Employment specialists assess student work readiness, assist in a job search, maintain information about jobs in the community, serve as liaison with employers, provide intensive support and instruction to students in the skills necessary to maintain employment, and conduct evaluations and follow-up. Several sections guide students through job seeking, getting, and maintenance that reinforce the hands-on experience and assistance they receive from the staff and employment specialists. Maryland One element of the Commonwealth operating in all twenty-one Baltimore high schools is the career club. These are mostly attended by seniors, some juniors, depending on the school. Most schools support one career club of about thirty students, depending upon the Commonwealth staffing level for that school.
Students attend the career club one hour a week.
Career clubs offer a very structured, competency-based curriculum that covers communication, life skills, and such employability skills as resume writing, job procurement, workplace behavior, and socialization. There is an attendance and minimal grade requirement for students who take part in career clubs, but students who show improvement are also accepted. The Commonwealth youth coordinator facilitates the career club and advises students, trying to match individuals with appropriate elements of Commonwealth programming. Because the youth coordinators are employed by the OED rather than the schools, and do not formally report to the guidance department, there was some concern that they would be regarded by school staff as outsiders.