February 13, 2026
Future Plans continues to demonstrate powerful, measurable benefits of the Career Navigator Program for students across Ohio’s schools—helping young people discover their strengths, build confidence, and pursue meaningful pathways into the Ohio workforce. Insights from the program’s successes highlight how the combination of structured assessment, individualized coaching, and real‑world exposure is reshaping student futures.
A Foundation for Self‑Discovery and Direction
At the heart of the program is the Future Plans assessment, which provides students with a structured way to reflect on their natural strengths, emerging interests, and potential career pathways. According to Lauren Borovicka, a Future Plans Career Navigator Coordinator, many students rethink their plans after stepping through the Future Plans 5-Step Process, which includes Assessment, Coaching, Discover, Prepare, and Place. Participating in this process often leads students to discover alignment with fields they had never considered, from engineering and medical careers to carpentry and industrial trades.
This self‑knowledge equips students with clarity and motivation. It also enables educators to guide students more effectively toward elective choices, field trips, pre‑apprenticeships, and other opportunities tailored to their strengths.
Exposure and Hands‑On Learning Transform Aspirations
A consistent theme across schools is that students “cannot aspire to careers they do not know exist.” Exposure—through career visits, manufacturing days, hospital tours, or hands‑on industry experiences—helps students imagine themselves thriving in real‑world roles.
These experiences have helped students discover aptitudes in fields like flooring installation, healthcare, and engineering—often leading to paid work, re‑engagement with school, or enrollment in specialized training programs.
A Story of Changed Trajectories
Future Plans’ Career Navigators have shared compelling examples of how the program reshaped the futures students and below are a few examples:
- A student who planned on going into accounting discovered through his assessment that engineering was a stronger fit. After job shadowing at Long Ridge Energy, he is now preparing to enroll in Washington State College of Ohio’s engineering technology program.
- Another student, strongly aligned with medical fields, identified pediatric care as her passion. She is now seeking job‑shadowing at a Children’s Hospital (nearly 2-hours away from her rural home near Columbus, Ohio) to deepen her exploration of healthcare careers.
These stories reflect a broader pattern seen across districts: when students gain insights into themselves and relate to aligned career experiences, their motivation, engagement, and long‑term planning grow dramatically.
Strengthening School Systems and Student Support
Schools also benefit from the program’s systematic approach. The assessment provides consistent data for every student, enabling collaboration among teachers, career navigators, and coordinators. It informs scheduling decisions, elective offerings, dropout‑prevention strategies, and deeper relationship‑building through one‑on‑one coaching.
This structure ensures that all students—not just the most proactive—receive the guidance and exposure necessary to find their place in the workforce.
A Growing Regional Movement
The Future Plans Career Navigator Program is building more than individual success stories—it is helping create a regional pipeline of prepared, purpose‑driven young adults ready to contribute to their communities and the broader Ohio workforce.
