College and Career Navigator Trainer Manual
Download: College and Career Navigator Trainer Manual [PDF]
This trainer manual was developed by the NCTN for Accelerating Opportunity (AO), a Jobs for the Future initiative. AO seeks to change the way Adult Basic Education is delivered by connecting crucial pieces of the puzzle that are preventing lower-skilled adults from entering and completing postsecondary education. The AO model is based on Job for the Future’s (JFF) Breaking Through model and the I-BEST model developed by the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC).
While this ready-to-use manual was developed for AO, it can be readily customized for the emerging cadre of trainers selected to help strengthen the skills of practitioners whose primary function (regardless of job title) includes providing direct students support and guidance, as well as coordinating campus and community support services. The manual provides a full day of content delivery and face-to-face learning activities (approximately 7 hours, excluding breaks). Trainers have the flexibility to break up the training content into multiple sessions by content, and to modify for presentation via virtual platforms.
College and Career Navigators play an integral role in fostering student persistence and success through direct guidance and coordination of campus and community based services. The content, activities, tools, and resources of the manual are grounded in the understanding that effective College and Career Navigators:
- Foster student empowerment and resiliency by identifying students’ strengths as well as barriers and challenge
- Build students’ networks of supports as well as their self-advocacy and help seeking skills
- Rely on and leverage collaboration and support among faculty, staff and Administrators
- Maintain ongoing outreach and communication with community and campus partners and stakeholders
- Shine a light on institutional best practices as well as gaps in coordinated efforts and service that address critical areas of unmet student needs