Career Foundations

Career Foundations is a no-cost, 3-year career development program for Portland high school students (ages 17-21) who are interested in jumpstarting their professional careers through early success in college and/or employment. The program includes training and workshops, and each enrollee is assigned a designated Career Advisor who is responsible for helping him or her achieve long-term success. See the “Enrollment Information” section below to find out how to enroll.

Program Features:

• Orientation - Our 1-week orientation is held both at Open Meadow and offsite at other locations (offered after school, once every six weeks). Our goal is that during orientation students learn the expectations and benefits of enrolling in Career Foundations, and that they begin to develop relationships with their peers and Career Advisors. In addition, we get them started in the development of their post-high-school career plan and learn about crucial job-seeking skills like resume writing and interviewing.


• Training and Workshops - Open Meadow holds regular workshops that Career Foundations participants have access to throughout their enrollment. These workshops include topics such as job searching, personal finance, college enrollment, and FAFSA, as well as advancement topics such as “asking for a raise”.


• College Support - Our College Success Project will help you explore and get enrolled in college, and provide intensive on-campus support during your first year at PCC, MHCC, or PSU. We will do everything we can to make sure you stay motivated and succeed, whether you are pursuing an occupational training, an Associates Degree, or a Bachelors Degree.


• Job/Internship Placement - We partner with diverse organizations that offer paid internship and work experiences for our training enrollees.


• Career Advising - Each participant has a Career Advisor who acts as a mentor, advocate and career coach. Career Advisors help advisees refine their goals, set up action plans, and make connections to the professional world.


• Long-Term Support - Open Meadow makes a three-year commitment to the career development of each participant, so programming goes far beyond initial job placements. Career Advisiors help participants plan for long-term financial stability, post-secondary education, and advancement in their chosen career field beyond entry-level employment.


• Support Services - Career Services can provide incentives, stipends, transportation support and other supportive services for youth who are actively engaged in programming and have a demonstrated need.

Frequently Asked Questions -

• When does the training start? Trainings occur after school throughout the year (about once every six weeks) between 3 and 6 pm. Location/Starting Date details for Program Year 2008-2009 have not been completely ironed out, but if you are interested, check out the “Enrollment Information” section below to find out the process for signing up.

• How do I know if I am a good fit for the program? Career Foundations is focused on helping young people who don’t have much work experience. If you haven’t had too many jobs, or if you haven’t had in-depth support on topics such as resume writing or interviewing, this could be a great learning experience. Our ongoing Career Advising services are meant to help you figure out what you want to do, and take your initial steps toward your long-term goals. If you don’t know what career you want to do, or if you know but don’t know how to access resources, your career advisor would be a big help. Or, if you just need someone to hold you accountable and nudge you toward success while helping you address barriers that come up, this program could be a great fit.

• What if I want to try out the orientation, but I’m not sure if I want the long-term career advising services? You can enroll in the initial orientation without enrolling in long-term services. BUT we may give preference to people who think they may want to pursue a long-term relationship with Open Meadow if space in the training is limited.

• What if I have already had a job and what I really want is to move into the professional working world? Career Foundations can get you there, too. We base all of our services on the individual. Some of what you learn in the orientation might be a review, but if you show up on time and participate every day, your Career Advisor will do everything possible to get you to where you want to go.

• What if I am still a long way away from getting my GED or diploma? These services are meant to happen alongside your continued academic studies. We schedule our programming around regular school hours.

• What if I am very close to obtaining my GED? If you are close to finishing your GED, you may be eligible to enroll directly into our advanced Career Connections Training for HS grads and GED recipients between 18 and 24. You can ask the Career Advisor you interview with for more guidance about which program you should enroll in.

Enrollment Information:

Our most successful participants know that they need support, and they welcome it. We’re happy to lend as much support as participants want. All enrollees go through the Career Foundation Orientation, which acts as our gateway to long-term career development support. This training begins every six weeks, so we are always recruiting and enrolling youth.

Upcoming Career Foundations Orientations:

• Orientation Dates and Locations will be posted soon - please check back!