Insights and Perspectives

Launch Your Future! How Kansas is Transforming Career Development for the Next Generation

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 15:10:57 GMT

National Career Development Month is an annual observance that emphasizes the importance of career development and planning. National Career Development Month has been observed every November since 1967, when the National Career Development Association first began promoting it. The National Career Development Association (NCDA) is a leader in advancing career development initiatives across the U.S. The NCDA has stated that one of their primary focuses is building early career awareness in young students, starting as early as elementary school.

For professionals, this is a moment to reflect on training and advancement within their careers, but for students, this is a critical time for them to start mapping their future based on the real world and the current labor market.

This year, to celebrate National Career Development Month, we’re spotlighting an innovative initiative from the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL). They are successfully tackling a long-standing challenge in workforce development, which is making complex Labor Market Information (LMI) engaging and accessible for young individuals.

The Challenge: Turning Spreadsheets into Career Intelligence

National Career Development Month is all about taking proactive steps toward your goals. This involves self-reflection, research, and setting up a clear action plan. The T.O.T.O platform is designed to facilitate all three, transforming raw Labor Market Information (LMI) data into what KDOL calls "career intelligence" for learners of all ages. Labor Market Information includes data on wages, job demand, and required education. Understanding LMI data is the foundation of making smart career decisions.

However, as KDOL’s Deputy Director for LMI, Laura Crosswhite, noted during our recent Pathways to Employment webinar, “This data is often not presented in a way that resonates with its most crucial audience, which is students. Middle school kids and high school kids may not be able to utilize a lot of Excel spreadsheets or things like that to really make smart decisions about their future."

Kansas’s solution was a dedicated, creative platform called T.O.T.O., which stands for “Today’s Occupations and Tomorrow’s Opportunities.” The goal of T.O.T.O. was to create a Kansas-themed platform that makes career exploration interactive, creative, and accessible, transforming LMI data into career intelligence for learners of all ages, built on Geographic Solutions’ Virtual Career Center Portal.

From Spark to System: The TOTO Story

The idea for a site called Todays Occupation and Tomorrows Opportunities (T.O.T.O.) with a Wizard of Oz theme was initially intended for Kansas’s Labor Market Information Platform. The LMI platform was called KLIC, or “click” instead. The team still wanted to use the name T.O.T.O. and decided to use it for a single page on the LMI site, which contained career exploration and planning materials. But it truly took off after Laura and the KDOL LMI team saw a similar system in New Mexico and realized the potential for a dedicated Virtual Career Center.
For the Kansas LMI team, the platform’s creation was a proud, in-house effort. According to Laura, her team, including Gideon Hockenberger, Data Analyst, and Rosy Marquez, LMI Publications and Outreach Specialist, who joined Laura on the Pathways to Employment webinar was key in the creation and made the build of the system almost effortless, She described the alignment of skills as being "so cliche, it was just kind of magical, and everything just kind of fell into place." This internal capacity meant, as Gideon Hockenbarger put it, "The Kansas LMI shop finally had the resources available to actually do a project that they've been wanting to do for a long time."

Putting Data to Work: TOTO’s Key Features

The TOTO platform integrates all essential career resources and LMI data in a meaningful, simplified way, directly supporting the key aspects of Career Development Month.

1. Fostering Self-Awareness and Exploration
A core activity during Career Development Month is helping individuals, especially students, understand where their talents and interests align within the workforce.
TOTO’s built-in assessments turn this step into an efficient process.

Assessment Linkage: T.O.T.O. offers interests and values assessments, which Laura called one of her favorite features, detailing "How it links all that information together for kids after they take those assessments, and it links them up with the careers that really match their interests". This powerful linkage is key to "simplifying that process of career exploration and cutting out some of that extra work."

Path Planning: The system integrates directly with state educational goals, supporting the requirement that “Every student in Kansas has to have what they call an individual plan of study before they can graduate, and that’s something that T.O.T.O. can help with," according to Laura.

2. Realistic Financial Literacy: The Wizard of Jobs

Career planning requires an understanding of the financial realities of various professions. Rosie emphasized the tool's value, saying, “LMI data tells you what occupations pay, and that's important to know, so that way you can live the life that you want.”

The TOTO platform’s Wizard of Jobs application is a powerful lifestyle budgeting tool that makes these realities tangible. Recounting the proud experience of testing with students, Laura explained the tool's impact.
“The Wizard of Jobs tool has been a fun one to test with kids. It tells them how much you need to earn to afford the lifestyle that you've chosen. We ask them, ‘What do you think about that? Do you think it's high or low?’”
The tool prompts a necessary conversation about wages, cost of living, and expectations, a critical component of career development.

3. Addressing Skill Gaps and Future Outlook

National Career Development Month is also about setting actionable goals for education and training. T.O.T.O. uses LMI data to give users the facts about their job's outlook. Laura detailed how the system makes the links for users.

Projections: Users can find out the “employment projections data, so they can understand whether their occupation might be growing or declining." This helps determine if they will "be able to get a job in this career field when I graduate from school."

Training and Education: Once a career is chosen, the platform shows them "Where in Kansas, specifically, they can get that education or training that they need."

Non-Traditional Paths: KDOL creates guides on the T.O.T.O. site, including one on “high demand, high wage jobs that require less than a bachelor’s degree” to help students who may not see a four-year degree as the right path. They also support students who are interested in hands-on learning, for example, the site can help by "linking up students with the Kansas registered apprenticeship program", supporting all forms of professional development and growth.

Success Through User Feedback

The ultimate measure of a Career Development resource is its adoption by the end-user. The T.O.T.O. team recognized that a digital tool must be continually shaped by its users.

The team conducted extensive end-user testing with schools and students. As Rosie noted, this included visiting schools and observing reactions in real-time, because "it's interesting to see what kids pick up on and what they don't pick up on."

They worked hard to walk the line between being engaging and being "too kiddy". Gideon explained that they couldn't use "overly cartoon graphics" or “overly simplified language” to ensure they were not treating teenagers like children.

The ultimate reward was positive feedback from the end-users. Laura recalled her "proud mom moments" when kids told them, "Oh, this is way better than Zella or way better than Naviance.” She summarized this celebration by saying, "I feel like I did it. I won"

Take Charge of Your Future This November

National Career Development Month is a great time to launch or refine your own career plan. Whether you’re a parent, educator, job seeker, or professional, explore the resources available to you.

This November, use TOTO’s example as inspiration. The Kansas T.O.T.O. platform is an excellent example of what happens when state agencies and technology align to deliver career development resources, helping every student find their “Pathways to Employment.”

The Role of Labor Market Information in Graduates' Career Planning

Tue, 21 May 2024 20:31:49 GMT

May marks the exciting milestone of graduation season. Across the country, college students are taking their first steps into the professional world. However, stepping into the dynamic and evolving job market can be challenging without the right information. For new graduates, the state of the labor market has implications beyond getting your first job. Understanding the state of the labor market and labor market information is crucial for recent graduates to make informed decisions about their career paths.

What is Labor Market Information

The labor market refers to the supply and demand for labor. Employees provide the supply and employers provide the demand. Labor Market Information (LMI) is a set of data and insights that helps describe how jobs are changing, now and into the future. LMI provides essential data about job trends, salaries, industry demands, required skills, and education levels.

Why LMI Matters for Recent Graduates

Graduates can use this valuable information to make informed decisions regarding their career paths. For graduates, LMI serves as a compass, guiding them through the initial stages of their professional journeys. LMI can answer questions such as “how much does a job pay,” “how many jobs are available now,” and “what is the growth rate for this job.” By understanding and leveraging labor market information, graduates can gain a better understanding of the labor market by having the ability to identify job trends and opportunities as well as learn how to align their skills with the demands of various industries.

What Does the Current Job Market Look Like for College Graduates

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of March 2024, the current unemployment rate is 3.8%. However, recent college graduates face a different job market. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, in March 2024, about 4.7% of recent college graduates were unemployed in the U.S. Until 2018, the unemployment rate for recent graduates was lower than the overall unemployment rate. Since then, it has hovered under a percentage point above the overall rate. However, this gap has recently widened. Recent graduates are also more likely to be underemployed, meaning they are working in jobs that do not require a college degree. In March 2024, recent graduates had an underemployment rate of 40.8% compared to college graduates with an underemployed rate of 33.1%. Although unemployment and underemployment for recent graduates are higher than historical rates. According to the Harvard Business Review, the strength of the labor market can positively impact recent graduates, and students who graduate into a strong labor market will earn more throughout their careers than those who graduate during a recession. The time of the year can also positively impact recent graduates, Phillip Sprehe Geographic Solutions’ Sr. Economist, explained more on this during the Big Interview YouTube Expert series on Labor Market Trends. He compared seasonally adjusted and unadjusted job postings, and he found that March and April are the best months to find opening and December tends to be the worst.

Using Geographic Solutions LMI Tools

Geographic Solutions empowers individuals with the information that they need to make informed career decisions. Through innovative software solutions, graduates can gain access to data and insights that they can use to navigate the complex job market with confidence. Geographic Solutions offers user-friendly LMI tools like Virtual LMI (VLMI) and Virtual Career Center (VCC). Virtual Career Center (VCC) provides colleges with an online platform that helps students prepare for entering the workforce after graduation. VCC’s personalized dashboard and algorithms match students with relevant internships and job opportunities based on their data. Virtual LMI (VLMI), is an online platform that provides individuals with the ability to perform detailed analyses, compare job market statistics, and explore various career paths.

Maximizing LMI for Career Success

By having access to real time data on job opportunities, salary ranges, and skills requirements, graduates can make informed decisions about their first steps in their career paths. Understanding what employers are looking for and how to stand out for entry level jobs can be challenging. By using LMI to complement research, graduates can gain a better understanding of what will be expected for a certain role. Graduates can leverage LMI effectively by tailoring their resume with skills and qualifications identified through LMI, use industry-specific insights and trends from LMI to impress potential employers during interviews, and negotiate a competitive salary based on skills, education, training, and knowledge of industry averages.

Go Forth into the Job Market with the Power of LMI

Labor Market Information is a valuable resource that empowers graduates to navigate the job market confidently. By leveraging LMI tools, the class of 2024 can make informed career decisions that align with their goals and the demands of today's job market, contributing to the success of the next generation of the workforce.

Employment Remains Above 200K, but Shows Signs of Slowing

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 15:55:00 GMT

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its monthly Current Employment Statistics (CES) report and Current Population Survey (CPS) for December 2022 on Friday, January 6^th. The monthly change in employment given by the CES and the unemployment rate from the CPS are seen as the standard gauges for assessing the health of the U.S. labor market.

Employment in the U.S. rose by 223,000 jobs. The jobs results ended up between the Geographic Solutions, Inc. forecast of 273,000 and the WSJ forecast of 200,000. Job growth has been slightly softening since August 2022. Additionally, with the exceptions of the outbursts in job creation in February and July 2022 depicted in the above chart, job growth has been gradually weakening since October 2021. Geographic Solutions, Inc. derives its employment forecast from internal data on the number of job searchers and applications for unemployment benefits filed on Geographic Solutions state client sites. The forecast uses unemployment claims data from the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL).

The unemployment rate fell to 3.5%, below the Geographic Solutions and WSJ forecasts of 3.7%. The unemployment rate forecast uses internal data on the number of job openings, job searchers, job applications, unemployment applications, and job severances on Geographic Solutions state client sites. The forecast uses unemployment claims data from the USDOL.

Job creation was strongest in Education & Health Services (78,000) and Leisure & Hospitality (67,000). Job growth was flat in all other industries except Trade, Transportation, & Utilities and Construction which gained a combined 55,000 jobs.

While all sectors continued to grow in 2022, Leisure & Hospitality and Government are the only major sectors to remain below their pre-pandemic employment level.

The labor force participation rate increased to 62.3% from the previous month. The more expansive U-6 unemployment rate counts discouraged workers who are no longer actively seeking work (and therefore no longer in the labor force) and those that have settled for part-time employment but desire a full-time job. This measure of unemployment declined to 6.5%.

The U.S. labor market expanded by 4.5 million jobs in 2022 as recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic continues. Despite this impressive achievement, it appears that the Federal Reserve’s drastic interest rate increases have managed to slow the pace of job growth throughout the year, albeit unevenly. Wage increases also seem to be tapering off. Both of those developments bode well for taming inflation and bringing price relief to consumers in 2023. The main question in the new year is will the Federal Reserve be able to accomplish this without pushing the labor market into a downturn.

Paint By Cluster: How Career Clusters Became More Visually Appealing, And Their Role In Education’s Future

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 14:52:00 GMT

Did you know that there are 16 career clusters and 79 career pathways that help students of all ages navigate their way to success in their college and career journeys?

Following the unified concepts of the National Career Clusters Framework, an organizing tool that began as part of an initiative to create a curricular framework and prepare students for educational transitions, each grouping contains occupations in the same field of work that require similar skills. Students, parents, and educators can use the clusters to focus on the knowledge, competencies, and training necessary for success in a particular pathway.

Source: air.org

Finding a comprehensive list of clusters and pathways online is as simple as visiting the Occupational Information Network’s website, which is perhaps better known by its acronym, O*NET. The online application provides the general public with broad access to the national database of occupational information.

But, text-based information can only go so far, especially with the next generation of learners more inclined to watch a video, or similar graphic interpretation. Visually seeing what a job’s day-to-day responsibilities entail is much more invigorating than simply reading about it.

Over the last few years, CareerOneStop.com, overhauled their entire library of career pathways videos. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, the site is a trusted source of employment information and inspiration, and offers tools for job seekers, students, businesses, and career professionals.

The Spark That Started It All

The movement around career clusters began in 1996 as the Building Linkages Initiative, a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Education, the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), the National School-to-Work Office (NSTWO), and the National Skill Standards Board (NSSB).

The purpose of the initiative was to establish linkages among state educational agencies, secondary and post-secondary educational institutions, employers, industry groups, other stakeholders, and federal agencies. The goal was to create curricular frameworks in broad career clusters, designed to prepare students to transition successfully from high school to post-secondary education and employment within a career pathway.

Source: blogs.uis.edu

What’s in Store for the Future of Education?

Education’s future will continue to retain its BUILD Initiative and career cluster structure, while taking notes from digital transformation.

Based on the results from a recent survey conducted by Ellucian, the future of education will embrace new student values perhaps not considered in the traditional education model, such as personalized pathways, technology-driven advisor relationships, and a friction-free approach to career path selection.

Through 2020, technology will influence several industries, and the education industry is on the cusp of these changes. Although often considered cliché, advancing trends in technology such as voice assistance, predictive analytics, and chatbots will assist in further opening the door to equitable access.

Forbes.com recently wrote that new apps and software will ease learning barriers for students of all learning types. Most notably, video conferencing will play a significant role in accessibility, giving specialized support to even the most remote students.

Enter Virtual Career Center

Geographic Solutions is committed to playing an evolutionary role in education’s advancing future. Virtual Career Center (VCC), our web-based career services portal, is making strides in giving students a personalized career development experience.

CareerOneStop.com’s recent move to visually enhance career pathways has been reflected in VCC. Now, students who are using VCC to map out their school-to-work journey can view all occupational videos within the Occupation Finder.

Source: Virtual Career Center

Meant to give students the opportunity to discover professions that fit their needs, VCC’s Occupation Finder presents results filtering by career path, outlook and demand, wage, education and experience. The occupational profile provides valuable exploration information like top skills, tools and technology, and other competencies required to be successful on the job.

To lessen any doubt about a given profession’s monetary outlook, VCC offers regional labor market information to gauge occupational supply and demand. Students can further explore colleges, programs and current employment opportunities to begin planning their prosperity pathway.

With self-assessments and exploration tools that help learners make key educational decisions, relationship-first technology that drives one-to-one advisor communications, and employer-centric collaboration tools designed to assist in finding reliable, local talent, Virtual Career Center stands at the forefront of the next educational revolution.

Find out if Virtual Career Center is right for your region, state, school, or business by contacting Business Development Executive, Chuck Johnson.

Three Sessions You Can't Miss At The 2019 Workforce Technology Conference

Sun, 21 Apr 2019 15:44:00 GMT

This year's Workforce Technology Conference is less than two months away, and we're excited to deliver an agenda full of new ideas, innovations, and training opportunities.

To save you from a severe case of FOMO (fear of missing out), here are three "can't miss" sessions you'll definitely want to attend.

The Next Steps

What does the future hold for Geographic Solutions' product line in 2020 and beyond? Hosted by President Paul Toomey, this session will give you an inside look at what's new and what's changing throughout our software suite. As part of the presentation, hear from our senior-level product architects about cutting-edge features currently in development.

The State of Recruitment Advertising

Recruitment advertising used to be Monster, CareerBuilder, whatever niche sites an employer used, and potentially a state or local workforce site. But, with the growth of Indeed, the development of Google Jobs, the use of LinkedIn for networking and recruitment, and the forthcoming effect of artificial intelligence, the landscape has changed. Join Advanced Interactive Media Group's Peter Zollman for an open discussion on these trends and more.

Best Practices and Enhancements

Don't miss your chance to have an active role in enhancing the user and customer experience. Broken out into three separate tracks, join subject matter experts from Geographic Solutions' workforce development, unemployment insurance, and labor market information teams to vote in real time on potential enhancements to our product line.

Regular Registration Closing Soon

If you haven't already registered, now is the time! We're looking forward to seeing you this summer in California for four immersive days of training, learning, and networking. Prices will increase on May 4, 2019, so act now, and take advantage of our regular registration rate.