How to Safely Land a
Helicopter Parent
John Pritchett MS, LPC, GCDF
Waukesha County Technical College
Career Development Services
Parent Concerns
for their Children
Happy
Healthy
Safe
Successful
Self Supporting
Helicopter
Parents
What is the difference between a
concerned and helicopter parent?
What is a
“Helicopter Parent”?
A person who pays extremely close attention to his/her child;
termed due to “hovering” closely overhead, whether their
children need them or not.
First reference to this term, by Cline and Fay in 1990
"Parenting with Love and Logic: Teaching Children
Responsibility".
College administrators began using term in the early 2000’s as
the Millennial Generation began reaching college age.
Hovering is increasing in the PreK-12 environment and among
employers in the hiring process.
Helicopter Parents
The Research:
38% of students reported that parents had called or attended
meetings with academic advisors.
31% of students reported that their parents had called professors to
complain about a grade.
Vanguard Group: 7 of 10 college recruits that are offered positions
state "'Let me talk to my parents. I'll get back to you.“
According to the 2006 Recruiting Trends, 31% of employers reported
receiving student resumes from parents.
Parents have highest influence on career choice for Generation X
(31%) and Millennials (42%)
Helicopter Parents in
School and the Workplace
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/player?ip
=198.150.96.50&affil=&debug=&catId
=&id=3699308
http://video.msn.com/?mkt=enus&brand=msnbc&vid=47ed16079761-4334-b6bd-b66c9bc9a1c1
Landing Plans for
Helicopter Parents
Parents as
Partners in
Career Planning
Parents as Partners in Career
Planning - Workshops
Communication and Career Planning
using the MBTI
Realizing the Dream
Post High School Options
Communication and Career
Planning using the MBTI
Personality types are used as a tool to aid in
communication between parents and their
children
MBTI results are used to explore careers
based on type and temperament
Realizing The Dream
• Designed for parents along with their
students in 7th through 8th grades.
• Parents help students identify interests,
abilities, and work preferences.
• Participants learn about current and
future trends in the labor market.
• Students explore potential careers based
on the results of career exploration
activities.
Post High School Options
Agenda
Workshop Overview
Welcome / Registrations / Introductions
The Career Planning Process
• The Career Constellation
Decision Making
Goal Setting
Post High School Education and Training
Options
Page 1
Post High School Options
Agenda
Labor Market Trends
Career Assessments
• IDEAS (Interest Assessment)
• WISCareers
How Parents can Help
• Informational Interviewing
• Occupational Family Tree
Career Development Services – Web Links
Page 2
The Career Constellation
“Most people consider their career to
be a series of progressive and
related jobs or occupations, but a
career is what we do to make a life,
not just earn a living.”
LeeAnn Bernier-Clarke, MEd, NCC, NCCC
Choosing a career is a big
decision
Planning for the future is not
something you do once. It's an ongoing
process. Career planning has three
steps that your child will cycle
through and repeat throughout his or
her working life.
The Career Planning
Process
The Three Steps in the
Career Planning Process
Step One: Know yourself
Evaluate yourself—your interests, abilities, skills, and work
values.
Step Two: Explore options and choose a direction
Gather information to consider regarding career options that
relate to what you know about yourself.
Step Three: Make plans and take action
Consider issues that can affect your plans and take appropriate
actions to accomplish your goals.
Post-High School Education
and Training Options
On-the-Job Training
Military
Apprenticeship
Trade School
Technical College
Community College
4-Year College
Reasons noted as “very important”
in deciding to go to college
To learn more about things that interest me
To be able to get a better job
To get training for a specific career
To be able to make more money
To gain a general education and
appreciation of ideas
To prepare myself for graduate or
professional school
To make me a more cultured person
76.8 %
70.4
69.2
69.0
64.3
57.7
41.7%
Reasons noted as “very important”
in deciding to go to college
Parents wanted me to go
46.4%
Wanted to get away from home
21.1%
A mentor or role model encouraged me to go
17.2%
I could not find a job
5.6%
Nothing better to do
4.1%
College-Going Decisions
46.4% cite “parents wanted me to go” as a very
important reason
Reason for Attending College:
"My Parents Wanted Me To Go"
Percent "very important"
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003
College-Going Decisions
Why go to any college?
21.1% – to get away from home
8.7% in 1978
Why pick your particular college?
19.6% – Living near home was very important
reason in selecting college
College-Going Decisions
Parental influence at both ends of the
spectrum
Students go to college near home
Students go to college to get away from home
Source:
The American Freshman:
National Norms for Fall 2006
Sylvia Hurtado & John H. Pryor
January 19, 2007
Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP)
Higher Education Research Institute (HERI)
Graduate School of Education & Information Studies
University of California, Los Angeles
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/heri.html
Labor Market Trends
Current Recession
Training Requirements
Aging Workforce
Job vs. Career Security
Did You Know?
Job Losses in Recent Recessions - Wisconsin - # of Months Since Recession Declaration
1.0%
0.0%
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
17
19
21
23
25
27
29
31
33
35
37
39
41
43
45
47
49
51
53
55
57
-1.0%
Job Losses Relative to Peak Month
-2.0%
-3.0%
-4.0%
-5.0%
-6.0%
1981 Recession
1990 Recession
2001 Recession
Current Recession
-7.0%
-8.0%
Source: DWD, OEA, X12 adjustment of not seasonally adjusted CES via U.S. BLS
59
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U.S. Unemployment Rate x Educational Attainment, Ages 25+
18.0%
Less than a high school
diploma
16.0%
High school graduates, no
college
14.0%
Less than a bachelor's degree
College graduates
12.0%
start of recession
10.0%
8.0%
6.0%
4.0%
2.0%
0.0%
Source: U.S BLS, seasonally adjusted
Educational/Training Requirements of Job Base, 2008 and 2018
40%
35.9% 35.7%
35%
30%
2008
25%
20%
17.7%
2018
17.2%
14.9% 15.6%
15%
8.5%
10%
8.4%
7.3% 7.2%
7.9%
5.8% 5.9%
7.9%
5%
2.0%
2.1%
0%
Short-term OJT Moderate-term Long-term OJT
OJT
Work
Experience in
Related
Occupation
Postsecondary
Vocational
Training
Associate
Degree
Source: DWD, OEA, Long-term occupational Projections, 2008-2018
Bachelor's
Degree
BA +
Experience, MA,
Ph.D,
Professional
degree
U.S. jobs most in demand,
2010
1. Skilled trades (mechanics,
electricians, welders)
2. Sales representatives
3. Nurses
4. Technicians
5. Drivers
U.S. jobs most in demand,
2010
6. Restaurants, hotel staff
7. Management/executives
8. Engineers
9. Doctors
10. Customer support and service
Source: Manpower Inc.
New and Emerging
Industries
Water Supply Systems
Science and technology R&D
Clean energy and power plants
Transportation systems
Agricultural technologies and solutions
Promoting sustainable living
Source: The Futurist may-June 2010
900,000
Projected Labor Force Entrants and Exiters, Wisconsin, 20052035
ages 15 - 24
ages 60 - 69
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
20
05
20
06
20
07
20
08
20
09
20
10
20
11
20
12
20
13
20
14
20
15
20
16
20
17
20
18
20
19
20
20
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21
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20
23
20
24
20
25
20
26
20
27
20
28
20
29
20
30
20
31
20
32
20
33
20
34
20
35
0
When Gray is Golden
Business in an Aging America
Health Care
Home Products
Recreation and Leisure Services
Financial Services and Products
Educational Services
Business Consulting
Wellness and Youth-Enhancing Products
Source: The Futurist July-August 1992
Job Security
”is the probability that an individual
will keep his or her job; a job with a
high level of job security is such that
a person with the job would have a
small chance of becoming
unemployed.”
Source-Wikipedia
Career Path
In the past, a person’s career path was
often like an escalator ride!
Rockwell Automation
(Allen-Bradley)
“The developments at Rockwell Automation
are hardly unique to Milwaukee - or to
America. Globalization has transformed
our economy at its core, and no amount of
coaxing will put the genie back into the
bottle.”
Source: One Union’s Demise by John Gurda
Career Security
“It’s the ability to stay employed in jobs of
our choosing, regardless of the economic
situation in any country or the financial
condition of any one employer.”
“Career security is something we create for
ourselves, so we control what happens to
us in the workplace. We become the
master of our career, rather than its
victim.”
Source: Weddles.com
How Parents
can Help!
Informational Interviewing
One of the best sources for
gathering information about what’s
happening in an occupation or an
industry is to talk to people working
in the field. This process is called
Informational Interviewing.
Occupational Family Tree
Families play a major role in shaping
their children’s educational and
career decisions.
An Occupational family Tree can help
explore family values, traditions and
expectations
Web Resources
Waukesha County Technical College
http://www.wctc.edu
WCTC Career Development Services-Youth
Services
http://www.wctc.edu/web/career/careerdev
/youth.php
WISCareers http://wiscareers.wisc.edu
For More Information or
Questions
John Pritchett, MS, LPC, GCDF
Waukesha County Technical College
(262) 695-7847
jpritchett@wctc.edu