Practical projects · free to use

Build a plan.
Show your thinking.

Turn the lessons into a sourced comparison or applied project. Save work to your account or download a copy for your own records.

Explore Workforce Foundations

Choose an exercise

Your working copy

Plan an education or training transition

Compare a target route with a credible alternative, including direct work. Verify provider information before committing time or money.

Career goal and routes

Consider four-year/community college, trade school, apprenticeship, certification, occupational training, employer training, and direct work. Explain your two choices.

Route A: provider and requirements

Credential, recognition/licensing relevance, prerequisites, admissions, schedule, duration, accessibility, and source of outcome information.

Route A official source

Use the provider or an official education/training source.

Route B: provider and requirements

Compare the same factors. A direct-to-work path should identify actual entry requirements and development options.

Route B official source

Link to the alternative's official information.

Full cost, aid, and opportunity cost

Tuition, fees, books, transport, time away from work, grants/scholarships, FAFSA if relevant, loan terms, and net cost. Verify aid eligibility with the appropriate adviser.

Application checklist

List documents needed, prerequisites, deadlines, fee-waiver questions, and who can confirm each requirement. Do not upload identity or eligibility documents.

Transition timeline and backup

Set dated steps from research through application and starting. Include support, a backup route, and a go/no-go decision date.

Date verified

When you checked the provider, costs, and deadlines.

Guests can write and download a copy; entries stay on this page until you leave. Sign in to save across devices. Supplemental exercises are tracked separately from eight-week program completion.

Start with sources you can check.

Use the current source page and record its date and geography. Compare information for the place where you want to work or study.

BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook Occupational tasks, entry education, wages, and national projections O*NET OnLine Occupation codes, skills, tasks, and related occupations CareerOneStop Local career, salary, training, and employment research Maryland labor-market information Maryland and regional labor-market research Federal Student Aid Official aid and FAFSA information Apprenticeship.gov Registered apprenticeship research