MoCo CAP Career Coaches empower Montgomery County students in grades 6–12 to explore their strengths, set goals, and prepare for college, career, and community life.
About Career Advising
MoCo CAP Career Coaches help students advocate for themselves, explore areas of interest, and navigate College and Career Readiness (CCR) pathways. They meet with small groups, large groups, and individual students to ensure every student receives the guidance they need.
Career Coaches provide resources that build lifelong career management skills, support MCPS teachers, and expand opportunities such as career exploration labs, college tours, internships, apprenticeships, and industry chats.
Job Expectations
MoCo CAP Career Coaches are employed through WorkSource Montgomery’s (WSM) Career Education Services (CES) Department and work with MCPS students in grades 6-12, along with teachers, administrators, and families. Coaches use research-based approaches to help students understand their strengths, interests, and values through age- and stage-appropriate programming.
Key responsibilities include:
- Providing RIASEC and other strengths-based assessments.
- Sharing information about MCPS programs and career exploration opportunities, including Career and Technical Education (CTE), internships, and service learning.
- Documenting student progress to help them set and achieve goals.
Ideal candidates have a positive attitude, enjoy working with young people, think creatively, anticipate challenges, and are flexible, adaptable, and patient.
Career Advising Apprenticeship
Every MoCo CAP Career Coach participates in WSM’s apprenticeship program, registered with the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) and the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council’s Standards of Apprenticeship. It is the first program of its kind in Maryland and among the first in the nation.
The competency-based program takes about one year to complete. Montgomery College and MCPS provide 144 hours of related training, and apprentices complete on-the-job tasks to demonstrate mastery of required skills. This innovative model combines online learning with hands-on experience, ensuring Career Coaches are fully prepared to meet MoCo CAP’s needs in guiding youth toward stable, successful careers.
Upon completion, Career Coaches earn a Montgomery College certification and a U.S. Department of Labor Certificate of Journey-level status — a nationally recognized, portable credential.
Interested?