More than 200,000 Florida students have registered to use the FloridaShines career planning site. The online
planning tool is hosted by the University of West Florida's Innovation Institute. Photo: FloridaShines website.

More than 200,000 Florida students are planning their future on MyCareerShines, the comprehensive education and career planning system administered by the University of West Florida Innovation Institute.

The Institute is housed at the DeVillers Square building in Pensacola's historic Belmont-DeVilliers neighborhood.

The system is powered by age-appropriate online tools that allow students to develop a personalized education plan that connects interests and skills to careers and jobs. MyCareerShines is free for all Florida students from middle school through college and beyond.

“MyCareerShines is helping students plan for the future,” said Dr. Karen Rasmussen, assistant provost and chief academic strategist at the UWF Innovation Institute. “Whether it is college, training or straight into the workforce, MyCareerShines gives students all the information and tools to succeed.”

Helping students see the connection between what they learn and love in the classroom and what they will do for a job as adults, is key in the student's success.

In Escambia County, the high school graduation rate was 72.7 percent for 2015. For African-American students, it was 61.8 percent. Earning a diploma is a minimum milestone toward getting a good job.

Improving that graduation rate is crucial to improving the quality of the Pensacola metro area's workforce, boosting the local economy, improving wages and the overall quality of life. That is something that is central to the Studer Community Institute's mission.

MyCareerShines offers two online tools developed by Kuder Inc., a career guidance services provider specializing in research-based career assessments.

Students in middle and high school can use Kuder Navigator to develop an education plan that prepares them for college and a rewarding career after graduation. College students can use Kuder Journey to develop a plan to pursue and land a job.

Karen Rasmussen, assistant provost and chief academic strategist at UWF’s Innovation Institute.

“When students have a plan, they are more likely to stay on track, on time and on budget for earning their degree,” Rasmussen said. “MyCareerShines helps them make that plan, starting as early as sixth grade.”

Students can build a plan by going through the step-by-step process or they can access features in the system that meet their immediate needs.

The system allows students to explore a catalog of careers, learn about the education requirements for their top job choices, make a plan for school, create resumes, prepare for interviews and find jobs.

MyCareerShines is funded by the Florida Legislature, which has made it a priority to prepare Floridians with the knowledge, skills and tools to succeed in school and the increasingly competitive global economy.

"We want everybody to be in a career that is meaningful to them, that's meet their personal and professional goals," Rasmussen said in March on the "Studer Community Institute" TV show. "Research tells us if you can get students in an area of interest, they will make good choices."

Watch her interview here.

Learn more about MyCareerShines at floridashines.org.