How to Safely Land a How to Safely Land a Helicopter ParentHelicopter Parent

John Pritchett MS, LPC, GCDF

Waukesha County Technical CollegeCareer Development Services

Parent Concerns Parent Concerns for their Children for their Children

HappyHealthySafeSuccessfulSelf Supporting

HelicopterHelicopter Parents Parents

What is the difference between a concerned and helicopter parent?

What is a What is a “Helicopter Parent”?“Helicopter Parent”?

A person who pays extremely close attention to his/her child; termed due to “hovering” closely overhead, whether their children need them or not.

First reference to this term, by Cline and Fay in 1990 "Parenting with Love and Logic: Teaching Children Responsibility".

College administrators began using term in the early 2000’s as the Millennial Generation began reaching college age.

Hovering is increasing in the PreK-12 environment and among employers in the hiring process.

Helicopter Parents

                                                                                                                        

The Research:The Research:38% of students reported that parents had called or attended

meetings with academic advisors.

31% of students reported that their parents had called professors to complain about a grade.

Vanguard Group: 7 of 10 college recruits that are offered positions state "'Let me talk to my parents. I'll get back to you.“

According to the 2006 Recruiting Trends, 31% of employers reported receiving student resumes from parents.

Parents have highest influence on career choice for Generation X (31%) and Millennials (42%)

Helicopter Parents in Helicopter Parents in School and the School and the

WorkplaceWorkplacehttp://abcnews.go.com/Video/player?

ip=198.150.96.50&affil=&debug=&catId=&id=3699308

http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&brand=msnbc&vid=47ed1607-9761-4334-b6bd-b66c9bc9a1c1

Landing Plans for Landing Plans for Helicopter ParentsHelicopter Parents

Parents as Parents as Partners in Partners in

Career Career PlanningPlanning

Parents as Partners in Parents as Partners in Career Planning - Career Planning -

WorkshopsWorkshopsCommunication and Career Planning

using the MBTI

Realizing the Dream

Post High School Options

Communication and Communication and Career Planning using Career Planning using

the MBTIthe MBTI

Personality types are used as a tool to aid in communication between parents and their children

MBTI results are used to explore careers based on type and temperament

Realizing The DreamRealizing The Dream• Designed for parents along with their

students in 7th through 8th grades.• Parents help students identify interests,

abilities, and work preferences.• Participants learn about current and

future trends in the labor market.• Students explore potential careers based

on the results of career exploration activities.

Post High School Post High School OptionsOptions

AgendaAgendaWorkshop OverviewWelcome / Registrations / IntroductionsThe Career Planning Process• The Career ConstellationDecision MakingGoal SettingPost High School Education and Training

Options Page 1

Post High School Post High School OptionsOptions

AgendaAgenda Labor Market TrendsCareer Assessments• IDEAS (Interest Assessment)• WISCareersHow Parents can Help• Informational Interviewing• Occupational Family TreeCareer Development Services – Web Links Page 2

The Career The Career ConstellationConstellation

“Most people consider their career to be a series of progressive and related jobs or occupations, but a career is what we do to make a life, not just earn a living.”

LeeAnn Bernier-Clarke, MEd, NCC, NCCC

Choosing a career is a Choosing a career is a big decisionbig decision

Planning for the future is not something you do once. It's an ongoing process. Career planning has three steps that your child will cycle through and repeat throughout his or her working life.

The Career Planning The Career Planning ProcessProcess

The Three Steps in the The Three Steps in the Career Planning Career Planning

ProcessProcessStep One: Know yourself

Evaluate yourself—your interests, abilities, skills, and work values.  

Step Two: Explore options and choose a direction Gather information to consider regarding career options that

relate to what you know about yourself.   Step Three: Make plans and take action

Consider issues that can affect your plans and take appropriate actions to accomplish your goals.

Post-High School Post-High School Education and Training Education and Training

OptionsOptionsOn-the-Job TrainingMilitaryApprenticeshipTrade SchoolTechnical CollegeCommunity College4-Year College

Reasons noted as “very Reasons noted as “very important” in deciding to go to important” in deciding to go to

collegecollegeTo learn more about things that interest me

76.8 %To be able to get a better job 70.4To get training for a specific career 69.2To be able to make more money 69.0To gain a general education and

appreciation of ideas 64.3To prepare myself for graduate or

professional school 57.7To make me a more cultured person 41.7%

Reasons noted as “very Reasons noted as “very important” in deciding to go to important” in deciding to go to

collegecollegeParents wanted me to go 46.4%

Wanted to get away from home 21.1%

A mentor or role model encouraged me to go 17.2%

I could not find a job 5.6%

Nothing better to do 4.1%

College-Going DecisionsCollege-Going Decisions46.4% cite “parents wanted me to go” as a very important reason

Reason for Attending College:"My Parents Wanted Me To Go"

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003

Perc

ent "

very

impo

rtan

t"

College-Going DecisionsCollege-Going Decisions

Why go to any college? 21.1% – to get away from home 8.7% in 1978

Why pick your particular college?19.6% – Living near home was very important

reason in selecting college

College-Going DecisionsCollege-Going Decisions

Parental influence at both ends of the spectrumStudents go to college near homeStudents go to college to get away from home

Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP)Higher Education Research Institute (HERI)

Graduate School of Education & Information StudiesUniversity of California, Los Angeles

http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/heri.html

Source: Source: The American Freshman:The American Freshman:National Norms for Fall National Norms for Fall 20062006 Sylvia Hurtado & John H. Pryor Sylvia Hurtado & John H. Pryor January 19, 2007January 19, 2007

Labor Market TrendsLabor Market TrendsCurrent RecessionTraining RequirementsAging WorkforceJob vs. Career SecurityDid You Know?

Job Losses in Recent Recessions - Wisconsin - # of Months Since Recession Declaration

-8.0%

-7.0%

-6.0%

-5.0%

-4.0%

-3.0%

-2.0%

-1.0%

0.0%

1.0%

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61

Source: DWD, OEA, X12 adjustment of not seasonally adjusted CES via U.S. BLS

Job

Loss

es R

elati

ve to

Pea

k M

onth

1981 Recession 1990 Recession

2001 Recession Current Recession

U.S. Unemployment Rate x Educational Attainment, Ages 25+

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%

16.0%

18.0%

Jan 20

07

Feb 20

07

Mar 2007

Apr 20

07

May 200

7

Jun 20

07Jul

2007

Aug 20

07

Sep 20

07

Oct 2007

Nov 20

07

Dec 20

07

Jan 20

08

Feb 20

08

Mar 2008

Apr 20

08

May 200

8

Jun 20

08Jul

2008

Aug 20

08

Sep 20

08

Oct 2008

Nov 20

08

Dec 20

08

Jan 20

09

Feb 20

09

Mar 2009

Apr 20

09

May 200

9

Jun 20

09Jul

2009

Aug 20

09

Sep 20

09

Oct 2009

Nov 20

09

Dec 20

09

Jan 20

10

Feb 20

10

Mar 2010

Apr 20

10

May 201

0

Jun 20

10

Source: U.S BLS, seasonally adjusted

Less than a high schooldiploma

High school graduates, nocollege

Less than a bachelor's degree

College graduates

start of recession

Educational/ Training Requirements of Job Base, 2008 and 2018

35.9%

7.9%

14.9%

2.0%

5.8%

8.5%7.3%

17.7%

7.9%

15.6%

2.1%

5.9%

8.4%7.2%

17.2%

35.7%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Short-term OJT Moderate-termOJT

Long-term OJT WorkExperience in

RelatedOccupation

PostsecondaryVocationalTraining

AssociateDegree

Bachelor'sDegree

BA +Experience, MA,

Ph.D,Professional

degreeSource: DWD, OEA, Long-term occupational Projections, 2008-2018

2008 2018

U.S. jobs most in U.S. jobs most in demand, 2010demand, 2010

1. Skilled trades (mechanics, electricians, welders)

2. Sales representatives3. Nurses4. Technicians5. Drivers

U.S. jobs most in U.S. jobs most in demand, 2010demand, 2010

6. Restaurants, hotel staff7. Management/executives8. Engineers9. Doctors10. Customer support and serviceSource: Manpower Inc.

New and Emerging New and Emerging IndustriesIndustries

Water Supply SystemsScience and technology R&DClean energy and power plantsTransportation systemsAgricultural technologies and solutionsPromoting sustainable living Source: The Futurist may-June 2010

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

900,000ages 15 - 24 ages 60 - 69

Projected Labor Force Entrants and Exiters, Wisconsin, 2005-2035

When Gray is Golden When Gray is Golden Business in an Aging AmericaBusiness in an Aging America

Health CareHome ProductsRecreation and Leisure ServicesFinancial Services and ProductsEducational ServicesBusiness ConsultingWellness and Youth-Enhancing ProductsSource: The Futurist July-August 1992

Job SecurityJob Security ”is the probability that an individual

will keep his or her job; a job with a high level of job security is such that a person with the job would have a small chance of becoming unemployed.”

Source-Wikipedia

Career PathCareer PathIn the past, a person’s career path

was often like an escalator ride!

Rockwell Automation Rockwell Automation (Allen-Bradley)(Allen-Bradley)

“The developments at Rockwell Automation are hardly unique to Milwaukee - or to America. Globalization has transformed our economy at its core, and no amount of coaxing will put the genie back into the bottle.”

Source: One Union’s Demise by John Gurda

Career SecurityCareer Security“It’s the ability to stay employed in jobs of our

choosing, regardless of the economic situation in any country or the financial condition of any one employer.”

“Career security is something we create for ourselves, so we control what happens to us in the workplace.  We become the master of our career, rather than its victim.”

Source: Weddles.com

How How Parents Parents

can Help!can Help!

Informational Informational InterviewingInterviewing

One of the best sources for gathering information about what’s happening in an occupation or an industry is to talk to people working in the field. This process is called Informational Interviewing.

Occupational Family Occupational Family TreeTree

Families play a major role in shaping their children’s educational and career decisions.

An Occupational family Tree can help explore family values, traditions and expectations

Web ResourcesWeb ResourcesWaukesha County Technical College

http://www.wctc.edu

WCTC Career Development Services-Youth Services

http://www.wctc.edu/web/career/careerdev/youth.php

WISCareers http://wiscareers.wisc.edu

For More Information For More Information or Questionsor Questions

John Pritchett, MS, LPC, GCDF

Waukesha County Technical College

(262) 695-7847

jpritchett@wctc.edu