Educational Development Plan (EDP)

What is an Educational Development Plan (EDP)?

An Educational Development Plan (EDP) is a document showing a student's current interests, abilities, and career pathways. It is more comprehensive than a schedule of classes because it includes information a student can use to make wise choices about post-secondary options.

Why have an EDP?

The State of Michigan requires that students must be given the opportunity to create an EDP beginning in the 7th grade and revise it appropriately throughout high school.  An EDP is designed to assist students to identify career development goals as they relate to academic requirements, which may be fulfilled through career and technical education.

How can students start/update their EDP?

Our counseling team meets with all students to instruct students to update their EDP annually.  The essential elements for updating an EDP are exploring careers, projected job openings, educational/training goals, career interest surveys, activities, experiences, and plans of action.

Students are welcomed and encouraged to explore Xello on their own time.
 

Say hello to Xello!
Xello is software that helps students in grades 6–12 create their very own, unique roadmap for future success—enabling them to discover their own personalized pathway through self-knowledge, exploration and planning. Built on a proven model for student success, Xello aligns to the Michigan Career Development Model, including Educational Development Plans (EDP) and Talent Portfolios.
Building Self-knowledge Students define their interests, skills, preferences, and aspirations so they can explore the right opportunities for them.	Explore Options Students learn about career possibilities and educational pathways by exploring rich, engaging content, and lessons.	Create a Plan Students create dynamic actionable plans that outline the steps needed to achieve school, career, and life goals.	Learn and Reassess As students gain experience, knowledge, and skills, they can reassess and change their plans for the future.

 

Xello for Families  (Video - 1:30 minutes)

Xello: Make Every Student Future Ready (Video- 1:37 minutes)

Xello Student Experience Overview (Video -  3:59 minutes)

Parent Involvement

You’re encouraged to explore Xello with your child by logging in together. Your child can log in to his or her account via desktop or mobile device to share what they’ve learned about themselves, the world of work, and their future options. 

Safe and Secure Environment 

We take data protection and privacy very seriously. So does Xello. The program complies with legal requirements for safety and security outlined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). That means advertising is not displayed within Xello, nor is data used for commercial purposes. Xello is also a signatory of the Student Privacy Pledge, requiring them to uphold strict standards for safeguarding student privacy regarding the collection, maintenance, and use of student personal information. 

Benefits of Xello

• Students gain career awareness, exploration and preparation all in one comprehensive platform, which grows with them throughout their K-12 education experience.
• Students easily create and revise their Educational Development Plan and Talent Portfolios each school year.
• Educators can review student interests, skills and abilities over the course of their K-12 education. This helps guide them in their career readiness journey unique to student's own experiences and talents.

Explore Career Options

Invest in yourself! Take the time to research a variety of careers. The following are some excellent  career planning tools:

Explore careers:

Apprenticeship Tools:

Additional resources:

If you have any questions regarding career exploration, job shadowing, or would like to schedule an appointment for individual career advice, please contact: Ms. Armbruster at rileys@trentonschools.com or by calling the Career Center at 734.365.0595.

• Xello is an engaging online program that helps students build skills, knowledge and plans to be ready for the future!
  • Go to: https://login.xello.world/ 
  • Username: School email address
  • Password: Student ID
• Pathfinder– Explore careers, schools, and programs in Michigan to find the path that is right for www.pathfinder.mitalent.org
• Youth Solutions - Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates is the Michigan affiliate of the national Jobs for America’s Graduates network, one of the largest and most successful student-centered programs that help young people achieve their fullest potential.
• My Next Move – Career exploration and free assessment! Great information sponsored by U.S. Department of Labor. mynextmove.org
• Occupational Outlook Handbook - A guide to career information about hundreds of occupations! All information is from the Department of Labor www.bls.gov/ooh
• Roadtrip Nation - See careers come to life through stories and advice from people who’ve been in your shoes. roadtripnation.com/explore
  • Podcasts are also available!
  • Roadmap: Find Your Path with Roadtrip
• A Day In The Life - Going Pro with Skilled Trades
• Check out our Trades page on the THS website. We have tons of great resources for you to review. 
• Goal and Action Planning Worksheet
• Career OneStop
• Job Shadowing Experience
• Michigan's Hot 50 Careers
• Michigan's Career Clusters
• Climbtheladder Career Paths
• Occupational Outlook Handbook
• MI labor market information

Job Shadowing Opportunities

Job shadowing is an excellent way to get a true sense of what it is like to work at a particular job. THS students are encouraged to participate in this valuable experience.  Students will receive a school-related absence for job shadowing if they meet the requirements.

Required steps:

The following resources are available for a virtual job shadowing experience:

What is Job Shadowing? Complete Guide for Students

Learning in a classroom is great and all, but it’s not the only way to gain know-how. In fact, studies show that hands-on learning helps students retain knowledge and score better on tests. It’s for these reasons that many institutes of education have begun to implement more and more real-life learning programs, from the science classroom to career development initiatives. 

In this guide, we’re covering how one specific type of hands-on learning — job shadowing — can help students discover new careers and decide which one to pursue. Because breaking out of the classroom may be just what you need to succeed!

What Is Job Shadowing?

Now let’s cover a few basics of job shadowing. What is it, exactly? Essentially, job shadowing is a short-term experience where a high school student follows and observes a worker in a professional environment. In essence, when you participate in one of these programs, you’re staying in the “shadow” of an employee, going where she goes and doing what she does throughout the day. Think of it like a “day-in-the-life” experience where you get to see exactly what certain professionals do all day.

As you go through your job shadowing program, you’ll get to see the real-life, non-textbook version of a specific job environment. Not only will you observe the main day-to-day tasks, but you’ll also discover nuances you hadn’t considered and get one-on-one access to a person who has real experience in the field. Often, you’ll get a tour of the workplace and be able to engage in a question-and-answer session at the end of the day. 

In other words, when you shadow a professional, you’re effectively giving yourself a behind-the-scenes look at a certain career path. At the end of the day or week, you’ll be able to answer questions like:

What Is Job Shadowing Not?

Job shadowing is not a job, an internship, or an externship. Typically, job shadowing programs only last for a day to a week, so they’re a lot less of a commitment than any of these roles. Many undergraduate programs require students to do multiple shadow experiences throughout the academic year so they can effectively compare roles. What’s more, usually shadows are doing a lot more observing than working, whereas interns and externs typically have their own job duties to perform each day. 

Internships are more about helping budding professionals learn and sharpen their career-related skills, whereas job shadow experiences are more about helping students decide if they want to follow that specific career path to begin with. While interning and externing can also help you determine whether or not you want to fully follow a specific career path, they are usually done later in one’s education or training.

There’s one more important distinction. Most internships for college students also allow participants to earn money or college credit, whereas job shadowing is almost always unpaid and uncredited. It makes sense, since you’re not really working. But that doesn’t mean shadowing is not worth doing. While you may not be gaining cold, hard cash, you are definitely gaining cold, hard insight, and that is just as valuable, as far as we’re concerned!

The Benefits of Job Shadowing

If you’re more of a visual or kinesthetic learner, then you already know that reading about something is usually only about half as good as actually doing it. Being face-to-face with real workers and experiencing a professional environment first-hand will provide you with a realistic view of a certain job and teach you some skills in that trade. Here are some more measurable benefits of job shadowing.

How to Shadow a Professional

Ready to get your shadow on? You can’t just show up at any old workplace and start following people around, because that would be weird. Typically, you need to go through a more formal application and request process to be considered as a shadow candidate. Remember, companies and organizations have a set of privacy and security considerations, so they can’t just let anyone through the doors. Here’s how to find job shadowing programs.

Prepping for Your Shadow Day

It doesn’t matter if you’re a future tradesperson planning to follow a worker for a day, an officer-in-training heading out for a ride-along experience, or a pre-med student getting ready to shadow at a hospital, the preparation is the same! Here are our best tips for preparing for your job shadowing day.

A Day Well Spent

Even if you come away from your job shadowing experience and decide to follow a different career path entirely, you can count it as a worthwhile endeavor, since that one day probably saved you a ton of time and energy in the long-run. The goal isn’t to come away from your shadow day as an expert in the field, but instead to come away with a little bit of a deeper understanding so that you can decide whether or not it’s worth a more time-consuming investment.

If you have any questions regarding career exploration, job shadowing, or would like to schedule an appointment for individual career advice, please contact: Mrs. Riley at rileys@trentonschools.com or by calling the Career Center at 734.365.0595

Source credit: https://tallo.com/college-students/what-is-job-shadowing/

1. Students meet with Ms. Armbruster prior to job shadow
2. Parents are required to call the main office and report students out for "job shadowing".
3. Students must complete Job Shadowing Experience Packet and returns it to Ms. Armbruster the day AFTER the job shadow.
4. Students provide a copy of the thank you letter they will be sending to the employer.

• Roadtrip Nation
• Career Village
• Job shadowing is when a student or job-seeker follows and observes a professional for a short period of time, such as a day or a week.
• After you’ve shadowed, you should have a better idea of what professionals do each day and whether or not you can see yourself following that career path. 
• Finding a job shadowing opportunity in your future field may be easier than you think with the help of your school or personal connections.
• Can I see myself working in this field for my entire career?
• Would I feel fulfilled and rewarded on a daily basis?
• Would I leave each day feeling stressed or worried?
• Do I have the personality, soft skills, and knowledge to work in this field?
• Would I enjoy working with these kinds of people?
• Job shadowing helps students rule out careers. Figuring out what you don’t want to do is just as important as figuring out what you do want to do, and shadowing is a great tool for that task. It may help you decide that a role you’ve always considered just isn’t for you, and that’s totally fine.
• Job shadowing helps students stay in school. Interestingly, a survey conducted among students who had recently completed a job shadowing program showed that 88 percent of students felt that participating in the program helped them realize the importance of staying in school.
• Job shadowing teaches students professionalism. Spending time in the workplace can leave students with core values that will help them maintain jobs in the future, such as how to speak and dress professionally and how to be on time in the morning.
• Job shadowing lets students ask questions and get real answers. Think of it like an extended career day at school, where you get eight+ hours of access to professionals and you can ask them anything you want. From the nitty-gritties of the schedule to the fringe benefits of the career, you can — and should — ask everything you want to know!
• Job shadowing demonstrates the use of applied skills. Math? Science? Reading comprehension? Yep, they’re all actually used in the “real world,” and mastering them is super important to helping you get ahead in your career. Sometimes it helps to see how classroom learning translates in a professional environment.
• Job shadowing helps students zero-in on one role. You may know that you want to work in medicine, marketing, or media, but not be totally sure in what capacity. Job shadowing is a quick and easy way to compare one specific job to the next so you can get super-specific about what job you want in the future.
• Job shadowing emphasizes the realness of certain roles. It’s hard to understand from a classroom setting, but there’s a reason why good paying jobs are good paying jobs. They often come with stressors and pressure that simply can’t be felt through schooling, but shadowing programs help illuminate them.
• Talk to your counselors, advisors, and teachers, because chances are they already have formal job shadowing programs put in place for this very purpose. If you’re in college, stop by your school’s career services office to get some options. They may have specific relationships with employers who let students come and observe on occasion. This is a great way to go about it, because the school’s connections could also lead to an internship or even a job down the road.
• Reach out to workplaces directly. If it’s a bigger company or organization, such as a hospital or a government agency like the U.S. Postal Service, they likely already have a set program in place for individuals who want to shadow. Do a quick Google search to see if they’ve outlined any programs on their website, and if you don’t see anything, it doesn’t hurt to give them a call or send an email directly.
• Talk to people you know who work in the field. Getting out of your comfort zone is an important part of transitioning from school to career, but it doesn’t hurt if you already know someone in the field who can make you feel a bit more at ease on your shadow day. Smaller businesses may be more likely to allow you to shadow if you already have a personal connection.
• Reach out to professional organizations. Different professional groups, including associations and unions, are often concerned with getting more young people into the field and may have programs set up for shadowing. If you’re looking to shadow within a skilled trade, such as plumbing or HVAC, reach out to your local union representing that trade. If you think you want to be a lawyer, the local bar association can help connect you with shadowing opportunities in your area.
• Write down a list of questions to ask throughout the day or during a question-and-answer session at the end. Add to it as you go. Get specific with your questions and try not to be too vague or open-ended. Some great questions to help you get a better idea of the job include:
  • What classes or certifications can I take to get ahead in the field?
  • Do you like working in this field and at this company/organization?
  • What is your work-life balance like? Do you have free time?
  • Do you consider your job rewarding or enjoyable?
  • What are the biggest challenges of the job?
  • What are some fringe benefits of working here?
  • What’s your favorite and least favorite part of working here?
• Figure out what to wear. Talk to an advisor or someone in the field about appropriate attire for the specific workplace where you’re shadowing.
• Don’t stress! You’ll be out of place, and you’ll probably feel out of place, too. It comes with the territory, and it’s totally fine to be nervous.
• Know that some things will be off-limits. Patient, customer, and client privacy are a huge deal, so don’t be offended if you can’t see everything.
• Keep a diary or a page in your Notes app dedicated to your thoughts and feelings on each experience, adding to it as soon as you get home (not while shadowing). This will help you remember how you felt and help you weigh your options later.
• Turn your phone on silent or power it off completely. You want to absorb everything you possibly can without distraction while showing professionalism and respect. Some workplaces, including many hospitals, even ban phones for safety reasons, so make sure you follow any and all rules regarding tech.
• Bring lunch or a snack, just in case. Lunch isn’t a guarantee, so make sure you’ve got something on hand so you don’t get too hungry on the job!

Thinking About Joining the Trades After High School?

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Students considering pursuing a job in the skilled trades should ask themselves:

What do I like to do?

What materials and equipment do I want to work with?

What skills do I possess and want to build on?

Where would I like to see myself in five years?

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Apprenticeship Finder: https://www.apprenticeship.gov/apprenticeship-industries

Michigan Apprenticeships: https://miroad2work.org/michigan-apprenticeships/

Michigan-specific information on the following trades: https://www.mitalent.org?skilled-trades 

Career Stop: https://www.careeronestop.org/

Apprenticeship Application Notification (Operating Engineers): https://www.oe324.org/application/

Southeast Michigan Construction Academy Apprenticeship Programs: https://semcaschool.org/

Michigan Construction: https://www.michiganconstruction.com/

Detroit Training Center: http://detroittraining.com/

PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS: Detroit Training Center aims to provide the best experience to each individual looking to take courses at our facility, whether it be week-long programs or single courses. If you are considering taking one of our classes and would like to learn more about the steps you need to take to move forward in your career, please fill out this short form so that we can advise you in the process. We do not currently accept walk-ins to our facility but have organized online sessions on weekdays at 11am via our Facebook page. 

Workforce Development Programs incude: 

Focus: HOPE (Metro Detroit Residents)

SER Metro-Detroit (Metro Detroit Residents)

Additional resources and events for students’ exploration in the skilled trades

Apprenticeship Tools:

A day in the life: https://www.going-pro.com/a-day-in-the-life/

Skilled Trades Task Force Meeting

The THS Career Center can help! Come see Mrs. Riley in B101

• Matches students’ skills with appropriate apprenticeships using the Apprenticeship Finder
• Resources for these fields:
  • Advanced Manufacturing
  • Construction
  • Energy
  • Financial Services
  • Healthcare
  • Hospitality
  • Information Technology
  • Telecommunications
  • Transportation
  • Also, it offers students the opportunity to create their own apprenticeship program
• Specialized information for physical labor apprenticeships - click on each link below for additional information!
  • Boilermakers
  • Bricklayers & Restoration Workers
  • Carpenters
  • Carpenters/Floor Layers
  • Carpenters/Lathers
  • Cement Masons
  • Construction Craft Laborers
  • Drywall Finishers/Tapers
  • Electrical Workers
  • Elevator Constructors
  • Glaziers and Glassworkers
  • Heat and Frost Insulators
  • Iron Workers
  • Millwrights
  • Operating Engineers
  • Outside Lineman
  • Painters
  • Pipefitters, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Service (HVAC)
  • Plasterers
  • Plumbers
  • Roofers and Waterproofers
  • Sheet Metal Workers
  • Sprinkler Fitters
  • Tile, Marble and Terrazzo Masons
• • Advanced Manufacturing
  • Automotive
  • Construction
  • Energy
  • Healthcare
  • Information Technology (IT)
• Allows students to search within a location radius for opportunities near them 
• Sponsored by the US Dept of Labor
• Useful links and guides for military options, finding work with a criminal conviction, entry level work, work with disabilities, self-employment, native American program finders & apprenticeship search 
• Additional financial and scholarship information 
• Organization consisting of employer partners from around the State of Michigan, that have open job and career opportunities in construction.
• Contact: 844-200-4838
• Email: info@michiganconstruction.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/constructionmi/
• Twitter: @ConstructionMI
• Offers customized vocational programs of study, tailored to meet the needs of individuals, contractors, governmental, and non-profit organizations.
• Contact: Stephanie Vomuolakis, 313-221-5876
• Email: Stephanie@detroittraining.com
• Heavy Equipment Operator Training Program
• Blight Removal Training Program
• Commercial Driver's License Training Program
• MIG Welding Production Program
• Masonry Restoration Training Program
• Job training in machining and information technology, job readiness training, courses to upgrade math and reading skills, GED preparation.
• 1200 Oakman Blvd. Detroit, Michigan 48238
• Web: https://www.focushope.edu/
• Bridges to Career Opportunities Program
• YouthBuild Construction Institute
• Remediation in math and reading, GED training, literacy and education, job readiness skills training, occupational skills training, vocational skills training.
• 9301 Michigan Ave. Detroit, Michigan 48210
• Web: https://www.sermetro.org
• Monthly meetings are held throughout Detroit with presentations from various union representatives about apprenticeship and employment requirements and opportunities.
• Contact: Council President Brenda Jones: 313-224-1245 or 313-628-2993
• E-mail: WesleyL@Detroitmi.gov

Work Permits

The State of Michigan requires that all minors under 18 years of age must obtain a work permit or a written agreement or contract entered into between the employer and the governing school district, public school academy, or nonpublic school before starting work.

To read more about the State of Michigan's Youth Employment Standards Act (YESA), click here.

Students may request a blank work permit in person from Mrs. Watson at the board office, or you may print a blank one using the following links:

Work Permit for minors under 16 years of age - must be printed in landscape orientation.

Work Permit for minors 16 and 17 years of ageWork Permit

The minor fills out Section 1 in ink, then the employer will fill out Section 2. The permit must be signed by an administrator at the board office before the student returns the completed permit to the employer. You must do this in person at the board office with your ID.  The ID must have the minor's date of birth. Mrs. Watson will take a copy of the work permit and return the original to the student.  

If the minor changes jobs, a new work permit is required for the new employer.

GAP Year Programs

Gap Years are more than for students who aren't "ready for college." And while many bonafide Gap Year students are indeed either burnt out of traditional academia or simply not clear about what they want from four years at university, the impression that a Gap Year is not a precursor to college is simply false: indeed, within one year of completed a Gap Year, 90% of students are actively enrolled in a four-year institution. The earning potential, educational benefits, and access to higher education's resources are very obviously for the benefit of any student who avails themselves of a higher education - and thus you'll find that almost every Gap Year educator is highly encouraging and supportive of students to benefit from their time away, but ultimately to find their way back to a university education.

An excellent option if your student has just completed high school and is searching for a meaningful and challenging experience before formally starting college.

•  American University GAP Program (American University's Gap Program is accredited by the American Gap Association)  School of Professional &  Extended  Studies-American University, located in Washington, D.C.
• Academic Programs International

 - Gap years for high school, college students and adults

 - Fall semester, quarter system, summer, spring and academic years

 - Teach abroad, Intern abroad, summer programs

 - Study abroad programs in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas

 - Programs for all areas of study, including math, science, business, art and more

•  GAP Year Program WorkAway