Learning Activity: Getting Technical about Career Choices
In this activity, students are assigned a job or career that requires some form of post-secondary training or education. They then group themselves according to the level of education/training necessary for entry in that career field before lining themselves up in order based on median salary. The intent is for students to see the connection between education, training, and experience in potential income. Additionally, students will be able to see how the demand (and supply) for different types of occupations impacts median income.
Materials:
- Handout: Occupation Descriptions (with enough slips cut out for there to be one description per student)
Occupations from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov)
Student Objectives:
- Explain how training and experience impact potential future earnings.
Standard/Benchmarks:
National Standards for Financial Literacy
Standard I. Earning Income
Benchmarks: Grade 12
- People choose jobs or careers for which they are qualified based on the income they expect to earn and the benefits, such as health insurance coverage or a retirement plan, they expect to receive.
- People choose jobs or careers for which they are qualified based on non-income factors, such as job satisfaction, independence, risk, family, or location.
- People vary in their willingness to obtain more education or training because these decisions involve incurring immediate costs to obtain possible future benefits. Discounting the future benefits of education and training may lead some people to pass up potentially high rates of return that more education and training may offer. People can make more informed education, job, or career decisions by evaluating the benefits and costs of different choices.
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