Report analysis by Jennifer Leonard and Tacara Guice. Tacara Guice, database intern for The Skills Library, categorized the open-ended responses and prepared the graphics for this report. Read more about The Skills Library on the “About” page. The First Career Steps Survey asks students to list up to four career areas that they might be […]
First Career Steps Survey: Student Career Interests
http://skillspages.com/blog/?p=1293
The Mosaic Economy – Exploring Labor Markets in a Mosaic Economy

The concept of the mosaic economy suggests a fresh approach to analyzing labor market trends. The job market can be very dynamic, with new opportunities emerging as the economy shapes and re-shapes itself. People work in many creative efforts, often in jobs that do not fit neatly into the categories defined by labor market statistics. […]
http://skillspages.com/blog/?p=1072
Labor Market Statistics & New Occupations

If you use labor market data, you know that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) generally tracks employment information for a list of over one thousand occupations. The BLS faces the challenge of tracking a consistent list from year-to-year, while also keeping the list of occupations up-to-date, reflecting the jobs that are common in the […]
http://skillspages.com/blog/?p=943
Career Values
What are career values? “Values” are the qualities that you hope to find in your job … such as the way you want to connect with the world or the work styles that you hope to experience. Career values are different from career interests: your career values can be fulfilled across different career interest areas. For example, […]
http://skillspages.com/blog/?p=784
A Vision for Career Readiness

How do students in Massachusetts attain the knowledge and skills needed for career readiness? 1.) Strong academic foundation — having a strong foundation in core subject areas — with skills including literacy and communication skills, critical thinking, mathematical literacy, civic awareness, history and economic literacy, scientific literacy, information skills, the arts, music and languages. 2.) […]
http://skillspages.com/blog/?p=575
“First Career Steps” Survey
A few weeks ago I started a survey called “First Career Steps” — posting on Facebook and encouraging other people to re-post on their websites, Facebook and other social media sites. Responses have been coming in and it promises to provide really interesting and valuable data. Here are the survey links and a description of the survey. This is a great opportunity to let […]
http://skillspages.com/blog/?p=500
Exploring College and Career Readiness
Throughout the country, schools and youth programs are paying renewed attention to supporting youth in developing readiness for post-high-school education and jobs. The term “College and Career Readiness” has become a key phrase in policy and programming. These words can have many variations in meaning, from a narrow interpretation around a specific post-high-school path to […]
http://skillspages.com/blog/?p=476
The New Economy and Career Readiness: Part II
The question “Where are the job opportunities in the current economy?” does not have a quick, neat answer. More than ever, the economy is fluid, with new opportunities always emerging. The current economy provides a mosaic of career opportunities. While there are many well-defined career paths and many familiar jobs and job titles, there are […]
http://skillspages.com/blog/?p=375
The New Economy and Career Readiness: Part I
Ask some small children what they want to be when they grow up. Most likely, their answers will cluster around a few well-known occupations – teacher, firefighter, veterinarian or doctor. Then ask their parents what jobs they have and the answers will be quite varied, including many jobs that children (and most high school and […]
http://skillspages.com/blog/?p=357