CAROCP

Standards for Career Counseling and Career Development

The National Career Development Guidelines provide specific guidelines to help states, schools, colleges and human service agencies strengthen and improve comprehensive, competency-based career counseling, guidance and education programs. They provide indicators of outcomes and competencies and present an implementation process that encourages flexibility, involves stakeholders, builds upon existing program strengths and stimulates coordination with other organizations. The Guidelines process sees evaluation as an essential element in the ongoing refinement and revitalization of career development programs.

The National Career Development Guidelines project was initiated by the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (NOICC) in 1987. Today the National Guidelines are being used in at least 40 states to enhance the career development components of a wide range of comprehensive counseling programs in many different settings.

In 1996, the original five handbooks for local level National Career Development Guidelines were revised, updated and combined into a new single publication, National Career Development Guidelines K-Adult Handbook 1996. While the original handbooks focused separately on career development programs for students at the elementary, middle/junior high school, high school and postsecondary levels and for community and business organizations working with adults, the new publication combines all original Guidelines handbooks into a single K-Adult guidebook.

Purpose

The National Career Developing Guidelines help states, educational institutions and private organizations:

Strengthen career development programs at all levels.
Enhance student and client achievement.
Adopt state and local career development guidelines.
Revise career development programs.
Improve career development through structured evaluation.

Benefits

Using the National Career Development Guidelines yields many benefits, including:

Helping people prepare for the changing workplace by helping them understand the relationship between education and employment.
Helping young people and adults improve their career decision-making skills.
Encouraging students to stay in school, promoting self-esteem and improving social adjustment.
Increasing motivation and improving academic achievement.
Enhancing family involvement.
Enhancing program accountability through regular assessment of student and adult achievement.
Promoting coordination and articulation by defining sequence of delivery and reinforcement of learning from previous levels.

Professional Consensus

The National Career Development Guidelines incorporate professional consensus in three main areas:

Student and Adult Competencies. Recommended outcomes and competencies are organized around self-knowledge, educational and occupational exploration and career planning.

Organizational Capabilities. The structure and support needed to deliver quality career development programs, including administrative commitment, facilities, materials and equipment.

Professional Competencies. The knowledge, skills and abilities needed to deliver effective career development programs.

Standards For Excellence

High-quality, comprehensive career guidance and counseling programs:

Enhance career development knowledge, skills and abilities.

Are identifiable and integrated with other program areas.

Are coordinated with other institutional programs and articulated with programs at other levels.

Use coordinated activities such as counseling, assessment, career information, instruction, placement, consultation and referral.

Have a defined structure, including qualified leadership, diversified staffing, resources and effective management.

Are accountable with evaluation that addresses student and adult outcomes and program processes.

To Order

Call 1-888-700-8940 or 206-870-4860
Fax 206-870-3787
E-mail: ntsc@hcc.ctc.edu
Web: http://www.learningconnections.org/

Make check or purchase order payable to: Center for Learning Connections

Remit to:

NOICC Training Support Center (NTSC)
Center for Learning Connections
Highline Community College
P.O. Box 98000
Des Moines, WA 98198-9800

National Career Development Guidelines

K-12 Adult Handbook - $30.00
Trainer’s Manual - $15.00

Career Development Competencies by Area and Level

Elementary

Middle/Junior High School

High School

Adult

Self-Knowledge

Knowledge of the importance of self-concept.

Skills to interact positively with others.

Awareness of the importance of growth and change.

Knowledge of the influence of a positive self-concept.

Skills to interact positively with others.

Knowledge of the importance of growth and change.

Understanding the influence of a positive self-concept.

Skills to interact positively with others.

Understanding the impact of growth and development.

Skills to maintain a positive self-concept.

Skills to maintain effective behaviors.

Understanding developmental changes and transitions.

Educational and Occupational Exploration

Awareness of the benefits of educational achievement.

Awareness of the relationship between work and learning.

Skills to understand and use career information.

Awareness of the importance of personal responsibility and good work habits.

Awareness of how work relates to the needs and functions of society.

Knowledge of the benefits of educational achievement to career opportunities.

Understanding the relationship between work and learning.

Skills to locate, understand and use career information.

Knowledge of skills necessary to seek and obtain jobs.

Understanding how work relates to the needs and functions of the economy and society.

Understanding the relationship between educational achievement and career planning.

Understanding the need for positive attitudes toward work and learning.

Skills to locate, evaluate and interpret career information.

Skills to prepare to seek, obtain, maintain and change jobs.

Understanding how the needs and functions of society influence the nature and structure of work.

Skills to enter and participate in education and training.

Skills to participate in work and lifelong learning.

Skills to locate, evaluate and interpret career information.

Skills to prepare to seek, obtain, maintain and change jobs.

Understanding how the needs and functions of society influence the nature and structure of work.

Career Planning

Understanding how to make decisions.

Awareness of the interrelationship of life roles.

Awareness of different occupations and changing male/female roles.

Awareness of the career planning process.

Skills to make decisions.

Knowledge of the interrelationship of life roles.

Knowledge of different occupations and changing male/female roles.

Understanding the process of career planning.

Skills to make decisions.

Understanding the interrelationship of life roles.

Understanding the continuous changes in male/female roles.

Skills in career planning.

Skills to make decisions.

Understanding the impact of work on individual and family life.

Understanding the continuing changes in male/female roles.

Skills to make career transitions.