Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership Studies, Xavier University, 2020, Leadership Studies and Human Resource Development

The College Credit Plus (CCP) program, adopted and implemented by the state of Ohio in the 2015-2016 school year, presents some unique opportunities for examining the impact of accelerated college credit on preparing students for success in college. This study attempts to examine three of these unique features to examine the relationship that the CCP program might have on its participants' success in college, measured by first year GPA upon matriculation at a university. Correlational analysis was first applied to examine any relationships that might exist among the dependent and independent variables. The number of credit hours a student completed through CCP demonstrated a positive significant relationship with first year GPA, while the type of course work (General Education and Career Pathway) demonstrated a positive significant relationship but no significance was found between the two types of courses according to a Fisher's Z-Test. The researcher wanted to examine the number of years spent taking CCP courses to see if the amount of exposure of time to these types of courses demonstrated any relationship, but the data could not be determined to examine that relationship.

Committee: Gail F. Latta Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Dave Tobergte Ed.D. (Committee Member); Shirley Curtis Ed.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education Policy; Higher Education; Secondary Education; Vocational Education

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2013, College of Education

Due to the increased attention college readiness metrics, such as the ACT, receive from colleges, preparatory practices for these metrics are becoming common among high school students. The purpose of this study was to determine the predictive capability of a practice test given to high school juniors, and a number of confounding variables cited in the literature as influential to ACT scores, individually and simultaneously. Findings showed that even after controlling for these confounding variables, with statistical significance, practice still accounted for variability in final ACT scores. Further, data from the study showed statistically significant lower performance for various groups of students, such as females, as well as students with lower GPAs, from lower income schools, and from certain ethnic groupings.

Committee: Carla Edlefson PhD (Committee Chair); James Olive PhD (Committee Member); Cathryn Chappell EdD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Secondary Education

Master of Arts in Education, University of Akron, 2012, Educational Foundations-Social/Philosophical Foundations of Education

Current definitions of college and career readiness focus heavily on students' academic achievement. The researcher suggests the need for a clear and comprehensive definition of college and career readiness that all educational stakeholders can aspire to. The researcher offers such a definition, identifying key academic and non-academic factors that foster college and career readiness.

Committee: Huey-li Li Dr. (Advisor); Suzanne MacDonald Dr. (Committee Member); Renee Mudrey-Camino Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Community College Education; Continuing Education; Curriculum Development; Education; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Educational Psychology; Higher Education

Master of Fine Arts, Miami University, 2024, Art

Collegiate student-athletes can often be unprepared for a career after graduation. Some of the challenges lie in not knowing what careers are available to them, having no career-focused degree, or lack of time to look for a career because they are competing. This thesis will examine the challenges associated with collegiate student-athletes as they transition out of sport-to-career. This will be accomplished through a personal narrative, self-analysis, and a systematic literature review. This research aims to identify the challenges and develop career-readiness tools and resources to support collegiate student-athletes in their transition. This research will, thus, ensure that future student-athletes encounter fewer obstacles during this critical stage of their lives. The study offers actionable insights for universities to better support athletes' career development by contributing to both design education and higher education career services.

Committee: Zack Tucker (Advisor); Heidi McKee (Committee Member); Dennis Cheatham (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

Doctor of Education, Miami University, 2024, Educational Leadership

In recent years, secondary education has experienced a significant transformation driven by the need to better prepare students for life beyond graduation. Central to this shift is the integration of Career Readiness Programs, which not only provide academic knowledge but also equip students with practical skills, vocational insights, and an understanding of professional landscapes. This study investigates whether an embedded Career Readiness Program influences the development and enhancement of partnerships between schools and businesses. Guided by Ohio's legislative framework, which emphasizes college and career readiness, this research explores how career readiness programs can foster effective collaborations between educational institutions and the business sector. The study employs a qualitative case study methodology to understand how these partnerships evolve and their impact on students' preparedness for post-secondary pathways. The data collection involved face-to-face interviews with business representatives and school personnel directly engaged with the Career Readiness Program. Thematic analysis of the interview notes revealed patterns and themes that highlighted the potential of these programs to bridge the gap between education and workforce demands. The study's findings suggest that integrating Career Readiness Programs strengthens school-business partnerships by aligning educational practices with industry needs, creating opportunities for internships, mentorships, and hands-on experiences. This collaborative approach not only enhances student readiness for professional careers but also benefits the local business community by developing a skilled workforce.

Committee: Guy Parmigian (Committee Chair) Subjects: Business Education; Education; Education Philosophy; Educational Leadership; Educational Theory

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Educational Studies

While Perkins V legislation and newer career and technical education programs were designed to prepare students for success in both college and career pathways and modern career and technical education programs are supposed to expand college and career readiness outcomes for students, there is a lack of research examining supports that promote the academic engagement and success of Black male students in high school career academies. Career academies are a type of high school reform initiative that is designed to prepare students for college and careers in career fields such as engineering and informing technology (Fletcher & Tan, 2022; Fletcher et al., 2018). In the 1970s, career academies were designed as career-oriented schools that delivered college preparatory instructional curriculum, and operated as smaller schools within larger schools (ACTE, 2019; NAF, 2023). Comprehensive school reform efforts like career academies are likely to ensure that Black male students are prepared for college and careers with personalized resources and services such as trade and apprenticeship pathways, work-based learning, early career exploration, guidance counseling, and college-level examination programs. In this study, I described the need for research to examine college and career readiness of high school Black male students at a NAF (formerly known as the National Foundation Academy) Academy of Engineering. I utilized the theoretical frameworks of college and career ready by Stone and Lewis (2012) and culturally relevant pedagogy by Ladson-Billings (1992) to review the research questions, background of the problem, problem statement, purpose statement, and significance of the study. Since Black males are a vulnerable group of youth with lower academic achievement and performance and barriers to career prospects and access to higher education (Brown et al., 2019; Hines et al., 2014; Wright, 2019), I explored the role of career academies, culturally relevant education for Bla (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Edward Fletcher Jr. (Advisor); Christopher Zirkle (Committee Member); Antoinette Errante (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; African Americans; Black Studies; Cultural Resources Management; Curricula; Curriculum Development; Education; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Educational Theory; Ethnic Studies; Gender Studies; Mathematics; Mathematics Education; School Administration; Science Education; Secondary Education; Sociology; Teacher Education; Teaching; Technology; Vocational Education

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2023, Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs

This study examined the relationship between life satisfaction and perception of educational and career-related barriers. Perceived barriers threaten career development and can subsequently enhance negative appraisals of personal worth and ability. Coping efficacy, an individual's belief or confidence in their ability to manage and overcome challenging or stressful situations, was evaluated as a mediator of this relationship among a sample of 208 undergraduate college students. The findings of this study suggest a significant negative relationship between the perception of barriers and life satisfaction, which indicates that individuals with higher levels of perceived barriers endorsed lower life satisfaction and vice versa. Additionally, individuals with higher coping efficacy exhibited higher life satisfaction, and those with lower coping efficacy endorsed higher perceptions of barriers. Contrary to expectations, coping efficacy did not mediate the relationship between the perception of barriers and life satisfaction. Implications for research, practice, and theory are discussed. Increased understanding of the relationship among coping efficacy, perceived barriers, life satisfaction, and career development will facilitate the creation of more effective interventions and inform targeted approaches for working with clients.

Committee: Graham Stead (Committee Chair); Justin Perry (Committee Member); Julia Phillips (Committee Member); Kelly Yu-Hsin Liao (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Counseling Psychology; Higher Education; Psychology

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2023, Educational Administration

This study explored the perception of career barriers among low-income and minority students at Urban Community College by using career barrier inventory revised (CBI-R) instrument. Data analysis showed that students have perceived external career barriers, such as racial discrimination, and internal perceived career barriers, such as, inadequate preparation in their career field and dissatisfy with career they currently have. The results shows that they may have slight internal career barrier of lack of confidence, and external career barriers sex discrimination, multiple-role conflict which means someone who is working as well as taking care of children at home. To help students overcome their career barriers an action plan was designed for intervention, which included workshops, counseling services, and psychoeducation intervention. Assessment and evaluation plan was designed for the effectiveness and improvement of this program.

Committee: Aaliyah Baker (Committee Chair) Subjects: Academic Guidance Counseling; Education; Educational Evaluation; Educational Leadership; Higher Education; Social Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2023, Educational Leadership

Black urban youth face many obstacles in their personal development and future pursuits. Many of these obstacles result from systemic challenges that exist within their communities and cultural norms that negatively shape their self-concept and possible selves, a concept which argues that future self-concepts are constructed through personal evaluation of a current and desired future state. Corporate-education partnerships have recently been introduced to urban communities as a way to introduce youth to alternative professional pathways, although there are few studies about the extent to which Black urban youth are impacted by such partnerships. Using the possible selves theory, this study explored how one corporate-education partnership influences the self-concept and possible selves of Black urban youth engaging in a mentoring program, and the extent to which engagement in the program affected their view of themselves and future aspirations. This study focused on the Infinity Mentoring program, which is a partnership program between the Ascension corporation, Woodsby High School, and community-based organization Cincinnati Youth Connection (all pseudonyms). Findings from this study showed that participants in the program had improved feelings or self-concept about themselves and that participants gained increased motivation toward college, career, and their future aspirations as a result of the Infinity Mentoring program. The study adds to the scholarship on corporate-education partnerships, demonstrating the intrinsic impact these partnerships can have on Black urban students.

Committee: Dr. Kate Rousmaniere (Committee Chair); Dr. Sherrill Sellers (Committee Member); Dr. Michael Evans (Committee Member); Dr. Denise Taliaferro Baszile (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; Behavioral Sciences; Black Studies; Business Community; Developmental Psychology; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Educational Sociology; Individual and Family Studies; Social Psychology; Teacher Education; Urban Planning

Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2022, Educational Administration (Education)

In addition to equipping high school students with the knowledge and skills needed for college success, secondary school leaders must also consider if, how, and to what extent students are learning career skills and habits that add value to an ever-changing global economy. To address this need, some school leaders are turning to Career and Technical Education programs of study. Using Seidman's three-series approach of interviewing, this qualitative, collective case study examined the college and career readiness perspective and practices of seven comprehensive high school administrators in Central Ohio who lead CTE programs in their respective schools. From the analysis of the data, nine thematic leadership implications emerged, which include: (1) equipping students with the knowledge and skills to be college and career ready, (2) embracing CTE programs as technology advances, (3) keeping CTE programs in comprehensive high schools due to limited access in career centers, (4) focusing CTE programs on the needs and interests of students, (5) engaging high school students in CTE programs despite challenges, (6) supporting staff and repurposing spaces with resiliency and creativity, (7) partnering with higher education and industry to provide post-secondary experiences, (8) encouraging policymakers to interact with students to cause positive change, and (9) articulating CTE program needs to central office leadership to improve student outcomes. These findings provide fresh insights on the role that comprehensive high school administrators play as the synthesizing agent to meet the needs of students as well as the expectations of industry through the implementation of CTE programs of study.

Committee: Dwan Robinson (Advisor); Edward Fletcher Jr. (Committee Member); Emmanuel Jean-Francois (Committee Member); Peter Mather (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Leadership; School Administration; Secondary Education

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, 2022, Social Work

This study explores how parents and guardians perceive the effectiveness of college and career readiness resources in rural versus urban high schools. The population of interest of this study is parents and guardians of current or recently graduated public high school students. This study includes a quantitative survey in order to compare how the effectiveness of college and career readiness resources are perceived in urban and rural areas.

Committee: Evan Harris (Advisor) Subjects: Social Work

PHD, Kent State University, 2022, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between career adaptability resources (Career Adapt-Abilities scale score and subscale scores) and the persistence rates among undecided students at a large, public four-year university in the Midwest of the United States of America. Data from the 2019 cohort of first-time, full-time, degree seeking undecided students (n=486) were examined. Using a non-experimental approach, the researcher analyzed descriptive statistics and logistic regression models to answer the research questions: (1) Does the career adapt-ability score or the career adapt-ability sub scales (concern adaptability, control adaptability, curiosity adaptability, confidence adaptability), predict retention among undecided college students? (2) How do background characteristics influence the relationship between career adapt-ability scale score and subscale scores and prediction retention? Tinto's (1975, 1987a, 1993) student integration model, Bean's (1980, 1982) student attrition model, and Savickas' (2013) career construction theory served as guiding frameworks for this study. Based on the results of this study, Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (CASS) overall and subscale scores alone did not predict retention at the same institution; however, CAAS subscale scores of concern and confidence do predict retention at any institution. High school grade point average (GPA) predicted retention in all logistic regression models. Pell grant eligibility determined by the students' expected financial contribution (EFC) predicted retention with high school GPA at the same institution. On-campus housing along with high school GPA and CAAS subscale scores of concern and confidence predicted retention at any institution when included.

Committee: Mark Savickas PhD (Committee Member); Mark Kretovics PhD (Committee Chair) Subjects: Higher Education

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2019, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Counseling, Mental Health

College student-athletes are often overlooked in regard to post graduation planning support, yet this population is in great need of career intervention when considering few of them could pursue and achieve a professional athletic career. The sparse research on assisting college student-athletes for career transition found that athletic identity could be a factor in their readiness to transition into nonathletic careers. The current study seeks to explore the relationship between transition readiness, athletic identity, and college experiences, as well as examine how transition readiness can be influenced by the other two factors. Fifty four college student-athletes completed the AIMS (Brewer and Cornelius, 2001), the SACSI-RM and RF (Cox, Sadberry, McGuire, and McBride, 2009), and a demographic questionnaire including transition readiness. The correlation analysis found significant relationships between transition readiness and career confidence type college experiences as well as athletic identity and sport involvement promotes career confidence type college experiences. A linear multiple regression analysis was used to determine if athletic identity and college experiences were predictors of transition readiness. The results of this test observed no statistical significant predictors with transition readiness. The discussion includes explanations of unsupported influence of athletic identity and college experience to career transition readiness, limitations to the study, and implications and suggestions for continuing this research to further help the population's transition readiness and career development.

Committee: Mei Tang Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Michael Odio Ph.D. (Committee Member); Andrew Wood Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Mental Health

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2019, Educational Studies

In recent years, the concept of college and career readiness has gained interest and urgency in the United States. This has been especially true since its inception as an educational standard in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Despite the abundance of research on the topic, states struggle to define and measure college and career readiness an authentic and valuable ways. This often results in striking misalignments between state conceptualizations of college and career readiness and the manners in which students and their schools are assessed. Further, generic assessment methods fail to consider two important factors: (a) students' perceptions of their own readiness for their intended postsecondary paths; and (b) the non-academic factors that influence college and career readiness, especially for students from nondominant racial and cultural backgrounds. Utilizing a sample of 90 graduating senior males from a racially, culturally, and socioeconomically diverse suburban school district in Central Ohio, this mixed-methods study explored the phenomenon of college and career readiness as it is experienced by students. Students' perceived postsecondary readiness was measured using the Vocational/Educational Self-Efficacy Scale (VESES; Ali, 2005) and the Career and College Readiness Self-Efficacy Inventory (CCRSI; Baker & Parikh Foxx, 2012) and compared to their college and career readiness status in the state of Ohio. Relationships between (a) intended postsecondary path and perceived readiness; and (b) certainty of postsecondary plans and perceived readiness were also investigated. Finally, the influence of community cultural wealth (an alternative to traditional cultural capital theory; Yosso, 2005) on postsecondary readiness was explored through student interviews, and the experiences of African American and White males were compared. Results indicated that the achievement of at least one Ohio indicator of college and career readiness was positively (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Antoinette Miranda Ph.D. (Advisor); Colette Dollarhide Ed.D. (Committee Member); Kisha Radliff Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Education; Minority and Ethnic Groups; Multicultural Education; Psychology; Secondary Education; Social Research

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, 2018, Educational Leadership

While scholarship on faculty orientation and development is prevalent in traditional four-year universities and community colleges, the same cannot be said for for-profit (proprietary) career colleges. Given the proprietary nature of most private, career colleges and the lack of required faculty research, little research exists on the practices and effectiveness of practices at these types of colleges, although much opinion exists about the negative outlook on such types of schools. A secondary goal of this study was to add to a limited conversation on the practices at these schools, with a focus on faculty orientation and onboarding. Faculty orientation and onboarding, also referred to as organizational socialization, is a process by which a new employee acquires knowledge and skills necessary to assume a role in a new organization (Bauer, 2010; Feldman, 1981; Schein, 1968; Tierney, 1997; Van Maanen, 1978; Van Maanen & Schein, 1979). This process is important especially when an employee is a neophyte in a sector, which happens often in career colleges because many instructors teaching at these institutions have little to no preparation as instructors, having been formerly employed or being currently employed in their fields (Hentschke, Lechuga, & Tierney, 2010; Lechuga, 2006). The primary goal of this study was to help understand how career colleges approach this important process. The findings revealed that more structured and formal onboarding programs are found at multiple-site institutions, while single-site career colleges often have informal and non-structured programs. These programs were then compared to a human resources framework provided by Bauer (2010); because the institutions are often run as businesses, an HR framework was more appropriate than other frameworks used in faculty development research. The comparison to the framework showed all participating institutions focused on helping instructors understand their role, policy, and proced (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Steven Hinshaw (Committee Chair); Kathryn Kinnucan-Welsch (Committee Member); Larry Smith (Committee Member); Stephen Wilhoit (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Leadership

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2017, Education

This dissertation identifies and describes the broad range of variables that may influence the high school student's ability to make accurate career decisions as approaching post-secondary transitions. The dissertation also studies and discusses the effects of the general education and career-technical education tracks on the high school student's ability to make confident career decisions. Variables found to be contributing to low Career Decision Self-Efficacy (CDSE) that may lead to poor post-high school transitions include the lack of self-confidence to carry out post-secondary plans, lack of interest, or uncertain career goals. The consequences of low CDSE include disengagement from academic coursework, potentially dropping out of their future degree program or vocational training, consequently doubting their abilities and avoiding academic challenges. High CDSE can play a key role in the student's belief to confidently choose between post-secondary options and successfully complete the tasks associated with achieving their goals. The study included 102 urban and 436 rural, junior and senior students from northwest Ohio. Students were sorted by age, gender, race, expected education outcomes, and parents' level of education, and assessed across the five subscales of CDSE: Self-Appraisal, Occupational Information, Goal Selection, Planning and Problem Solving. The information gathered from this research has the potential to benefit high school students as they move through the critical career exploration stage into future post-secondary career options.

Committee: John Cindric (Committee Chair); Mike Scoles (Committee Member); Kathleen Crates (Committee Member); Kathy Siebenaler Wilson (Committee Member) Subjects: Academic Guidance Counseling; Vocational Education

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2017, Leadership Studies

Rachel Vannatta Reinhart, Advisor The purpose of this study was two-fold: (1) to explore the relationship between investments that students make in themselves while enrolled in a higher education program and their post-graduation career satisfaction, and (2) to gather information about the importance apparel and textile professionals place on selected competencies identified by the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA). Graduates (n=123) of an apparel and textiles (A&T) program at a four-year, public research institution were surveyed to examine which investments in self best predict post-graduation career satisfaction. The Survey of A&T Graduates' Career Satisfaction consisted of 86 items measuring perceived importance and preparation of the ITAA meta-goals and competencies, career satisfaction, co-curricular activity involvement, on-the-job training, health and well-being, career competencies, and willingness to relocate. Multiple regression showed that Career Competencies and Health and Well-being best predicted participants' post-graduation career satisfaction. Participants rated the Professional Development meta-goal; the Ethics, Social Responsibility, and Sustainability meta-goal; and Critical and Creative Thinking meta-goal of highest importance. These same meta-goals received highest perceived preparation ratings. Lastly, ANOVA findings revealed that buyers, retail managers, marketing professionals and others indicated differences in perceptions of competencies and meta-goals. The buyers/merchandisers rated the Industry Processes and the Critical and Creative Thinking meta-goals of higher importance than retail managers. Retail managers perceived the Global Interdependence meta-goal as less important than marketing professionals did. The Ethics, Social Responsibility, and Sustainability meta-goal was perceived more important by retail managers than “others” category did. Graduates' career satisfaction differed mostly by Income levels (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Rachel Vannatta Reinhart (Advisor); Gregory Rich (Other); Barbara Frazier (Committee Member); Joyce Litten (Committee Member); Patrick Pauken (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Curricula; Curriculum Development; Design; Economic Theory; Economics; Education; Education Policy; Educational Evaluation; Educational Leadership; Health; Health Education; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Home Economics; Home Economics Education; Mental Health

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1987, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2016, Counseling Psychology

First-generation college students (FGCS) do not have primary caregivers with a bachelor's degree. This identity contributes above and beyond other background factors in predicting outcomes (Gibbons & Borders, 2010). This study aimed to identify specific supports and barriers that affect the career decision process for this population and add to the dearth of research in this area. Social Cognitive Career Theory (Lent et al., 1994), which accounts for contextual factors, was used as a lens in the current study. Population-relevant supports and barriers such as social status, experiences with classism, parental support, and role model influence were identified as especially relevant for the career development process of first-generation college students (Gibbons & Borders, 2010; Lent et al., 2002; Olson, 2014). Coping efficacy was hypothesized as a mediator between the supports and barriers and vocational outcomes (i.e., career decision self-efficacy and career indecision). Data from a national sample of 251 ethnically and socioeconomically diverse FGCS yielded significant correlational findings. Social status was positively correlated with perceived parental support, supportive role model influence, and career decision self-efficacy and negatively correlated with experiences with classism and career indecision. Experiences with classism were negatively related with career decision self-efficacy and positively correlated with career indecision. Perceived parental support and supportive role model influence were both positively correlated with career decision self-efficacy, however, they lacked significant relationships with career indecision. A path analysis revealed that the hypothesized model was not supported by the data. Exploratory analyses guided by theory, however, yielded a model that was a good fit for the data. Significant indirect effects were found within the best fitting model, with social status and coping efficacy serving as full mediators in (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Linda Subich PhD (Advisor); David Tokar PhD (Committee Member); Suzette Speight PhD (Committee Member); Ingrid Weigold PhD (Committee Member); Paul Hartung PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Counseling Psychology

Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2016, Educational Administration (Education)

Women continue to be underrepresented in the nontraditional careers. With areas of cosmetology, health sciences, education and child care being the dominate female careers; there is limited female representation in welding, carpentry, plumbing/pipefitting, electrical and other traditional male careers. Due to facing social barriers and developing an understanding of skill measurement among peers by the age of adolescence, individuals will disregard career options that may be viable for the future based on limited exposure and inaccurate facts. In addition, as students become aware of their own interests and abilities career preferences begin to emerge. Choices tend to be toward jobs in which students find accessible and in which there is a familiarity. The process of self-selection and differentiated task-specific beliefs among students occurs as early as elementary school. Researchers have gathered data to bring awareness that gender stereotyping occurs within the elementary setting and students are already self-selecting careers based upon those stereotypes at young ages. By the age of adolescence, the experiences students have had within the school setting, within the home, and through experiences or lack thereof, can already determine the career path for an individual. Due to females being strongly influenced by their setting and the expected gender roles they are to play, understanding the research is critical for the recruitment and retention of women within a nontraditional work setting. Recruitment and early exposure can start at earlier ages by providing job shadowing and mentoring early in the educational life of a child. By researching ways to improve the recruitment and retention of females into nontraditional occupations, tremendous financial opportunities could be available to women who may never have considered the skill sets and talent they have as being viable. This qualitative study uses a series of three interviews with selected participants (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Charles Lowery Ed.D (Committee Co-Chair); Krisanna Machtmes Ph.D (Committee Co-Chair); Emmanuel Jean Francois Ph.D (Committee Member); Dwan Robinson Ph.D (Committee Member); Jason Stoner Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Continuing Education; Counseling Education; Curriculum Development; Education; Education Policy; Educational Theory; Gender Studies; Labor Relations; School Counseling; Vocational Education; Womens Studies