New program to help Springdale students in career studies

Springdale Jr.-Sr. High School officials hope a new career-readiness framework for eighth grade students will get them more prepared for and exposed to future careers.

High school staff debuted the “World of Work” program when students returned to classes last week. Principal Andrew Leviski said it aims to provide early exposure and awareness to career paths, linking students’ interests to career learning.

“At the end of the day, we want to help you grow and get you thinking about future careers,” Leviski told students last week.

The framework, called RIASEC, features six characteristics: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional. Eighth grade students took a quiz to identify their interests and possible future career fields through those categories.

Teachers then take the students’ results and incorporate their strengths into classroom lessons, said Jen Vecchio, the district’s coordinator of curriculum and instruction.

Other districts that use the RIASEC model include Avonworth, Chartiers Valley, Duquesne City, Elizabeth Forward and South Fayette.

Vecchio said eighth grade is the perfect level to pilot the framework because it is just when students are considering attending Forbes Road Career & Technology Center or entering the workforce.

She said the district will continue to use “Xello” for college and career exploration and that RIASEC will complement that.

Leviski said his goal for the program is to expose students to more career fields and tailor their interests into viable job opportunities.

“That’s what we’re really trying to show the kids — there are jobs that haven’t even been developed yet,” he said.

Student Peyton Paulovich said she enjoyed taking the quiz and aspires to be a lawyer.

“It leads you down the right path of what you want to do,” she said.