Helping Parents Become Career Coaches for their Children

NOTE: A list of upcoming sessions follows this release.

More parents can take part in a course that helps them prepare their children for good jobs.

Parents as Career Coaches workshops are taking place in 25 schools across the province in the coming months. The course is now available to parents of junior-high students as well as high-school students.

"Parents want to help their children make good choices. They know their children's interests and abilities, and research shows that kids often turn to their parents first for career advice," said Education Minister Ramona Jennex.

"This program gives parents more tools to help their children make informed decisions, and it is now more accessible and available for parents of younger students as well."

Parents as Career Coaches gives parents resources and information they can use to help their children explore their interests and understand the essential qualities, attitudes and skills that will help them on their journey from school to the workforce.

The course helps equip young people to meet Nova Scotia's growing labour market needs.

"I found this course very helpful and I feel that I am better prepared to aid my child in making plans for her future," said Shelly MacDonald, mother of a Grade 9 student at Graham Creighton Junior High in Cherry Brook.

The province committed in the Kids and Learning First plan, introduced one year ago, to double the offerings of Parents as Career Coaches by June 2014. That goal will be exceeded this year, as courses will be held in at least 55 schools by the end of 2012-13, up from 13 in 2010-11. More than 800 parents are expected to participate this year.

"The Parents as Career Coaches program is vital to students and the career paths they choose," said Brad Stokes, principal of Horton High School in Greenwich. "Having parents trained to be able to help with those decisions is invaluable."

Parents can sign up for workshops by contacting their school or visiting http://parentsascareercoaches.ca.

Middle school/junior high school sessions will be held at 6:30 p.m. except for Cape Breton Highlands Education Centre and Shelburne Regional High, which will begin at 6 p.m.:

• Feb. 7--East Richmond Education Centre, 9366 Pepperell St., St. Peters
• Feb. 12--Bayview Education Centre, 133 Company Rd., Port Hood
• Feb. 12--Leslie Thomas Junior High, 100 Metropolitan Ave., Lower Sackville
• Feb. 20--John Martin Junior High, 7 Brule St., Dartmouth
• Feb. 25--Sir Robert Borden Junior High, 16 Evergreen Dr., Dartmouth
• March 4--Sherwood Park Education Centre, 500 Terrace St., Sydney
• March 5--Breton Education Centre, 667 Eighth St., New Waterford
• March 5--Fairview Junior High, 155 Rosedale Ave., Halifax
• March 21--North Colchester High, 90 Blair Ave., Tatamagouche
• March 21--Bluenose Academy, 18 Tannery Rd., Lunenburg
• April 8--Malcolm Munroe Memorial Junior High, 125 Kenwood Dr., Sydney River
• April 9--Cape Breton Highlands Education Centre, 11070 Cabot Trail, Terre Noire
• April 23--Shelburne Regional High, 415 Woodlawn Dr., Shelburne

Senior high school sessions consist of two evenings and begin at 6:30 p.m.:

• Feb. 11/13--Bridgewater High, 130 York St., Bridgewater
• Feb. 11/18--Northumberland Regional High, 104 Alma Rd., Alma
• Feb. 25/28--Park View Education Centre, 1485 King St., Bridgewater
• Feb. 27/28--Musquodoboit Rural High, 11980 Highway 224, Middle Musquodoboit
• March 6/7--Breton Education Centre, 667 Eighth St., New Waterford
• March 25/26--North Colchester High, 90 Blair Ave., Tatamagouche
• April 10/11--Riverview Rural High, 57 Coxheath Rd., Coxheath
• April 16/17--Inverness Education Centre-Academy, 59 Veterans Memorial Ct., Inverness
• May 22/23--Sir John A. Macdonald High, 31 Scholars Rd., Upper Tantallon