Search Results

Two major influences are impacting on the nature of educational and career services in Australia, and indeed worldwide. First, well-documented changes in the world of work have changed our understanding of 'career' and increased the importance of, and changed the nature of, education and career services. Second, changing theoretical paradigms have challenged the traditional nature of practice. Challenges to the way career work is conducted are therefore theoretically and contextually driven. Career work needs to be reconceptualised as lifelong learning if individuals are to construct satisfying life careers for themselves within changing environments. This paper will outline the changing context in which career education operates, provide some clarification about definitions within this field, and outline a brief history of career education in Australia and the strengthening points of rationale for its inclusion in career development contexts. Finally this paper will detail the research support for career education, posit some questions that we still need to address, and provide some insights into its future.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

This study examined key issues affecting the effective management of carpentry and joinery workshops for improving the quality of graduates of technical colleges in Nigeria. Drawing upon data collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 27 technical colleges teachers and 13 craft trainers, plus a focus group, this study adopts a mixed methods approach. The survey was conducted in technical colleges in Enugu and Ebonyi States of eastern Nigeria; hence, this study cuts across single geographical boundaries. The patterns of responses among respondents suggested that poor student academic performance result from lack of equipment, funding, and support for technical colleges by the government, whereas effective management of workshops promoted learning and student discipline. The study addressed issues for how workshop success can be promoted.

Published abstract. Show less

Around 2.2 million Australians aged 15-64 years have a reported disability. Of these, some 1.8 million have a specific limitation or a schooling or employment restriction. This is a sizable proportion that does not always feature in thinking about career choice. The purpose of this brief research report is to provide some background information on the role of disability on employment in Australia for career development practitioners.

Published abstract. Show less

The Kuder preference records have enjoyed a long and respected role in career guidance. Frederick Kuder introduced his first preference record in 1939, establishing the model of forced-choice responses and homogenous vocational preference scales that was the basis for the present Kuder General Interest Survey. In its second generation, the Kuder Occupational Interest Survey, it was enlarged to include criterion group scales revealing the survey-taker's similarity with persons in an array of more than 140 occupations and college majors. A third generation has been developed in the past decade: Kuder Career Search with Person Match. In this version, the survey taker's vocational preferences are matched not with occupations, but with each of a number of persons in an array of occupations representing the full spectrum of the world of work. This article introduces Kuder's radical approach to career guidance.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

High school students in North America, namely, the United States and Canada, encounter the challenge of the school-to-school and school-to-work transition, and they need considerable help for career guidance and counselling. Yet, the guidance and counselling resources of the school system are often stretched to their limits. This article proposes an alternative for the career guidance initiative to reach out to a massive student population by establishing effective counsellor-teacher collaboration in the classroom setting. The background and rationale for this collaboration will be examined and the critical communication dynamics and process in forming this collaboration will be elaborated on. Finally, several collaboration strategies are offered that can work to enhance classroom-based career education and guidance initiatives.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

This study investigated why university students choose to major in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine/health (STEM(M)) disciplines, and how their study and career-related confidence compares with that of their peers. The study engaged 12,576 students enrolled at Australian universities. The findings suggest that STEM(M) students' career decision making is guided by their interest in the subject and their intentions to help people. Within the STEM(M) cohort, students in medicine and health were more confident in their career decision making than either their STEM or non-STEM(M) peers. Of interest, they were less aware of alternative career pathways and less prepared to reorient their careers should this be necessary. Female students reported greater confidence than male students in their career decision making, career identity, and career commitment. Implications include the need for career narratives beyond the STEM industries and for career development initiatives that are mindful of disciplinary and gendered differences.

Published abstract. Show less

This paper reports on findings of an interpretive study, which used the Kaleidoscope Career Model as lens through which to view the careers of professional women in education. The study used hermeneutic phenomenology, a methodology novel in management and career management to gain a subjective perspective on women's career experience and what career means to them at different career stages. Findings indicated that women did not 'opt-out,' or adopt a clear-cut gender beta career pattern. Rather, they mirrored an alpha pattern with challenge continuing into mid-career. The three Kaleidoscope Career Model parameters operated in an ongoing way in women's lives, and authenticity was a powerful theme throughout their careers. However, women in late career tended to 'lean back'; their desire for authenticity became subjugated by their need for balance. These findings add to extant Kaleidoscope Career Model research and reveal factors, which contribute to women's ability to 'opt-in' rather than out of their careers.

Published abstract. Show less

Adolescence is a period that plays a crucial role in career development. Understanding the psychological structures associated with a career can help to better understand adolescents' career development. The aim of this study was to examine the mediating role of career and talent development self-efficacy in the relationship between adolescents' locus of control and the construct of children's hope. The study group was composed of 354 adolescents including 170 females and 184 males. The mean age of participants was 14.3 years. Structural equation modelling was used to investigate the mediating role of career and talent development self-efficacy in the relationship between locus of control and children's hope. It was concluded that career and talent development self-efficacy had a mediating role in the relationship between locus of control and children's hope. Mental health professionals and educators who carry out locus of control or hope-based interventions are recommended to pay attention to the mediating role of self-efficacy.

Published abstract. Show less

This paper presents the implications of the 'Chaos theory of careers' for career counselling in the form of Shiftwork. Shiftwork represents an expanded paradigm of career counselling based on complexity, change and uncertainty. Eleven paradigm shifts for careers counselling are outlined to incorporate into contemporary practice pattern making, an emphasis on planning, openness, flexibility, risk, possibility thinking, mattering and meaning, transforming information, scalable reasoning, emergence and trust as faith.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

Attending university can assist students to make informed and realistic choices regarding their career. However, career development is a complex process and there are discipline-specific aspects to consider. In Information Technology, no clear career developmental pathway is evident in the literature despite recent efforts by employers, educators, and professional societies to help students improve their career expectations and employability upon graduation. This study aims to understand better the career aspirations and expectations of tertiary Information Technology students, so that their beliefs and needs can be taken into consideration when supporting them in career development. This study uses both qualitative and quantitative analyses to explore the career aspirations of 306 students. The results demonstrated variability in students' short-term aspirations and a lack of understanding regarding effective actions to achieve their career goals, highlighting issues with setting realistic expectations. Outcomes show that undergraduate Information Technology students may require assistance with negotiating career choice.

Published abstract. Show less