DESIGNING CAREER FAIR: ATTRACTING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM BACKGROUNDS UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE PROFESSION TO LAW ENFORCEMENT by Joseph A.
Abstract
This work seeks to address how available literature and expert insight recommend designing career fairs to support high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds’ decision to consider a career in law enforcement. It identifies the current struggle police departments in Minnesota have recruiting well qualified candidates and candidates from backgrounds underrepresented in their ranks. It examines proposals from law enforcement leaders to address this problem, one of which is more direct outreach to high school students. The work goes on to explore general career development for high schools students and possible barriers students underrepresented in job roles face. It identifies raising a student’s self-efficacy as one possible way through barriers. It also examines the role career fairs play in raising awareness about certain careers and improving self-efficacy. The paper uses previous literature to propose a design for a law enforcement career fair as a mechanism to increase a student from an underrepresented background’s consideration of that career track.