By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph will provide adults without a college degree with free career evaluations.
The evaluation will help people identify careers that best match their interests, as well as educational pathways to get there.
Director of the Missouri Western Career Development Center Jerri Arnold-Cook says these events are designed not for current students, but for people that haven't had the means or time to go to college.
"Maybe they don't have any interest in going back to school full time but they're living in our community and they could increase their earning potential and they could perhaps find a little bit more of a rewarding job than the one they're in," Arnold-Cook tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "Is it better aligned with their skills and abilities."
The career evaluations will open up educational opportunities for people to enroll in one of five micro-credentials. Each course ranges from nine to 14 credit hours.
Arnold-Cook says each micro-credential came from a major workforce need in the St. Joseph community.
"So, it wasn't just a bunch of academics sitting around in offices saying we should just do this it sounds good there's actually a need for people with these skills in the St. Joe greater community area," Arnold-Cook explains. "So, it's really a workforce development initiative."
The micro-credentials include early childhood education, special education, and digital media among others.
It will also help them learn about how to increase potential earnings.
Arnold-Cook says the potential pay increase depends on what role the person is already in.
"We do have some roles in our community that are very highly paid," Arnold-Cook says. "So, recently I had a student who received an email to make like 25, 30 dollars an hour being a maintenance worker in a plant, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, that is great money."
But Arnold-Cook says if you want to pursue a job in Early Childhood Education, for example, this opportunity might help you find ways to get there.
There will be three Find My Path Days, the first two being held at Missouri Western today and next Tuesday July 19th from 1 - 4 pm.
The third event will be held Saturday August 13th from 1-4 pm at the Rolling Hills Library. Registration is required for all three events.