Career Planning with Adult Learners Using MCIS

The Minnesota Career Information System (MCIS) is a comprehensive, online career planning program.

MCIS has interest, skill and value assessments designed to help individuals identify career options that may be best suited for them. Career information such job description, wages, employment and outlook, skills required allow individuals to gain an understanding of different career opportunities. Information about training options including college, short-term training/career schools and apprenticeships are easily accessible within the system. There are employment resources like a link to the National Labor Exchange (a job search website) and videos about how to have a successful job interview. The information about how to write resumes helps users with the resume creator in MCIS. These resources make MCIS an ideal program for job seekers.

MCIS also provides many resources for instructors.

A curriculum sorting tool provides complete lesson plans that relate to different subject areas or components in MCIS – such as financial literacy. These lesson plans include step-by-step instructions on delivering the less as well as materials – such as PowerPoints and scoring rubrics – for delivering the lesson. How to videos about using MCIS for users and videos on the administrative side are available on our website.

There are several different versions of MCIS intended for specific audiences.

One such version is for Adult Basic Education. This version includes everything listed above as well as checklists designed specifically for ABE. Checklists are a tool in MCIS that allows an instructor to easily assign activities. Activities may include an assessment, identifying career options, making a career goal and creating an action plan to achieve their goals. MCIS collaborated with ABE staff to create default checklists on Self Discovery, Career Exploration, Education Options and Preparing for Employment. These checklists can be customized to fit specific sites’ programming and Personal Education Plans (PEP). Much like with the checklists, MCIS has a default PEP that is automatically filled out as individuals complete activities within the program.

With resources for both users and instructors, MCIS is a comprehensive career planning program that meets the needs of adult learners.