CHANGING THE CAREER CONVERSATION: A SPOTLIGHT ON DAWN MANN

relevant career information, to support school counselors when working with students, and to provide guidance as we work to prepare students for all post-high school opportunities,” said Mann.

advocating and engaging in public relations for the school counseling program, and advocating for funding and resources.

The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) and AGC

Georgia partnered on two successful initiatives in 2018. Under the leadership of Dawn Mann, Program Manager for Career Guidance and Counseling at the DOE, the two organizations helped launch Trade Talks and the Career Guidance and Counseling (CGC) Advisory Council.

Mann is responsible for developing and implementing a statewide comprehensive K-12 school counselor program to maximize the school counselor’s ability to impact student growth in the areas of learning, living, and working.

“AGC Georgia is an instrumental

Trade Talks provides a face-to-face platform for industry experts to provide relevant career information to school counselors. The inaugural workshop was held this past October and featured numerous careers in the construction industry.

Traditionally, career-focused professional opportunities for school counselors were limited. The team at the GaDOE wanted to change the career conversation so that counselors could help students understand the job opportunities available to them immediately upon graduation.

The Career Guidance and Counseling (CGC) Advisory Council consists of a diverse group of stakeholders selected to advise the CGC team on the state level school-counseling program. The advisory council assists the team at GaDOE by providing input on program goals, reviewing program results, making recommendations about the school counseling program,

The organization is striving to make a bigger impact in 2019. In fact, one of the major initiatives for GaDOE this year is to establish a strong working relationship with newly inaugurated Governor Brian Kemp.

“I look forward to working with Governor Kemp as he helps us prepare all our students for successful futures,” said Mann. “Based on his own experience as a business leader, I am certain he understands the importance of a skilled workforce.”

The Department of Education CTAE Department’s goals for the year include improving its perception; providing quality career counseling and career development for students in grades K-12; increasing teacher and counseling recruitment, retention, and professional development; and developing employable skills for students in grades K-12.

Mann has worked at the Department of Education since January 2018 and has had numerous rewarding experiences while in this role.

“ In my current role, one of my most rewarding encounters occurred with a school counselor,” said Mann. “After the October Trade Talks event, a middle school counselor walked up to me and said, ‘This (event) is going to change the way I counsel students.’ It meant the world to me that our event generated such a powerful impact on her and, hopefully, many others as well.”

Mann believes in the power of positivity and has been known to be caught dancing in the kitchen with her two daughters. ■

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