Chicago Heights, IL–(ENEWSPF)–Law enforcement, fire science, information technology, and industrial technology offer excellent career opportunities, and now more than 125 high school girls know these jobs and more are also options for them. Prairie State College (PSC) recently hosted a Non-traditional Pathways Workshop – NTP2 – designed for high school females to learn about non-traditional career programs offered at Prairie State College. The NTP2workshop was held at the PSC Business and Community Education Center on Thursday, March 10, 2011, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Crete-Monee, Rich South, Homewood-Flossmoor, Bloom, and Bloom Trail high schools participated by sending sophomore girls to the first time event.
The keynote speakers were Alisa Swann, business productivity solution specialist with Microsoft Corporation; and Regina Evans, chief of police for Country Club Hills. The speakers talked about their career paths and challenges they faced to achieve their success. They also discussed their educational background and how education helped them succeed.
Breakout sessions focused on different career paths including information on Electrical, Automotive, Information Technology, and Law Enforcement. A panel discussion provided information on career opportunities for women.
“According to the U.S. Department of Labor, non-traditional occupations are jobs which women comprise 25 percent or less of the workforce but which offer higher wage potential and career advancement. This workshop was about starting the conversation with high school females to consider careers in these fields and taking appropriate high school courses so they are better prepared to enter college and on the pathway to success,” said Dr. Debra Prendergast, dean business, mathematics, and science.
PSC is committed to providing information regarding non-traditional careers and employment possibilities. This was the first workshop of this nature and more events are planned. Funding for the workshop was provided by a The New Look grant from the Center for Specialized Professional Support (ICSPS).
For more information on the NTP2 project, contact Prendergast at (708) 709-3689 or [email protected].
