One-on-One Career Coaching

Valley Rubber, LLC, a partner in education business, hired Horizon Point Consulting, Inc., to provide every high school senior at Falkville High School in Falkville, Alabama, with a 45-minute one-on-one career coaching session with a Certified Career Development Facilitator (CDF). That was four years ago.  Now, because of the success seen in the program and Valley Rubber’s commitment to workforce development and education, Horizon Point coaches work one-on-one with every student (9th-12th grade) at the school.   

This project was designed to help students know themselves and help them determine appropriate plans post-graduation. The expansion of services has included goal setting, soft skills, ACT prep, and college application/scholarship assistance.

Tremendous results can be seen through the coaching:

  • Sixty-one percent (61%) of students indicated an interest in a career field that is in-demand in the area. This is up 3% from the previous year with a cumulative increase of 15%.
  • Valley Rubber awarded 29 scholarships to seniors, which is 58% of the class. This increase in scholarships is consistent with the trend with an increase in overall scholarships awarded. In 2015, it was noted that Falkville High School seniors were offered more scholarships than ever before. In 2016, scholarship monies in excess of 1.1 million were awarded.
  • Positive feedback from job shadowing experiences from both the student and employer perspective has been realized.  For example, post job shadow, one student cited it as a “great experience” that helped shape her plans to become a mechanical engineer.

We accomplished these results through this process:

  1. Discuss pathways and tools to reaching goals set for after high school
  2. Provide assistance with college and scholarship applications
  3. Coordinate financial aid counseling (including FAFSA application assistance)
  4. Provide a list of top scholarships in the area and deadlines
  5. Identify barriers to career and educational attainment and provide tools and resources for overcoming those barriers
  1. Discuss plans after high school
  2. Review in-demand jobs
  3. Coordinate ACT prep prior to test date
  4. Review students’ talents and interests/passions revealed through their Strong assessment (taken prior to second session)
  5. Discuss career connections as well as college majors connected to talent and interest areas
  1. Establish goal setting (including courses to take junior and senior year)
  2. Facilitate a career exploration activity appropriate for sophomores
  3. Discuss soft skills and importance
  4. Review in-demand jobs
  5. Provide “options after high school” information sheet
  1. Establish goal setting (S.M.A.R.T goals activity facilitated)
  2. Facilitate a career exploration activity appropriate for freshman
  3. Discuss soft skills and importance

With continued coaching at Falkville High School, Horizon Point will track success of students by recording increases in ACT scores, scholarships awarded and selection of careers that are in-demand.