¡Más Fuertes Y Resilientes! Strengthening Latino Occupational Resilience Through Career-Focused Support Services At Texas Hispanic Serving Institutions

Latinos face many threats to their occupational resilience. Occupational displacement is looming due to technological advances that threaten jobs where Latinos are overrepresented such as in manufacturing, retail, construction, agriculture, and food services. As technological advances, labor practices, and other factors disproportionately affect the Latino population, more will be seeking better employment opportunities and will turn to higher education. Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) are in position to significantly impact Latino occupational resilience. This correlational study examines the various career-focused support services offered by HSIs and how they relate to post-graduation outcomes for Latino graduates. Career-focused support services include alignment-driven career guidance, high-impact practices, and financial literacy training, all which were predicted to impact Latino occupational resilience. Post-graduation outcomes were limited to employment/placement rates, earnings, and cumulative student debt. Results reveal disparity in employment opportunities, especially for students in economically depressed regions. High-Impact practices show higher correlations to employment than other variables. A conceptual and predictive model was offered for discussion.