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Over the past five weeks, we’ve explored the foundational steps for helping your teen navigate their career path. Together, we’ve looked at their unique skills, interests, and values, considered the benefits of skilled trades and college paths, and explored how these align with their long-term goals.

Now, it’s time to put it all together. This week, we’re focusing on how to make an informed decision that sets your teen on the path to a successful and fulfilling future.

Step-by-Step Decision-Making Framework

Step-by-Step Decision-Making Framework

Here’s a proven process to guide your family through this important decision:

1. Evaluate Training Programs or Schools

• Do the research: Visit trade schools, apprenticeship programs, and colleges to understand their offerings.
  
  
• Compare costs: Consider tuition, potential scholarships, and financial aid options. For trades, explore employer-sponsored training programs.
  
  
• Consider outcomes: Look into graduation rates, job placement statistics, and salary expectations.
  
  

2. Talk to the Experts

• Trade professionals: Speak with those working in skilled trades to hear real-world insights about their career paths.
  
  
• College alumni: Connect with individuals who studied majors your teen is considering.
  
  

3. Explore Hands-On Opportunities

• Encourage your teen to shadow a trade professional for a day or attend a college open house. Seeing the day-to-day realities can be a game changer.

4. Encourage Open Dialogue

• Discuss pros and cons as a family. Reflect on how each path aligns with your teen’s skills, interests, and goals.

A Story to Inspire

Meet the Johnson family. After much deliberation, they helped their son, Alex, choose a career path that aligned with his hands-on skills and love of problem-solving. Alex toured both a trade school and a community college before deciding to pursue an apprenticeship in HVAC systems.

Within three years, Alex was earning a salary that rivaled many college graduates—and he was debt-free. Today, Alex owns his own business and mentors new apprentices. His parents say it was the best decision their family ever made.

Whether your child chooses college or a trade, the right choice is the one that matches their unique talents and ambitions.

Tip: Spend some time with your teen. Help him or her sort out his or her strengths and interests. 

Download this FREE worksheet:

“What Are My Child’s Strengths and Interests?”

[Click Here to Download]

Your feedback is important!

What challenges are you having on your career path? What topics on this subject would you like us to cover next? Comment below. We read ALL comments and provide personalized responses to your questions.