What's happening
This bill requires New York schools to implement a career explorations class integrating academic, vocational, and career readiness activities statewide within four years.
Why it matters
Students would gain hands-on exposure to a variety of careers. through activities like internships, job shadowing, and guest speakers from different industries, helping them make more informed decisions about their futures.
The curriculum aims to bridge academic learning with real-world skills. , teaching practical tools such as resume and cover letter writing, mock interviews, workplace etiquette, and thank you letter crafting—skills often overlooked in traditional education.
The phased, statewide rollout prioritizes the largest cities first. and ensures that all school districts, regardless of size, will eventually offer these opportunities, promoting greater equity in career readiness resources.
The bill ties additional funding and teacher training to implementation. , with resources coming from state lottery funds, potentially easing the financial burden on school districts and increasing the likelihood of effective, high-quality programming.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Create Career Exploration Class
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Require Career Exploration Class
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4509
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 13, 2019
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a career explorations class
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 817 to read as follows:
§ 817. Career explorations class. 1. The commissioner shall establish a career explorations class to integrate academic and vocational education, link secondary and post-secondary education and provide learning activities and mentoring at the work site. Such class shall provide students with school-based learning and work-based learning which shall include, but not be limited to:
(a) career workshops to provide information on how to search for jobs and/or internships in such student's industry of interest;
(b) guest speakers who shall be professionals from various industries to give a brief synopsis of an average work day as well as what type of employees their company employs;
(c) outside internships where every student participates in either one summer internship or spends at least five days shadowing a professional;
(d) resume and cover letter writing to teach students to write a competitive and comprehensive resume and cover letter;
(e) thank you letters to teach students to write and send proper thank you notes after an interview;
(f) mock interviews to conduct a series of phone and face-to-face interviews simulating the actual event;
(g) workplace etiquette to teach the basic principles of a professional environment in reference to mutual respect, appropriate attire, language and behavior; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10268-01-9
S. 4509 2
(h) SAT preparation and post-secondary school application and acceptance process.
2. Such class shall be called career explorations and shall be offered in the spring semester or term of the freshman year of secondary school. SAT preparation and post-secondary application and acceptance process shall be offered in the fall semester or term of the junior year of secondary school during the regular school day in the place of two elective classes. Such classes shall be held in a computer lab or the computer section of the school library.
3. The department shall develop a system of performance reporting to define measures of student, school and employer participation in career awareness, career exposure, career exploration and work-based learning activities. The department shall further establish, in collaboration with the participating school districts, a system of performance indicators and measures for assessing state and local progress and build a foundation of core measures around which state and local information systems can be built.
4. The department shall have one year from the effective date of this section to assemble a curriculum entitled the "career explorations class". Such new class shall be phased in by cities in the following manner:
(a) first year, cities with a population of one million or more;
(b) second year, cities with a population between fifty thousand and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine;
(c) third year, cities with a population between twenty thousand and forty-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine;
(d) fourth year, all other cities not enumerated in this subdivision; such that the largest cities in the state with the largest school districts shall first implement the career explorations course and four years after the effective date of this section, every school district in New York state shall implement the career explorations course.
5. Such school districts which implement the career explorations class outlined in subdivision one of this section shall receive additional funding and training during such year; the funding of which shall be derived from funds of the division of the lottery.
§ 2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a career explorations class
Purpose
The proposed legislation will require the Department of Education to create a curriculum that provides career development and basic profes- sional skills to high school students. There will be two main outcomes at the conclusion of these classes (1) the students will have acquired basic knowledge to search, apply and secure an internship and (2) the students will be able to set higher academic and career goals.
Summary of specific provision
Section 1: Empowers the Commissioner to establish a career explorations class, two parts, to integrate academic and vocational education. The Department shall develop a system of performance reporting to define measures of student, school and employer participation in career aware- ness, exposure, exploration and work-based learning activities.
The department has one year from the effective date of this section to assemble a curriculum. The class will be phased in by city such that the largest cities in the state with the largest school districts shall first implement the course and four years after the effective date, every school district in the state shall implement the career explora- tions course.
Funds shall come from the division of lottery
Section 2: This act shall take place one year after it becomes law, with provisions.
Justification
Each year there are an increasing number of high school students that do not graduate from high school, enter the working world unprepared to be successful or are admitted to higher education institutions lacking basic skills needed to excel in an intellectual environment. Studies have shown that school based career guidance have Positive influences on students in the long run. This bill will provide students with a fair chance to be thoroughly prepared for necessary examinations needed to graduate.
The career explorations classes will include but not be limited to:
1. Career workshops: to provide information on how to search for jobs or internships in your industry of interest.
2. Guest speakers: professionals from various industries to give a brief synopsis of what an average work day is like as well as what type of employees their company looks for.
3. Resume and cover letter writing: to teach students how to write a competitive resume and cover letter.
4. Thank you letters: to teach students how to write and send proper thank you notes after an interview.
5. Mock interviews: a series of Phone and face-to-face interviews simu- lating the actual event.
6. Workplace etiquette: to teach the basic principles of a professional environment in reference to mutual respect, appropriate attire, language and behavior.
Career Explorations part two: will focus on SAT prep, college applica- tion and acceptance process. For outside internships every student should participate in either one summer internship or at least 5 job shadow days in order to pass part two of the class.
Prior legislative history
2017-2018: S.2216 - REFERRED TO EDUCATION 2015-2016: S.2519 - Referred to Education 2013-2014: S.4864A - Amend and Recommit to Education
Effective date
This act shall take effect one year after it shall become law, with a four-year phase in period; provided, however, that any rules or regu- lations necessary to implement the provisions of this act shall be promulgated on or before such date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.