The Career Navigator Program is beginning its fifth year of providing career exploration opportunities to ninth graders throughout Southern Minnesota. Since 2017 South Central College (SCC) and South Central Service Cooperative (SCSC) have partnered with area school districts in the South Central Perkins Consortium to offer the program to thousands of students. This year’s Career Navigator Program is expected to serve 2,632 ninth graders from 28 area schools.
The Career Navigator Program helps students identify career fields they would be interested in and gives them the opportunity to learn about the academic preparation and technical skills needed to succeed.
The program has online and on-campus components. High school teachers and counselors work with their students to begin the career exploration process at their school, which includes access to an online content developed by Lime Valley Advertising and OMG-Otto Media Group.
This preparation is followed by an in-person Career Navigator session at SCC’s Faribault or North Mankato campus. The in-person Career Navigator sessions kicked off on Friday, November 4 at SCC’s Faribault Campus, with 255 students from Alden-Conger, Medford, and Waseca High Schools. There are eight additional Career Navigator events scheduled at SCC’s campuses this academic year.
Upcoming Career Navigator Sessions at SCC Faribault Campus, 1224 Third Street, SW:
- November 18: 225 students from Tri-City United and New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva High Schools
- December 2: 275 students from Faribault High School
Upcoming Career Navigator at SCC North Mankato Campus, 1920 Lee Boulevard:
- January 27: 307 students from Mankato Central and Mankato West High Schools
- February 17: 315 students from Cleveland, Janesville Waldorf Pemberton, Sibley East and Waterville-Elysian-Morristown High Schools
- February 24: 391 students from Mankato East High School
- March 3: 259 students from Blue Earth Area , Madelia and Maple River High schools as well as students from Minnesota Valley Education District and Riverbend Education District
- March 17: 339 students from Butterfield-Odin, Sleepy Eye, St. Clair and St. Peter High Schools and Mankato Public Charter School
- March 24: 266 students from Lake Crystal Welcome Memorial, Le Sueur-Henderson, Mankato Loyola and St. James High Schools