Graduation is here, for rising seniors it's time to think about the future
DES MOINES, Iowa — Several area high schools are celebrating their graduates this weekend, and for those now moving into their final year of school, it's time to think about the future.
Plenty of maroon caps and gowns at the Knapp Center Friday night, and Dowling Catholic High School held its graduation ceremony on the campus of Drake University.
While the class of 2025 gets ready to head off to college or trade school, the military, or into the workforce, high school counselors say it's never too early for the next round of high schoolers to start thinking about the future.
And that can … at times … be pretty overwhelming.
'The fear of moving away from home, maybe, or thinking about choosing the wrong path. And it's being in something that doesn't take them where they want to go. I think that can cause a lot of fear. And then, you know, just getting good grades, passing courses, and being able to take the next step of going to a trade school or doing whatever they're looking for in the future, is making sure they have what they need to do that,' said Beatrice Kramer at the Iowa Virtual Academy.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, nearly 63% of high school graduates went on to study at a 2- or 4-year college or university last year. That means many soon-to-be seniors will spend this summer and next year investigating schools in and out of state. High school counselors say it's always important to look at the programs being offered, the size of the institution, and to get a feel for the campus by taking a visit.
However, college degrees aren't the only option for recent graduates.
'We're seeing more and more the need for students or people to enter the fields of trades. That's a lot of different opportunities with vocational training. Whether it just be an apprenticeship or little training programs that are shorter and they're not as long as maybe some of your college experiences might be. So they can start to investigate those trades, and those are a good option. And they have good salaries, so those can be beneficial for students as well,' said Kramer.
If your student really doesn't know what they want to do, there are some online tools that can help.
Iowa Workforce Development has curated a portal of career exploration and information. Some of their features include 'Hot Jobs,' which projects occupations with strong growth potential, as well as helping individuals get connected in professions that may require licensing or coursework.
The U.S. Department of Labor and the AmericanJobCenter network teamed up for CareerOneStop, which guides fresh graduates through career exploration, job training, and the job search. To explore their services, visit the CareerOneStop website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Wisconsin youth services organization to shut down following federal contract cancellation
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WFRV) – A youth services organization with employees in Wisconsin is no longer being contracted by the U.S. Department of Labor, thus ending its operation. According to a Worker Adjustment and Retention Notification (WARN) letter submitted to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD), the Milwaukee Job Corps Center, also known as Horizons Youth Services, has had its contract canceled with the U.S. Department of Labor, resulting in nearly 100 layoffs. Wisconsin Department of Transportation warning residents of fake DMV link scams The termination of this contract will result in the permanent layoff of 97.75 Horizons Youth Services employees and 2.55 additional staff who are employed by their subcontract partners. The WARN letter says the employees will lose their jobs between June 6 and June 30. 5x Grammy award-winning rap icon Lil Wayne coming to Wisconsin The affected employees are not represented by a union and there are no bumping or transfer rights. For more details on the layoff, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
160 St. Paul students facing homelessness after federal government cuts Job Corps funding
160 St. Paul students facing homelessness after federal government cuts Job Corps funding originally appeared on Bring Me The News. The Trump administration's decision to pull funding from the Jobs Corps program will lead to the closure of the center in St. Paul that provides job training and housing for more than 160 young students. The U.S. Department of Labor announced on May 29 a "phased pause in operations" at Jobs Corps sites by June 30, with the government claiming that the training and housing program for Americans aged 16-24 was "longer achieving the intended outcomes that students deserve." But despite the claim of a "pause" in operations by June 30, the 162 residents and 100 staff at the Hubert H. Humphrey Jobs Corps Center have already been told the site is closing, and were initially given until Tuesday, June 3, to exit the premises. KARE 11 reports this has since been extended to June 12. "We remain committed to ensuring all participants are supported through this transition and connected with the resources they need to succeed as we evaluate the program's possibilities," said Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer. The St. Paul facility has been open for 44 years and the wider Jobs Corps program has been operating since 1964, providing low-income Americans aged 16-24 with free vocational training and housing to help them obtain employment. In its announcement, the Trump administration cited a "transparency" report compiled by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that stated the average graduation rate at Jobs Corps is 38.6% and the average cost per student per year is $80,264. It also raised concern about the number of "serious incident" reports filed among students enrolled in the program, which it says almost reached 15,000 in 2023. But the National Jobs Corps Association has criticized the figures, stating that "serious incidents" is a broad term that also includes "power outages and inclement weather, athletic injuries that require treatment, and adult students leaving campus without prior approval." It also shared video of a congressional hearing that revealed the cost-per-hire and per-graduate figures were taken "at the height of the COVID pandemic" when enrollment was down by more than a third due to restrictions on the number of students it could serve. Democratic Senator Jack Reed accused the government of cherry-picking data to support the program's cut. Per the Pioneer Press, there has also been criticism that the average graduation rate is misleading as its weighted down by students who leave within the first few weeks of enrolling, and those who leave the program because they have a job offer – the latter of which fulfills the aim of the program. The closure has been slammed by DFL lawmakers in the Twin Cities, with a joint statement from Senate Jobs and Economic Development Chair Bobby Joe Champion and Senate Housing Chair Senator Lindsey Port saying the decision "takes us in the wrong direction." They also criticized pulling the funding for low-income Americans while seeking to push through the extension of major tax cuts benefiting the wealthiest in President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill," which also includes significant cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. "The ripple effects from this decision will reverberate in their communities for decades. This is not only shortsighted, but it is also cruel, especially because these cuts are being made to pay for massive tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans," they said. "This closure is another example of President Trump overreaching executive authority: Congress appropriates funding for Job Corps, and he has no authority to unilaterally cut the program's funds," the statement added. This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Job Corps centers' operations to pause by end of month nationwide
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a phased pause in operations at Job Corps centers nationwide. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Labor Department made the announcement Thursday, according to a media release. The decision was made in compliance with President Trump's 2026 budget proposal and the Administration's 'commitment to ensure federal workforce investments deliver meaningful results for both students and taxpayers.' The pause of all contractor-operated Job Corps centers will occur by June 30. State and local workforce partners are working with the labor department to help current students continue their training with other education and employment opportunities, according to the release. TRENDING STORIES: Delta to discontinue longtime non-stop route from Dayton; New flight to replace Man flies off motorcycle after hitting alligator on highway Escaped zebra remains at large after 'wreaking havoc' on busy interstate According to the release, the program operated at a $140 million deficit in 2024, and the Biden administration paused center operations to complete the program year. The deficit is projected to reach $213 million in 2025. In the release, the U.S. Department of Labor cited the first-ever Job Corps Transparency Report, which was released in April. The summarized findings are as listed in the release: Average Graduation Rate (WIOA Definition): 38.6% Average Cost Per Student Per Year: $80,284.65 Average Total Cost Per Graduate (WIOA Definition): $155,600.74 Post separation, participants earn $16,695 annually on average. The total number of Serious Incident Reports for program year 2023: 14,913 infractions. Inappropriate Sexual Behavior and Sexual Assaults Reported: 372 Acts of Violence Reported: 1,764 Breaches of Safety or Security: 1,167 Reported Drug Use: 2,702 Total Hospital Visits: 1,808 'A startling number of serious incident reports and our in-depth fiscal analysis reveal the program is no longer achieving the intended outcomes that students deserve. We remain committed to ensuring all participants are supported through this transition and connected with the resources they need to succeed as we evaluate the program's possibilities,' U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chaves-DeRemer said. News Center 7 reached out to the Dayton and Cincinnati Job Corps Centers to find out when their exact dates of closure were. Dayton Job Corps Center has not given a statement at this time. The News Center 7 team could not get through to speak to a representative when calling the Cincinnati Job Corps Center. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
