The career development of youth who do not attend college after leaving high school is unique and important to understand. The purpose of this study was to investigate how youth in the California Conservation Corps (CCC) thought about their career choices and whether the CCC experience was helping them to develop skills that would further their employment opportunities.
The CCC was created by the California legislature in 1976 to “generate feelings of civic responsibility as well as provide labor needed for state projects” (p.62). CCC participants are California residents ages between the ages of 18-23. There are 11 geographical CCC districts throughout the state, each specializing in a specific area of emphasis, such as salmon restoration. CCC recruits choose a position within a preferred CCC district. Participants are required to take courses to continue their education, which CCC pays for, and to complete Career Orientation Motivation and Education Training (COMET). After completing the program participants are provided assistance in obtaining employment, including guides related to interviewing skills.
For the purpose of this study, the researcher visited with CCC youth and toured the sites and surveyed 166 incoming CCC participants in the COMET program in nine of the CCC districts in the summer of 1997. The survey consisted of 237 items that included both write-in and multiple-choice questions. The survey included questions on demographics, family, school, reasons for selecting the CCC, and occupational goals. Participants also completed a Career Decision Profile to assess career awareness.
This study of the CCC offers insight into one pathway for career exploration for youth not pursuing a college degree, many of whom were economically and academically disadvantaged when compared to their peers. While performing useful work for the state of California, many youth in the CCC indicated that they were able to learn more about their career interests and options. The CCC seemed to fill a career counseling role that was not taken advantage of during high school. Participants noted that they "needed more information on career development, and joining CCC was their way of taking the initiative to understand some of the options available for future work" (p.64).
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