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Check out the intro video and the article from the Bureau of Labor  Statistics below before answering any of the following prompts.  The webpage gives an overview of the US job market through 2024, that's right, just when YOU will be getting in to YOUR career..  Feel free to answer multiple or just one of the questions, whatever compels you.

Web Document via the Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecopro.nr0.htm

As the US struggles to develop more jobs for our youth, teachers are instructed to educate learners for jobs that 'do not exist'. What are you doing to invest in yourself for employ-ability and your future? What will this take? What incentivizes or motivates you to choose this path? Does everyone need a degree to be successful? Feel free to mindfully and respectfully answer any or all of these questions as you reflect on how you are setting your future self up for success.

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As the US struggles to develop more jobs for our youth, teachers are instructed to educate learners for jobs that 'do not exist'. What are you doing to invest in yourself for employ-ability and your future? What will this take? What incentivizes or motivates you to choose this path?

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What's the Incentive to invest in you?- Faatima Ector

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What's the Incentive to invest in you?- Faatima Ector

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I am investing in myself by doing good in high school and going to college. I am  planning on doing something in the tech field. No everyone doesn't have to have a degree to be successful. A lot of people have their own business and don't have a degree. It all depends on your ambition.

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Chrishawna Tigner; Does everyone need a degree to be successful?

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Chrishawna Tigner; Does everyone need a degree to be successful?

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Although I view success not as a measure of your accomplishments but rather a measure of your happiness or content with the things you have accomplished, that is not the case in the job market. In order to live above the poverty line by earning a wage that is remotely livable off of, you need a college degree of some sort. Most people who don’t have a college degree are working a mediocre job that pays less than $15 an hour and in result are living pay check to pay check. The imbalanced economy causes Americans to need a degree to be successful.

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Thinking about all of the possibilities that life has, has always interested me.  From the places I want to see to the experiences I want to have, I have always loved sitting back and planning my future. The reality is, traveling and doing other exciting things, usually require a bit of money. To prepare myself to obtain my goals,  I got a job in high school. I save 50% of what I make. I also invest wherever I can. This way, when I reach adulthood I will have a foundation to build from.

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I have been doing a lot of research and prepping to equip myself with the necessary characteristics that are required for myself in my future. Being a psychology major in her freshman year of college as a Junior has started the process of investing into myself by investing into my education as early as possible. By taking psychology courses in high school, I knew that was what I wanted to major in in college. Therefore, I worked hard to ensure I would be able to dual enroll this year, to proceed in my plan to graduate high school with not only my diploma, but my associates for college to help mark the beginning of a strong career for myself. I have also taken it upon myself to start working to gain a sense of responsibility and time management, so I started working in customer service in February of this year. Going on a year with the company I am with, I have started to become equipped with the necessary social skills needed to work in clinical psychology, which is another way of investing into my future. By working with people in customer service, I have helped aid myself in learning how to calmly help those with their problems, how to address them, and how to help them leave feeling happy and relieved, therefore helping prepare myself for when I am working with people as a psychologist. By doing college in high school and taking the initiative to work and maintain a strong work ethic, my hard work will surely pay off to give me a better advantage when I graduate college two years early to start my career in psychology, and will aid me in being fully prepared to succeed once I am out of high school and college.

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I have been doing research on possible careers I can see myself doing, while checking the demand for the jobs i look at. It would be a mistake to study and go to college for a career that has no demand. That would be setting myself up for a difficulty in finding a job. My motives are if i have a well paying job, I can have the money to do fun things that i like to do.

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What's the Incentive to Invest in You?- Amil Hogan

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What's the Incentive to Invest in You?- Amil Hogan

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By being in school and preparing for college, i am investing in my future. Being a prospective psychology student, i made sure to take a psych course this year and always watch psych lecture to mentally prepare myself for next year. What motivates me to choose this path is the opportunities that come with it. Not only is psychology my passion, but pursuing a degree in it will offer a sense of stability for me.  Although going to college is my personal choice, i do not think that you need a degree to be successful. However, i do think that you will some type of training to be good at what you do.

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What's the Incentive to Invest in you? –Rakiyah Lenon

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What's the Incentive to Invest in you? –Rakiyah Lenon

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Currently, the most realistic thing I can do to invest in future is to the best I can in school. It's important to remain educated and have a strong work ethic to be able to have a positive impact on my future. I'm also working to instill within myself the character trait of responsibility. Responsible people always ensure to do their best to make sure the task is done to the best of their ability. I'm still working to decide what kind of path I want to take since there are many areas that continue to interest me. However, at the current moment, I'm working on hobbies that I'm interested in such as photography and owning a crafting business. Journalism and writing also interests me. Although I may not need years of college education to do what I want to do, I still think that it's helpful to have some college education at some point even if it's a few courses here and there.

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I have always liked to plan out my future, investing in myself to better my chances rather than just winging it. I plan to join the military after school, and to prepare for this i've been in the gym alot building up my body to prepare for basic training. I've also spoke to different recruiters from different branches to see which one I should join.

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I have always been interested in science and technology.  Careers that involve this line of study generally require some education beyond high school.  I am interested in robotics engineering and maybe being a pilot.  I intend to go to college but have no decided whether I want to enter the military first.  I would like to see the world, which this would give me an early opportunity to do that, as well as earn money for my education.  I have always worked hard at school to try and maintain a position on the honor roll, so that I will have the best opportunity of achieving my goals.  Doing well in high school should give me a better advantage when trying to get into the school or profession I choose.

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I started investing in myself actively about two years ago. At that time I realized how much I loved art and decided that it was important for me to practice as much as I could. I plan on going to college for an art degree and possibly animation so I can do better at each. However, if I can't go to college for some reason, I plan on bettering my art by reading art books and watching tutorials online.
Personally, I believe that not everyone has to have a degree to be a success. My sister was able to get on-the-job training for a job that normally requires a degree in dentistry. However, there are some careers that require a degree such as a brain surgeon or an astronaut. These jobs require training that would be best learned in school.

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I invest in my future not only in school, but also in my personal life. I aspire to be a writer and every day I practice writing by working with Microsoft Word to bring various ideas to life through the eloquence of language. However, as simple as having an idea and writing about it seems, I sometimes have to research topics to add more detail to my stories. I have had to search for maps of Oz, what side of a tree that moss grows on in the northern hemisphere, and even what time of day that leeches are most active.

I plan to further my writing abilities as well as forge a career in writing by attending a college that supports such an occupation and is specifically designated for the pursuit of that particular profession. I plan to earn a bachelor’s degree at that college so that I can begin my career as quickly as possible. If I desire higher education, I can always return later to earn a more advanced degree.

In my case, I will need a degree to be a good, reputable writer. However, this is not true for everyone in the country. If the entirety of the country were to possess a degree and pursue higher education, it would likely lead to the ultimate demise of a variety of large businesses and, as a result, the entire economy. Any business needs leaders, but it also needs enough laborers to keep it running. The laborers are the base of the entire firm and the business will not survive if there are no laborers to operate on the lowest levels. For example, in Walmart, there is a definite need for a manager, but there is also a greater need for workers that stock the shelves, assist customers in finding items, and clean the floors. If all of these workers were working in higher positions, there would be no Walmart because there would be no one to maintenance the store or to sell products.

With the combination of the work I am doing now as well as my plans for college, I feel well-prepared for my career in writing and I am excited to begin my future.

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It is very important to invest in yourself for employ-ability and your future. I am currently investing in myself by doing the best I can in school. This prepares me for a better chance of employ-ability. I will need to continue to do my best as I finish out my senior year of high school and also as I start my freshman year of college as I feel these are the most important years of my academic career. I am planning on getting my bachelors degree to become a registered nurse, however, not everyone needs a degree to become successful.

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I’ve done quite a bit to invest in my future as an up-incoming editorial photographer. For example, I’ve taken a photography class and a few courses; which has not only allowed me to expand my knowledge about the art form itself and develop my craft, but also learn and grow with my classmates and receive constructive feedback. I’ve also had the chance to do a bit of networking allowing me to meet amazing photographers and models in the industry. An unbelievable moment for me, was having one of my pieces in a gallery at the High Museum. Preparing and staying optimistic, to me, is top-priority when I’m investing in my future. Photography is a career choice that is very popular and though many people aspire to be the next Steven Klein or Nick Knight (though I love their work) I want to create something that “‘does not exist’.” I want to introduce editorial photography in ways it hasn’t been introduced before, and working with phenomenal fashion designers, models and photographers that have shaped the way I view the art form today motivates me day in and day out. You absolutely do not need a degree to be successful; I do believe that there are careers that would prefer you to have a degree in that area because you are specialized in that area and have the “degree” to show it, this could also raise your pay, and allow you more benefits. The definition of successful is not “I have a college degree” so it is not a necessity.

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In order to increase the likelihood at which I may be employed in the (near) future, I’m trying to make sure that I’ve got as much diversity as possible. My main aspirations are primarily dealing with going into general surgery, I think that, realistically, this type of occupation is almost always going to be in-demand, and there is indeed a shortage of individuals who decide to pursue a career in medicine, and even fewer who choose to seek a taxing career in surgery. I also take great relish in fine arts! I’ve played violin for about 5 years now, and have created  art throughout traditional and digital mediums for nearly 7. I’m most motivated by the desire to be successful, I really value being able to financially support my family. I also am passionate about Health and Wellness, and I find that gaining an occupation in the medical field is perhaps the best way I can accomplish this. That being said, I don’t believe that having a degree is mandatory to being successful (the definition of success itself, is subjective). This idea lends itself to my own interpretation of what it means to be diversely employable. Assuming that the definition of success in this application is financial prosperity, then of course not! Nowadays, the likelihood that someone may profit from a marketable idea or brand is more than well-introduced. This doesn’t necessarily mean that I feel as though success (by this means) is a given, it takes a sufficient amount of creativity and intelligence to be able to make money in this economy without a degree or traditional source of employment. I think that if you can manage both, success is almost guaranteed.

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To invest in myself, I’m planning to enter college after high school to earn a degree in film and television for my future employment. This will take my commitment to study and remain in school for a period of time so that I can further develop my skills in the media field. My motivation to take this path is to continue gaining knowledge and improving until I can become gifted enough to enter a stable career. I personally believe that you don’t necessarily need a degree to be successful. However if you’re not initially born into a position of wealth, a degree can become an essential asset to one’s employment.

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I think investing in yourself is planning ahead. When I get out of school, I plan on breeding and training horses. I have been accepted to an equine science school in Tennessee and am currently working on getting financial aid docs submitted.  I don't think every person working with horses needs a degree, especially if you grow up with, but the extra knowledge and experience can help. Once I get married and have kids, I am going to quit my job to be a stay at home mom, which is what my mom does. Watching her has helped me learn a lot of what I will need for what I think is the most difficult but rewarding job.
- Hannah H

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My future plans involve going to college and getting into a veterinary medicine program. As for right now, I am focused on my performance in high school and all of my other duties with positions I hold here at GCA. I want to graduate with the best possible grades that I can. In the future I think if I get a degree in veterinary medicine (possibly specializing in large breed animals) I can have a stable job doing things I love and helping animals that need it. Growing up on a small farm in a rural area and being surrounded by animals all of the time has given me a lot of extra experience to assist me with my plans for the career I wish to pursue. I am investing in myself so that I will have the skills and knowledge that people and their animals need.

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To invest in myself, I will continue my education in college soon after finishing high school. My career path will be in education, preferably teaching lower grades such as elementary school and possibly middle school. This will take at least four years in college for a Bachelor's Degree. My motivation to begin this sort of career lies in my interest and curiosity for knowledge and the desire to spread what I know with others. I have always done very well in my reading and language arts classes, and believe I will fit right in as an English teacher. Even though this is the path I've chosen to take, I know that not everybody needs a degree to become successful. I personally know some people who seem to do just fine with their jobs without one, or people who have a decent income with their current job while they are currently working towards a degree.

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In the future, I hope to have a balance career as an artist and designer for websites, television, movies, and games. By working on developing my skills, I am practically investing  in myself all the time.

While I personally do not think that you absolutely need a degree to be successful, a degree can certainly help you come off as professional.
- Justin Morgan

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Every day I invest in my future career as an educator. I spend the majority of my day furthering my personal education and my knowledge of useful approaches to teaching the next few generations. I am currently a Teacher's Assistant here at GCA and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to assist the younger generation in any way possible. As a person who has attended public, private, and charter schools, I have experienced all sorts of learning environments. Speaking from experience, I believe the American educational system to be flawed. It as though we no longer care about the mental, physical, and intellectual health of our youth as much we care about their test scores. I myself am guilty of staying up all night just to study for a test that will mean absolutely nothing to me when I am lying on my death bed. Going to school is no longer seen as the privilege it is. It is a requirement by our government who says that if you learn differently than others, then somehow you are not as intelligent. I am going on a bit of a tangent here, but the opinion I am trying to express is that the American educational system does not support intellectual diversity. If everyone thought the same way, we would never have new inventions or find solutions to complex problems that occur in our societies. I believe that the most effecient way to solve any problem is to start from the inside and work your way out. That is exactly what I plan to do. Also, I do not believe that everyone needs a degree in order to be successful. The definition of successful is to accomplish a purpose. People have many different purposes in life. One person's purpose may be to have their own family while another person's purpose may be to become a lawyer. Both of which are valid life choices. To be successful is to look back on your life and be satisfied with how you lived it. Therefore, I do not believe that you need a degree in order to be successful. I do, however, think that you should look at your career options and fully understand what you need in order to succeed in the career or lifestyle you choose.

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I am technically investing in myself every day! I am currently dual enrolled at a university in pursuit of getting ahead in regards to my post-secondary education. Yet, the word education is quite ironic to me. I am majoring in Secondary and Post-Secondary English Education as a way to impact the communities around me. My education is not for myself, per se, but for those who will enter my classroom in the future to learn an extended amount of information about a variety of topics pertaining to the English language. I am updating my skills and education theorems rather repetitively as a way to stay on track with the ever-evolving economy and job sectors in the education realm. As a future teacher, I am always a student! I will continue to learn until as an adult and elder in our post-modern societies. Nevertheless, why would I even consider going into education? I have decided to pursue this path to push change into a sector that is in desperate need of fresh ideas to reinvigorate student learning and success. Our current education systems lack a sense of viability as our nations evolve towards their respective futuristic forms. I have personally educated myself on the benefits of systems located in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and even Germany to somehow create a solution to issues we are experiencing with our present plans in the teaching realm. I believe that if we incorporate a diverse curriculum that deviates from traditional standards, we will achieve higher levels of student satisfaction and receptibility to current environments and job sectors. In spite of these claims, I am not educating and evolving the system for monetary gain. We are not only in a job sector crisis with the increased need for degrees, but we are also in the middle of a mental crisis where students and young individuals are finding themselves caught in a storm of depression, anxiety, and anger as they observe the occurrences of this world. They are lost in a sea of others like them who are striving to be the best in order to obtain the most beneficial lifestyle with higher wages and emotional fulfillment. They are not receiving the support or education they need to achieve their goals. Often, they are educated to be copies of each other, lacking in areas pertaining to diversity. We are no longer just workers in factories. We are innovators, creators, encouragers, and advocators. We are creatures which can change the course of the universe. We could not all possibility achieve what we must if we rely on a single form of education which was formulated and updated to maximize profit to governments and political institutions. I am investing in myself for the sake of others. My education is the education of the future, or so I hope it will be.

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I feel you should know what I want to do so you can understand why have to invest these things and what motivates me. I am continuing my acting and modeling throughout my lifetime. I am also going to be in the medical field either doing fertility, naturopathic medicine, or both. In addition to that I will be a entrepreneur, activist, and certified in cosmetology. Things I am doing to invest in myself for employ-ability and my future are: studying hard, meeting new people, soaking up cultural knowledge, dissecting the world around me, learning from lessons that cannot be taught in a book, and much more. This will take textbooks, people, and life's adventures to set me up for employ-ability! What motivates me to do everything I would like to do in my life, is my life! I love acting and modeling, because you can bring a smile to someones face when they are having a bad. Or you can show little girls that the world is there oyster (even though I don't like oysters...lol)! You also have such a huge platform to be the change you want to see in the world to cause a chain reaction. I am motivated to join the medical field since they have helped so many people and they have a special place in my heart. My great grandfather had a heart condition and he had two open heart surgeries which gave him more time to be with us. My grandpa and grandma both had cancer and with treatment they have been cancer free for a long time, I want to say six years I'm not quite sure. My mom has had a lot of stress related health problems that beyond scared me but she is doing great now. Along with so many other people in my family ,shoot even me the medical field has helped us along the way. Of course God did the major lifting, but I feel the medical field and God work hand and hand which is another reason I am going to work in the medical field. The things that motivate me with becoming a future entrepreneur is that I have so many ideas that could change this world for the better and if it can help someone smile, live better, or all the above then that is all I need. Finally, what motivates me to be come an activist is that their is so much darkness in the world wither it is intellectual, technological, or society I want to be that light or better yet reflect that light in the world. I do not feel everyone "needs" a degree to be successful, however I do feel that the more knowledge the better. In my case I do need a degree to be a successful doctor. Not unless people want me giving them mutated babies...lol!

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I plan on working in the nursing field. Actions I am taking right now are, going to and doing my best in school, and reading about the career I plan to work in. If I want to get there, I need to do well in school and graduate college with my RN, but I also must have the desire to work in the field. The medical field has interested me since I was young, and I even read medical encyclopedias when I could find them. I also apply the basic medical knowledge I have. For example, my friend sprained her ankle the other day, and I helped her take care of it. She is doing fine now, for those wondering;she just needed some rest, her foot elevated, and some ice.

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Well I love plants and art so I want more schooling in both, because they are very interesting to me. I could be a plant scientist or an artist or photographer, if I wanted to. I have already had classes on art and photography and I would love to expand my knowledge on both and plants.
I think you need a degree because a degree seems to get you further in life. Also it makes you more creditable and trust-worthy. To me someone with a degree seems smarter in that specific thing that they went to college for.