| June 01, 2009 | Niles, Spencer G.; Engels, Dennis; Lenz, Janet |
This article summarizes 8 presentations from Group 8 on the theme "Training of Researchers and Practitioners," which were part of the 2007 joint symposium of the International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance, Society for Vocational Psychology, and National Career Development Association held in Padua, Italy. Three themes representing challenges for the profession emerged from the presentations: (a) the need for public policies addressing career development, (b) the need for greater competency standardization, and (c) the need to create innovative training programs. Discussion group participants presented creative strategies for addressing these challenges.
Career practitioners provide services that include career assessment, career counseling, career planning, job search skills training, and career coaching. It is no coincidence that the increased attention being given to career services comes at a time when the nature of work is changing dramatically. Ongoing corporate downsizing, technological advances, growing numbers of dual-career couples, a global economy, and a burgeoning contingent workforce all represent changes in the work experience for many people. Those involved in training career practitioners must be knowledgeable about such changes because they represent challenges confronting workers as they attempt to manage their careers effectively. Knowing the challenges confronting workers enables career practitioners to construct interventions that are relevant to the current context. Similarly, training experiences provided to current and future career practitioners must constantly be updated and adjusted so that trainees have relevant knowledge, awareness, and skills to provide effective career interventions. The latter challenge provided the focus for this symposium discussion group.
To provide a bit of context, this discussion group was diverse in multiple ways. Most obviously, participants represented five national contexts. Obviously, national contexts differ regarding the career services offered and the training requirements for career practitioners. Some countries have a relatively long history of providing career services (e.g., the United States, Canada, England), while in other countries such services are relatively recent (e.g., China, Japan, India, Korea). Moreover, political, social, cultural, economic, religious, and other factors influence the career development tasks people encounter, the career concerns they experience, and, therefore, the services they require. Thus, it would be naive to assume that there is, or should be, uniformity in the training that career practitioners receive. Uniqueness of national contexts requires career practitioners to develop specific competencies to respond to their respective settings. Discussions in this group reflected the uniqueness of some contexts, the similarities across many contexts, and the creativity that career practitioners and those engaged in training career practitioners demonstrate as they attempt to meet the needs of diverse student and client populations in a wide range of practice settings.
Factors Influencing Career Practitioner Preparation
Collectively, the presenters in this discussion group highlighted the many factors driving the training of career development personnel in countries throughout the world. Specifically, participants addressed three main challenges that influence career practitioner preparation directly and indirectly: (a) the need for public policies addressing career development, (b) the need for greater competency standardization, and (c) the need to create innovative training programs.
The Need for Public Policies Addressing Career Development
Across nations, provinces, states, and municipalities, career policies and regulations (or the lack thereof") influence the delivery of career services, stipulate the nature of career service delivery requirements, and determine which segments of …
Career practitioners provide services that include career assessment, career counseling, career planning, job search skills training, and career coaching. It is no coincidence that the increased attention being given to career services comes at a time when the nature of work is changing dramatically. Ongoing corporate downsizing, technological advances, growing numbers of dual-career couples, a global economy, and a burgeoning contingent workforce all represent changes in the work experience for many people. Those involved in training career practitioners must be knowledgeable about such changes because they represent challenges confronting workers as they attempt to manage their careers effectively. Knowing the challenges confronting workers enables career practitioners to construct interventions that are relevant to the current context. Similarly, training experiences provided to current and future career practitioners must constantly be updated and adjusted so that trainees have relevant knowledge, awareness, and skills to provide effective career interventions. The latter challenge provided the focus for this symposium discussion group.
To provide a bit of context, this discussion group was diverse in multiple ways. Most obviously, participants represented five national contexts. Obviously, national contexts differ regarding the career services offered and the training requirements for career practitioners. Some countries have a relatively long history of providing career services (e.g., the United States, Canada, England), while in other countries such services are relatively recent (e.g., China, Japan, India, Korea). Moreover, political, social, cultural, economic, religious, and other factors influence the career development tasks people encounter, the career concerns they experience, and, therefore, the services they require. Thus, it would be naive to assume that there is, or should be, uniformity in the training that career practitioners receive. Uniqueness of national contexts requires career practitioners to develop specific competencies to respond to their respective settings. Discussions in this group reflected the uniqueness of some contexts, the similarities across many contexts, and the creativity that career practitioners and those engaged in training career practitioners demonstrate as they attempt to meet the needs of diverse student and client populations in a wide range of practice settings.
Factors Influencing Career Practitioner Preparation
Collectively, the presenters in this discussion group highlighted the many factors driving the training of career development personnel in countries throughout the world. Specifically, participants addressed three main challenges that influence career practitioner preparation directly and indirectly: (a) the need for public policies addressing career development, (b) the need for greater competency standardization, and (c) the need to create innovative training programs.
The Need for Public Policies Addressing Career Development
Across nations, provinces, states, and municipalities, career policies and regulations (or the lack thereof") influence the delivery of career services, stipulate the nature of career service delivery requirements, and determine which segments of …
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