2Government, Law & Public Safety Careers

Government, Law & Public Safety Careers

1. Identify public administration and government careers.

2. Describe the skills and abilities needed for government and public administration careers.

3. Research public safety and security careers.

4. Explore some of the tasks for those working in public safety careers.

Government, Law & Public Safety Careers

• There are many careers that allow us to help our country and neighbors.

• Careers in government, law, and public safety help towns, cities, and countries in many ways.

• From government leaders to firefighters, you’ll find that the careers in these areas offer many options.

Government and Public Administration

• Government and public administration careers are important for the day to day working of your town, state, or country.

• They create laws and supervise the government.

• They write local, regional, and foreign policies, and do other important jobs.

Multiple Choice

Why are government and public administration careers important?

• for the day to day working of city, state, and country

• to make sure people get the proper medication

• to to make sure buildings are properly constructed

• to make sure a hospital is running properly

Governing:

leadership of a country and its people

• ​Legislators: These are the positions that you vote people into at each election. ex. President of the United States, state governors, mayors and other positions

• Political lobbyists: this career involves convincing those elected officials to vote for what you want

​Careers in governance include:

• ​Political scientists: this career studies the political system

• Administrative services managers: these are the people who help direct government programs

• Emergency management directors: this career helps countries and states prepare for disasters, like hurricanes or nuclear power plant explosions

​Careers in governance include:

Multiple Choice

An elected official is:

• Appointed to the job

• Voted into their job

• Assigned a job by a superior

Governing

People who work in these careers need to work well with large groups of people. They need to be able to talk to other people and perhaps speak in public comfortably. They should be good leaders, and need to be able to help people who are angry or upset.

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Multiple Choice

Which of these characteristics is NOT needed to be in government?

• to work well with large amounts of people

• good leadership skills

• the ability to speak in public comfortably

• the ability to pick out great looking clothes

Multiple Choice

What is one trait that good leaders need?

• the ability to communicate well

• the ability to solve a crime

• the ability to code

• the ability to design a house

National Security

The military has a lot of different career options.

• You can join the military right out of high school.

• You can also join after college, or you can go to a special college focused on the military.

• The military needs people to do jobs in nearly every career area. Doctors, cooks, and drivers are all needed.

• The military provides training, education, and work experience.

• The military also offers money for college.

• Some people may serve for just a few years, and others may spend their whole lives in the military.​

National Security

• People in national security careers must be able to follow orders.

• Other skills differ depending on the job. For example, a tank driver may need good map reading skills while a bomb specialist would need to pay attention to details.

• Some careers in national security can involve danger and some are exciting, but others are pretty normal.

Multiple Choice

What is a definite characteristic that people in national security jobs must have?

• type a report

• be able to cook

• follow orders

• do laundry

In the United States, the military includes the:

• Army

• Air Force

• Marines

• Navy

• Coast Guard

National security careers include:

• National Security Advisors

• Submarine Officers

• Intelligence Analysts

• Cryptographers who read and translate secret codes.

• Soldiers, sailors, Marines, and members of the U.S. Air Force

Multiple Choice

What do cryptographers do?

• you are second in command

• drive a submarine

• make and design maps

• read and translate secret codes

City Planners

• Make decisions about the town from where buildings should be built to where roads should be placed.

• Meet with public officials, developers, and the public regarding development plans and land use.

• Administer government plans or policies affecting land use.

• Gather and analyze data from market research, censuses, and economic and environmental studies.​

Multiple Choice

What do city planners NOT do?

• run and manage schools

• make decisions about where buildings and roads should be placed

• gather and analyze data economic and environmental studies

• meet with developers and the public regarding development plans and land use

Regulation Careers

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​Regulation careers include inspections and investigations.

Regulators also write reports.

Other regulation careers are:

Border Inspector

Cargo Inspector

Immigration Officer

Home inspector

Health inspector

Poll

Are you interested in any of the regulation careers?

• Border Inspector

• Cargo Inspector

• Immigration Officer

• Home Inspector

• Health Inspector

Regulation Careers

• Inspectors can enforce their rules.

• They might be able to close a factory, stop a house from being sold, or even act like law enforcement.

• Important skills for regulation careers include attention to detail, particularly for inspectors.

• Inspectors have to look carefully to find even the smallest problems with how rules are being followed.

Multiple Choice

What is an important skill for an inspector?

• attention to detail

• have a background in chemistry

• you must be friendly

Revenue and Taxation Careers

• Taxes or revenue are monies collected from individuals and companies by the government.

• They support schools, and roads, and pay for things in government.

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Revenue and Taxation Careers

Since we all pay taxes, we need people to work in careers relating to taxes.

• Workers in this area review tax returns, collect taxes or help people with tax questions.

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Multiple Choice

Workers in the career related to taxes do all of the following except?

• review tax returns

• collect taxes

• decide how taxes are spent

• answer questions about taxes

Revenue and Taxation Careers

The skills and abilities required for revenue and taxation careers include:

• attention to detail

• skill with numbers

• good communication skills

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Many people earn degrees in accounting to help them in their careers.

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Revenue and taxation careers include:

-Internal Revenue Agents (IRS agents)

-Tax Attorneys

-Public or city budgeting and accounting workers

Multiple Choice

People in revenue and taxation careers earn a degree in ________ to help them with the career. 

• art

• child psychology

• accounting

• chemistry

Public Management and Administration Careers

Managers supervise groups of people and projects. City managers watch over the city and its employees.

Careers in this area all help to take care of towns, cities, and government offices.

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Public management and administration careers include:

-City Managers

-Court Clerks

-Chamber of Commerce Officers

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Multiple Choice

Which of these is NOT a public management or administration career?

• City Manager

• Chamber of Commerce Officer

• Court Clerk

• Accountant

Government and Administration Career

• Government and public administration careers are found at different levels.

• First, there is the local level.

• Next, there are positions in state governments.

• Finally, there are federal positions in Washington D.C.

Government and Administration Career

• Government is responsible for city planning, road maintenance, national defense, and much more.

• Leadership skills are important for people at different levels of government and public administration.

• Many government and public administration jobs involve working with lots of different people.

Multiple Choice

True or False: Many government and public administration jobs involve working with lots of different people.

• True

• False

Law Enforcement Career

• While police may go out to investigate crimes or supervise traffic, they also have to do paperwork!

• The police protect people and their property.

• They write tickets and enforce laws.

• They investigate crimes and accidents.

• Police officers speak in court cases and arrest suspects.

Multiple Choice

Police officers have many duties other than just making arrests. What is one of the duties they do NOT have to perform?

• paperwork 

• speak in court cases

• fix flat tires for people on the road

• protect people and property

• write tickets and investigate

Law Enforcement Career

• Police Officers and Detectives

• Forensic Science Technicians

• Animal Control Officers

• Police and Fire

• Ambulance Dispatchers

Emergency and Fire Management Careers

• Fire Fighters

• Paramedics

• Hazardous Materials Responders

• Rescue Workers

Poll

Which of these careers would be most interested in?

• Police Officer or Detective

• Forensic Science Technician

• Animal Control Officer

• Firefighter

• Emergency Medical Technician

Correction Services Careers

• Corrections workers watch prisoners in jail or after they are released. People with these careers work in jails, prisons and juvenile detention centers.

• Counselors and teachers in jails and prisons are also part of correction services.

• Parole workers watch over people after they get out of prison.

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----All of these jobs need you to stay calm and be able to handle hard situations. Being able to talk to people and get your point across clearly is also important.

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Multiple Choice

What are some of the qualities you need to work in a correction service career?

• be unorganized and dramatic

• be frantic in difficult situations

• be able to cook a great meal

• stay calm and be able to handle hard situations

Correction Services Careers

• Wardens

• Case Managers

• Probation/Parole Officers

• Medical Staff

• Prison guards

Poll

Which of the careers in correction services are you interested in?

• Warden

• Case Manager

• Probation/Parole Officer

• Medical Staff

• Prison Guard

Legal Service Careers

• Attorneys

• Court Reporters

• File and Document Managers

• Legal Secretaries

What do you need to work in legal services?

• Education: while lawyers must complete law school, some legal careers involve less education, like paralegals.

• Communication: those in legal services have to communicate well. They may have to speak in front of groups or write reports

• Ethics: playing fair is very important in legal services. Imagine if lawyers could hide evidence proving someone innocent or if a court reporter only wrote what he wanted in the transcript.

Multiple Choice

Which of these do you NOT need to work in legal services?

• education

• ethics

• honesty

• communication

Security and Protective Service Careers

• The purpose of these careers is to protect people, buildings and objects.

• These keep people from coming into the building without permission. They may also try to protect the information in company computers.

Multiple Choice

What is the purpose of a career in security and protective services?

• to design safe and educational video games

• to educate and care for children

• protect people, buildings and objects

• prepare and cook nutritional meals

Security and Protective Service Careers

• Security System Designer

• Armored Car Guard

• Uniformed Security Officer

• Computer Forensic Specialist

Poll

Would you be interested in a career in security and protective services? If so, which one?

• Security Systems Designer

• Armored Car Guard

• Uniformed Security Officer

• Computer Forensic Specialist

• None of these

Unit Summary

• Careers in law, public safety, corrections, and security are important for towns, states and countries.

• People in these careers help keep order and protect the people that they serve.

• If you choose a career in this area, you might work in a prison, a police department, a laboratory, a legal office, a museum, a courthouse, or an airport.

• From offices to the outdoors, there are many different job settings for those working in the law, public safety, corrections, and security career cluster.

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What skills are important?

• Handling hard things is important.

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• Many of these careers require that you work in settings that can be stressful and even dangerous. You need to be able to handle stress.

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• Decision-making is also important. You need to be able to respond quickly and make good choices.

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​What skills are important?

• ​These quick decisions can be the difference between life and death.

• These careers are good for risk takers.

• If you like excitement, you will be happy in a job that is exciting and energetic.

• These careers can provide you with the opportunity to help others in big ways.

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​For Your Information

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You may have noticed that the paths to these careers can be very different. You can begin a career in public defense in the military right after high school, but a law career will require a graduate degree.

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When you think about a career in one of these clusters, you should also think about:

• What you want to do as a young person

• How long you want to spend in school

• What you expect your eventual career to look like throughout your life

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Open Ended

Of the careers in this unit, which one would be the most difficult to do? Why?

Open Ended

Which career in this unit would you be most interested in learning more about? What interests you about the career?