Description of Guidance Service

This service provides schools with the means to integrate computers into the instructional process and offer choices of guidance software packages that assist students with selecting up-to-date information for college and career planning.  NERIC offers software licenses, installation, training, coordination and systems analysis for school districts’ choice of any of the following career/college information delivery systems: Choices/Bridges.com, Collegeview, College Counsel, Discover, ExPAN, GIS, Thomson Learning (formerly Peterson’s Directions Guidance Software), COIN Educational Software, Career Futures and Jobs in Pawland.

Software is installed on district owned or BOCES owned microcomputers, standalones or networks. Service includes software program choice(s), training, necessary documentation, manuals (where applicable) and access to group purchases of additional materials. Districts will be responsible for hardware and/or telecommunications.

Service Delivery Standards

The standard hardware for the delivery of all of the guidance software is the appropriate IBM/compatible and/or Macintosh hardware dependent upon the technical specifications of the career information software chosen and any other intended use of the computer. Basic configuration for stand-alone version of most of the software includes a fixed disk unit, color monitor and single diskette drive and a printer, and in some cases CD-ROM and sound capabilities. IBM’s PC-DOS, Windows and MAC system is used as the operating system dependent upon software chosen.

Telecommunications is required for some of the software. LAN versions of the software require Novell for the DOS based systems and AppleTalk for the MACS and Windows as may be specified by the software. As these are single user applications, security is accomplished by controlling access to the system on which the application is installed.

Contact

Penny Roberts
Instructional Coordinator
(518) 456-8830
robertsp@gw.neric.org

Q.: What benefits would students acquire by using career planning software?
A.: Increase the student’s knowledge of different occupations and career areas. To learn more about the world  of work map, skills that are needed to perform certain jobs and to start a thinking process of a career plan for the student.

Q : I know that some career planning software have Interest Inventories that a student can take. What would be   the advantage of that?
A : Students answer questions that pertain to different job values, abilities, or interests. This offers the students career areas or interests that he/she should explore and learn more about. Some of the inventories suggest different activities that one might engage in to get a better understanding of a career area. Another one might recommend high school courses to take.

Career Planning and College Search Links and Resources