Mike+Feinberg

= Student Career Awareness and Exploration = By Mike Feinberg

AWARENESS AND EXPLORATION START WITH YOU!



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=I. Introduction to Student Career Awareness and Exploration= Student career awareness and exploration is a prevalent topic among educational institutions around the country. Results from surveys taken by students currently in higher education have shown that the necessity for career planning assistance is a top concern for many students (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2008).

Student career awareness and exploration can be the responsibility of school counselors, teachers, or specific career practitioners, such as career counselors (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2008). The responsibility of professionals providing career counseling requires knowledge and skills in some key areas, which are outlined by the National Career Development Association, or NCDA. Some of these skills include career information and resources, individual and group career assessment, career coaching, technology use, and multicultural counseling ("Ncda mission statement,").

Current career development interventions focus on increasing life satisfaction, by focusing on helping people to determine how they will develop their strengths and use their talents throughout their lives. In order to be successful with translating life experiences into career choices, people must possess the necessary amount of self-awareness. Career practitioners therefore must use a variety of interventions and assessment activities with clients in order to clarify and determine their self-concepts (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2008). A number of these assessments and interventions will be examined further throughout the article. = = =II. Key Terms and Definitions=

(Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2008).
 * Career-** There are various definitions of career, however the definitions provided are the most widely accepted:
 * The course of events constituting a life
 * The total constellations of roles played over the course of a lifetime
 * The totality of work one does in a lifetime
 * Career Awareness-** Appreciation for and understanding of the variety of types of careers -- often refers to the initial phase of career education appropriate to the elementary school ("Education.com,").
 * Career Exploration-**Investigating occupational interest areas often through real or simulated job experience -- frequently found in career education programs for grades 6 through 10 ("Education.com,").
 * Career Counseling-**A formal relationship involving a professional counselor and client or group of clients, in which the counselor assists with addressing clients' career concerns through the use of goal setting, evaluation, assessment, and intervention (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2008).
 * Career Education-**Providing information and assistance in regards to career development for students through the use of occupational information,career related concepts, worksite-based experiences, and career planning courses (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2008).

=III. History of Career Exploration=


 * The Rise of Career Exploration**


 * The Industrial Revolution-**With the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the late 1800's, a new career-guidance movement began to gain in popularity. This was due to a decrease. in agriculturally based business, and and increase in industrial and manufacturing business. With this economic transition came a variety of new issues, including child labor, poor working conditions, urban slums and labor protests. These conditions led to the creation of the Boston Vocational Bureau, which was developed by Frank Parsons in 1908. The goal of the program was to "develop a system of vocational guidance in Boston public schools that could offer vocational assistance to youth needing to make a career choice" (Erford, Hays, Crockett & Miller, 2011).

Following this model, high schools around the nation created their own vocational guidance progams, with over 900 programs around the nation created by 1918 (Erford, Hays, Crockett & Miller, 2011).

According to the NCDA, "The National Career Development Association (NCDA) inspires and empowers the achievement of career and life goals by providing professional development, resources, standards, scientific research, and advocacy ("Ncda mission statement,")."
 * National Career Development Association-**Before changing its name in 1985, the NCDA was originally known as the National Vocational Guidance Association. Created in 1913, the NVGA was the first career guidance organization. The NVGA was one of the founding divisions of the American Counseling Association, now one of the leading counseling associations in the nation (Erford, Hays, Crockett & Miller, 2011).


 * Smith-Hughes National Vocational Education Act of 1917-** Introduced the use of federal funds to promote vocational education, and recommonded that vocational education be separate from normal academic curriculum (Erford, Hays, Crockett & Miller, 2011).


 * National Defense Education Act of 1958-** This act was introduced in response to the Soviet Union's creation of the space shuttle //Sputnik//. The goal was to increase the amount of trained counselors in secondary schools in order to help raise the number of students who were interested in pursing a career in math or science (Erford, Hays, Crockett & Miller, 2011).


 * Vocational Education Act of 1963-**A follow-up to the NDEA of 1958, the Vocational Education Act of 1963 aimed to expand career education programs in elementary schools, technical institutions, and community colleges (Erford, Hays, Crockett & Miller, 2011).


 * School-to-Work Act of 1994-**Provision made to enhance opportunities for all students to participate in academic and occupational education programs, preparation for postsecondary education, and to be involved in combined school-based and work-based learning environments. Discussed further later in the article (Erford, Hays, Crockett & Miller, 2011).


 * Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)-**The Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, was created to help protect people with a mental or physical disability from discrimination from employers. The act describes discrimination as including the failure to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities, denial of employment opportunities to qualified workers, and the failure to advance, demote, or fire workers because of a disability (Erford, Hays, Crockett & Miller, 2011).


 * Individual with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004-**Act requiring that children with disabilities receive special education services which are designed to prepare them for employment, independent living, and further education. Also requires the implementation of transition services to assist student with disabilities with the move from school to employment (Erford, Hays, Crockett & Miller, 2011).

=IV. Getting Started Through Self-Determination= It starts with you! ("Accesscareers," ) =V. Work-Based Learning for Students with Disabilities=
 * **C is for Careers.** Think about what interests you. Be imaginative, then narrow it down.
 * **A is for Academics.** Determine which academic programs best suit your career goals.
 * **R is for Research.** Research careers that spark your interests, maximize your strengths, and minimize your weaknesses.
 * **EE is for Experiential Education.** Practice job search skills. Apply for internships. Ask for informational interviews, and try other work-based learning opportunities.
 * **RS is for Relevant Skills.** Use on-the-job experience to learn practical "real world" skills. Apply what you've learned in school to the workplace. Test which accommodations work best for you.

("Accesscareers," )
 * Informational Interviews-** Informational interviews involve asking questions and learning about the roles and responsibilities of an occupation of interest to the student, by essentially interviewing a person who works in that field. Such interviews help students gain some insight into qualification requirements, job duties, and the congruence of the student's career interests with the occupation being considered.

("Accesscareers," )
 * Job Shadowing-** Job shadowing involves visiting a business or place of occupation in order to observe the functions and roles of the occupation of interest. As opposed to reading about the occupation, job shadowing puts you in a real world situation, where a student can experience the daily responsibilities and activities the occupation requires.

(http://www.washington.edu/doit/Careers/precollege_stu.html)
 * Service Learning-** Involves volunteering for community service positions. In addition to making a contribution to the local community, service learning helps students hone their employment and career skills, and gives them a chance to find out what kind of work is best suited for them.

("Accesscareers," )
 * Internship-** Involves working in a supervised learning situation, usually with an established business or company. Can be paid or unpaid. Internships provide the most realistic type of work experience, with interns often times taking on the roles of normal, qualified employees, all while receiving supervision and feedback.

>
 * School-to-Work-** School-to-work programs vary from state to state, however there are three core elements to the school-to-work model:
 * School-based Learning classroom instruction based on high academic and occupational skill standards.
 * Work-based Learning career exploration, work experience, structured training, and mentoring at job sites.
 * Connecting Activities courses integrating classroom and on-the-job instruction, matching students with participating employers, and training mentors. ("Accesscareers," )

=VI. Career Interest Inventories Appropriate for Students With Disabilities=

(Erford, Hays, Crockett & Miller, 2011)
 * Strong Interest Inventory-**
 * Purpose: Measure of self-reported interests
 * Population: Age 16 and older
 * Format: 291 items, with a choice of three responses for each item. Individual or group administered
 * Scales: Five scales including general occupational themes, basic interest scales, strong occupational scales, personal style scales, and total response index

(Erford, Hays, Crockett & Miller, 2011).
 * Campbell Interest and Skill survey-**
 * Purpose: Measure of self-reported vocational interests and skills
 * Population: Age 15 and older
 * Format: 320 items including 200 interest items and 120 skill items, written at a 6th grade reading level
 * Scales Seven orientation scales including influencing, organizing, producing, adventuring, helping, creating, and analyzing; within the seven scales, 25 basic scales involving interest and skills, and 60 occupational scales

(Erford, Hays, Crockett & Miller, 2011).
 * Self-Directed Search-**
 * Purpose: Uses Holland's hexagonal model to measure career interest as well as self-estimates of abilities and competencies
 * Population: Students in high school and college, as well as adults
 * Format: Total of 228 items including 66 activities, 66 competencies, 84 occupations and 12 self-estimated work abilities
 * Scales: Four subsections including self-estimates, activities, occupations, and competencies
 * Forms: Regular, Easy-to-read (fourth grade reading level), Career explorer (for middle school students), and Career planning (for professional level employees)

(Erford, Hays, Crockett & Miller, 2011).
 * Transition to Work Inventory-**
 * Purpose: Assessment of leisure activities in relation to respondents interests and occupational options. Especially useful for people with limited work experience or people seeking a new career
 * Population: Adults and high school students
 * Format: 6-point scale in which respondents rate their degree of interest in 84 different leisure or nonwork activities. Self-administered and self-scored
 * Scales: 14 career interest groups which assess patterns of nonwork interest
 * Forms: Traditional pencil and paper or online

(Erford, Hays, Crockett & Miller, 2011). = = =VII. Career Exploration Interventions= There are a variety of different career exploration interventions available to use for both typical students and students with disabilities. The following are a few of the most prevalent interventions in school settings:
 * Kuder Career Search-**
 * Purpose: Match vocational interests to occupational clusters
 * Population: Middle school to adult
 * Format: 180 items written at 6th grade reading level, individually or group administered
 * Scales: Includes six career clusters including science/technical, business operations, social/personal services, sales/management, outdoor/mechanical, and arts/communication, as well as activity preference scales
 * Forms:Traditional pencil and paper or internet-based inventory

In addition, the theory includes three basic assumptions: (Erford, Hays, Crockett & Miller, 2011).
 * Trait and Factor-** Career exploration theory attributed to the work of Frank Parsons and Edmund Williamson. Trait and Factor theory requires individuals learn increase knowledge about the working world, to gain self-understanding**,** and to combine their knowledge of self-understanding and the working world to assist with determining which occupation the individual will achieve success and satisfaction from.
 * Each individual possesses a unique set of traits
 * Occupations come with a specific set of traits that are required to achieve success
 * Matching an individuals traits to the traits required by an occupation increases the chances for a successful career choice

[|More Information on Trait and Factor Theory]

Similar to trait and factor theory, Holland's theory contains three central constructs: (Erford, Hays, Crockett & Miller, 2011).
 * Holland's Theory of Types-** One of the most popular career exploration interventions, Holland's theory of types is another theory that considers traits and types. The theory was created by John Holland, who believed that individuals should compare their personality type to the work environment. Included in the theory are six personality and work environment types, including enterprising, artistic, social, realistic, conventional, and investigative. In order to classify individuals and their work environments, a three letter code called the //Holland code// is used.
 * **Congruence, which involves the strength of the similarities between work environment and the individual's personality traits in relation to job satisfaction.**
 * Differentiation, which involves the degree of uniqueness that occurs between the six Holland types. While an undifferentiated individual will identify with many of the six Holland types, a differentiated individual identifies with only one or two types, although often very strongly.
 * Consistency, which involves how similar each Holland type is to another type. The relationships between the types vary depending on the type combination.

[|More Information on Holland's Theory of Types]

=VIII. Career Exploration Resources=

[|O*NET]

[|Occupational Outlook Handbook]

[|Bridges]

[|Discover]

[|Collegeboard]

[|AccessCareers]

[|National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability]

=References= //Accesscareers//. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.washington.edu/doit/Careers/index.html
 * For Parents:**
 * [|Parent Primer on Career Education][|Parent Primer on Career Exploration]**
 * [|Exploring Careers: Information for Parents of Students with Disabilities]**
 * [|Parents Alliance]**
 * [|Helping Your Teen Develop Career Goals]**

//Education.com//. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.education.com/definition/career-awareness/

//Education.com//. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.education.com/definition/career-exploration/

Erford, B. T., Hays, D. G., Crockett, S., & Miller, E. M. (2011). //Mastering the national counselor examination and the counselor preparation comprehensive examination//. (p. 91,92,94, 97, 101, 108). Boston: Pearson College Div.

//Ncda mission statement//. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://associationdatabase.com/aws/NCDA/pt/sp/about

Niles, S. G., & Harris-Bowlsbey, J. (2008). //Career development interventions in the 21st century//. (3 ed., p. 2,3,12,13). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.