on-the-job learning. Youth apprenticeship programs are distinguished from federally Registered Apprenticeship Programs designed for adults, so their requirements, content and format will vary by state and locality. This article explains the variations of youth apprenticeship models in the United States. Consider partnering with programs in your area that touch on public services to incorporate a labor perspective and connect with young people to get them thinking early on about worker power.   

Tip: Teachers’ unions, school administrators and community-based organizations can help you identify youth apprenticeship programs that align with the fields your union represents. 

Pre-apprenticeship programs help develop and diversify talent pools by preparing people to enter and succeed in a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP). To help their participants overcome common barriers to success, most pre-apprenticeship programs include wrap-around supports such as childcare or transportation. While varied in design and approach, these programs are not exclusively designed for youth; quality pre-apprenticeship programs are designed to prepare and support participants to successfully enter a specific RAP. Appropriate age groups, curricula and simulated experiences will be based on the designated occupation’s industry standards and approved by the RAP partner. If the workplace you represent already sponsors a RAP, inquire whether it has a pre-apprenticeship partner or suggest establishing a pre-apprenticeship partnership, particularly one focusing on older youth. This is an opportunity to incorporate a labor perspective in the preparatory curricula and get participants thinking early on about worker power. 

After establishing youth outreach and engagement efforts, young people can be extremely useful partners, too. Youth who are already engaged with your union can provide insights on how to improve your strategies and structures. This is especially true for young people who have participated in programs like job shadowing or internships. Recognizing the utility of youth feedback is an essential step in youth engagement. Young people can also connect their peers with your union and public service career information. This partnership can be an especially useful tool for connecting with opportunity youth, or young people aged 16-24 who are disconnected from school and work.  

Note: If you engage youth as partners in outreach, be sure to acknowledge their contributions and provide support throughout their involvement. Recognition could be a stipend, official title, or gift card depending on the level of youth involvement.  

Partnering with employers expands the possibilities for career exploration. Employer partnership may be necessary to schedule worksite activities from field trips to hiring events. Although we may not always agree, collaborating with employers on youth outreach goals can be mutually beneficial and improve or strengthen our relationships. Let youth outreach and engagement be an area of common ground 

Download our Partnership Planning Tools for guidance on identifying, assessing and establishing partnerships. Use tools like our Potential Partner Assessment Form, Establishing Partnerships Checklist, and Partnership Outreach Templates to get started.

Tips

  • Create excitement! Be enthusiastic about the information you’re sharing and get creative with how you share it. 
  • Be flexible! Plan backup activities and be prepared to make tweaks to your presentation or activities based on time constraints and youth interest.  
  • Ask questions! Create opportunities for youth to discuss their interests and goals.  
  • Focus on youth, not the adults in the room. No matter who asks a question, address your answers to the entire group, not one person. 
  • Use clear and concise language. Avoid or define industry jargon. 
  • Be prepared for student questions. Leave time for students to ask questions and plan responses for work-related and personal inquiries such as…  
      • How much money do you make? Discuss entry-level salaries and opportunities for growth. Bring a contract and explain wage scales.  
      • How much vacation time do you have? Again, refer to contracts and explain how seniority helps determine vacation time in unionized workplaces. 
      • Are you married? Do you have children? Decide what information you want to share with youth and how you will respond to these questions. 
  • Options! Options! Options! Empower and engage youth by offering choices whenever possible. 
      • Allowing youth to choose between activities ranging from writing to art to public speaking will allow youth to showcase their strengths through activities they find the most interesting! 
  • Use technology to your advantage! Make technology a tool instead of a distraction by planning activities such as online quizzes or competitions that utilize phones, tablets, or computers. 
      • Note: Plan ways to include youth without technology. It is likely at least one person forgot their device or didn’t charge it. 
  • Utilize social media! Make posts, stories, reels and livestreams on apps like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).  
        • If your youth outreach and engagement partners are on social media, make a joint post to expand your reach. 
  • Plan interactive activities! Break up presentations with activities to engage students. High school students will disengage if you talk at them for more than 8 to 10 minutes.  
  • Create opportunities for peer-to-peer connection! Plan small group activities or ask students to “pair and share.” Peer-to-peer connection can sustain engagement and contribute to youths’ sense of belonging. 
  • Be authentic. Balance enthusiasm with authenticity – young people might disengage if you seem disingenuous. 
  • Link the classroom to the workplace. Connect skills and knowledge developed in the classroom to public service careers. Work with educators to determine what skills students have been developing. 
  • Be prepared for disruptions and don’t be discouraged by them. Reengage students by asking them to share their experiences or help you with the presentation.  
        • If unsuccessful, you can discreetly ask for the teacher’s support or politely ask the student to take a break from the presentation. 
  • Discuss opportunities for growth. Share paths for advancement within the careers you’re discussing. 

Contact Us

We are here for you! Please contact us if you have a question, concern, or request regarding workforce development.
research@afscme.org