Lisa Roddis had no idea what career she would go into when she enrolled at MSU in the fall of 1999.
Now, the no-preference sophomore has an idea of what she wants to do - thanks to a seminar MSU offered.
“I took a career decisions seminar and it was really helpful,” Roddis said. “My high school did not give very many opportunities before I came to college to help me learn about other careers.”
Roddis attended Gross Pointe South High School, but a recent study done by Ferris State University shows many high schools are at a similar fault.
“A few things jump out from the survey that are most important from my perspective,” Ferris State University President Bill Sederburg said. “One thing is the fact that there is not a well-defined system for young people to have career guidance.”
The study found 55 percent of parents and 45 percent of students agree not enough counseling is going on in the schools.
“The second thing that really jumped out was the bias that the public has towards four-year traditional universities,” Sederburg said. “Seventy-seven percent said they wanted their son or daughter to get a four-year degree.”
Sederburg said the statistics are ironic because the majority of college students in Michigan will drop out or fail before they get a degree, according to the study.
“What we have done is taken the data here at Ferris and begun moving aggressively to the undecided student,” he said. “We think we have been successful so far.”
Phil Gardner, director of Career Services and Placement at MSU, also said high schools are not doing enough.
“High schools need to do a lot more,” Gardner said. “Not just show them a career or an occupation - but the opportunities that are out there and how they can be linked together.”
Gardner said MSU is making efforts to bring these opportunities to students, including a course similar to the one Roddis took, but there is still room for improvement.
“A problem is there is a very narrow focus - we can all do a better job here,” Gardner said. “Parents are the ones who we really have to educate.
“They want everyone at a four year and that’s not the only way to get a good job.”
Gardner said students may not necessarily find what they want at a four-year university.
“What we have to do is get students more aware of their skills,” he said. “As the economy slows down - like the automobile industry in Michigan’s economy - students need to know what other sectors they can shift to.”
Ferris State University has created a Partnership for Career Decision Making - a program aimed at helping high school students discover their career paths.
This partnership includes various state organizations and schools, including Lansing Community College, the Michigan Health Council and William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, but no other four-year universities.
“This data we found needs to be taken seriously by everyone in the state,” Sederburg said. “Perhaps in the future even MSU will be part of this partnership with us.”
