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For our “disruptive ideas” issue, we replaced our usual book review with a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) review

By Sam Young

As far as I am aware, Stevenson University’s Career Architecture MOOC is the first MOOC for career development professionals on the planet. It ran from August 4 to September 8, but Stevenson has left the materials online for viewing. As they explain, “Stevenson University’s Career Architecture^SM MOOC is designed to provide career practitioners with an introduction to our unique development model. Participants will acquire an understanding of the Career Architecture^SM model through an introduction to the three components: Personal Direction; Discipline Expertise; and Professional Know-How.”

As I worked through the materials, I realized that what Stevenson, a private liberal arts college in Maryland with approximately 4,400 graduate and undergraduate students, was proposing was a wrap-around service from the student’s point of view. In New Zealand we might call this a Whānau Ora approach – a package that supports body, spirit, mind and family, focused on health and well-being. Beginning at Orientation, Stevenson University spends time determining the student’s core values, and considering what this value-base means in relation to the course path that this student wishes to take, and then logically considering what potential careers might work for each student. After the selection process of determining a career, the student is guided in developing the technical aspects of what they might need for work in their chosen field: technical materials, advice, networking and preparation. The process starts in their first year, and continues as a thread through to their graduation year.

The focus in the introduction is on the Stevenson story. It has a logical flow, with each successive resource building upon the preceding one. Taken together, the materials told a clear story about Stevenson’s journey in developing a highly successful campus career service. It told a story of engagement; for example, of 785 graduates for the 2010-11 year, 735 responded to a graduate survey. It told a story of success; only 8% of the 2010-11 graduates was not in work, or not seeking work after a year. It told a story of innovation; the Stevenson Career Connections website allows students to upload their personal marketing materials – resumes and application letters – for critique throughout their degree so they are very well prepared before they graduate to apply for positions commencing as they complete their final papers. There is truth in the saying that the first cab off the rank usually gets the fare. Stevenson’s students appear career-ready, prior to graduation, and very employable.

Following the Introduction section, there is a section on each of the three aspects of the Stevenson’s Career Architecture approach: Personal Direction, Discipline Expertise; and Professional Know-How; followed lastly by a course summary.

The Personal Direction area contained an introductory clip explaining a little more about what personal direction was, two fairly populist articles on what drives employee engagement, and some reflection questions. The student is then taken to some information about strengths, and we get the first taste of some career theory, using Haldane’s Dependable Strength Articulation Process (DSAP) model. This model has the students tell stories of experiences they are proud of to others, who then identify the students’ strengths which arise from the stories. The students then reflects on this, validating or tweaking those external perceptions to fit their self-story. The students then “know” their strengths and can factor these into their career planning and development.

Stevenson provides some worksheets for students of the MOOC to document their success stories. This section left me with two slightly troubling thoughts: the possibility of the strengths analysis being done completely without a career professional to assist the student to avoid developing a fixed mindset (the “I am what I am” state which may prevent development); and that Haldane’s work is old theory, which – as far as I know – is not well underpinned by research. (I would be really grateful if anyone has any recent research exploring this model!)

The MOOC pages of the course are not well designed. There’s little use of graphics, a lack of lead-ins to why each item is important, and no explanation as to the purpose each resource serves for the reader. The course layout does not smooth the path for a student new to the online environment: the student needs to guess where to go next. If Stevenson were able to layout their materials using better quality and more consistent formatting and features, it would make course navigation less tentative for the student.

The video clips that Stevenson has used throughout are of high quality and are very well crafted. They tell the Career Architecture story well. The articles used throughout are accessible and only slightly academic.

There are some materials for mentors and supervisors in the Discipline Expertise and Professional Know-How sections, but these appear pitched to fit lecturers or non-career experts in assisting students in determining their career direction. Which brings me to my next point: If you are a career practitioner, this course is probably not for you. You might use it for your clients or students, to introduce them to Haldane’s model and as a structure for self-guidance through determining their own strengths.

Finally, while this MOOC is not ideally suited to career professionals, it contains excellent materials and a sound structure for students and [non-career] mentors to learn about themselves and what a wrap-around service needs. I was fascinated by how clearly presented Stevenson’s career architecture was, and how transportable this concept would be to any institution wanting to adopt this type of service. It provides a clear “how to” to ensure your students are career-ready when they graduate.

That, on its own, has immense value.

Sam Young is an Executive Member of the Career Development Association of New Zealand (CDANZ), a career practitioner, a lecturer and a business consultant. She is the editor of the CDANZ ezine, which can be viewed on cdanz.org.nz. You can reach her at sam@samyoung.co.nz and on LinkedIn at nz.linkedin.com/in/samyoungnz.

Dr Nancy Arthur is a Professor and Associate Dean Research, Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary. She has published more than 80 professional articles and award-winning books. Known internationally as a thought leader and advocate for social justice practices to support people’s career development, Dr Arthur has presented in more than 25 different countries.

Dr Arthur will be a keynote speaker at Cannexus15, where she will be talking about social justice in career development practices. She has also contributed a chapter to CERIC’s new Career Development Practice in Canada textbook on “Diversity and Social Justice,” which you can hear her discuss in a Texttalks podcast.

In one sentence, describe why career development matters.

Career development matters because people can learn from the education, guidance, and resources that are available to support them in navigating the complex and changing world.

Which book are you reading right now?

Finding time to read books of my choice is a rare pleasure. I typically have at least two books on the go, picking up whichever one seems appealing for the time and energy that I feel. Right now, for a leadership development course, I am reading Crucial Conversations, as a refresher on the importance of good communication skills. In preparation for writing a book chapter, I am also reading Multiculturalism and Diversity in Clinical Supervision. I love to read fiction that is situated in diverse cultural contexts. After spending time in France this summer, I have enjoyed reading Paris: the Novel by Edward Rutherfurd – two more chapters to finish!I also just started to read The Orenda, by Joseph Boyden.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I knew early in life that I wanted a future job that would involve helping people. I had a profound experience at a youth conference while listening to a speaker who talked about the prison system. That experience started a journey of discovery about the helping professions. However, I have always enjoyed being outdoors more than indoors and for several years seriously thought about becoming a park ranger. People versus trees! In contrast to my main roles over the years as a psychologist, career practitioner and professor, time away from work is spent in the great outdoors, as much as possible.

Name one thing you wouldn’t be able to work without?

Travel guides. I am really fortunate to be able to travel to many different countries through my work role. I always try to do some research before I go to learn something about the history, current events, cultural norms and best places to visit.

What activity do you usually turn to when procrastinating?

I don’t procrastinate often, but think of this time as temporarily shifting between tasks that need to be done. I will sometimes give myself a break by choosing an easier task, and then make sure that the most important things are finished by the end of the week. However, there are times when my house has never looked cleaner…

What song do you listen to for inspiration?

It is hard to choose only one – it depends on my needs at the time. Sometimes I want to wallow in sad songs, other times crank up the sound with rock and roll and sing at the top of my lungs, or write while listening to classical music. I always felt a sense of calmness while listening to that famous Beatles song, Let It Be.

Which word do you overuse?

So … as a lead in for a question. I am interested in exploring the implications of other people’s ideas, feelings and meanings in conversation.

Who would you like to work with most?

I would not want to change who I work with now – talented graduate students, dedicated practitioners in the community, and an amazing network of colleagues in many different countries of the world.

Which talent or superpower would you like to have?

I would like to be able to play any musical instrument.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Parenting two wonderful children and finding joy in seeing the world through their eyes.

Survey findings explore how employer strategies for recruiting
younger workers differ across the country

By Mario R. Gravelle

The Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling (CERIC) is dedicated to exploring attitudes towards career development matters in Canada. CERIC commissioned Environics Research Group to survey Canadian business leaders about these issues. The 500 participants offered their opinions on approaches to recruiting, tactics which allow them to ensure their workforce has the right technical and soft skills to meet their needs, as well as the training and career management opportunities they provide. This article specifically explores some findings pertaining to young workers (under 25 years old). Here are some notable discoveries:

Obstacles to labour market participation for younger workers

Labour market data over the past five years shows that the gap in unemployment and under-employment rates of workers under 25 years old and older employees is increasing. CERIC’s survey asked senior executives what factors they believe might be causing young workers to experience trouble finding the right foothold in the labour market. An exploration of findings by respondent location (either from a rural setting, outside a major city, or from a major city) shows some consensus but also some interesting differences. As revealed in Figure #1, these three respondent groups shared the opinion that “a lack of real-world experience” as well as seemingly being “too demanding in the job they want” are leading obstacles undermining young workers. According to survey participants, “fewer entry level-jobs” is more problematic for young workers who are in a major city than those in a rural location. Conversely, respondents from a rural setting felt that “older workers staying at their jobs longer” poses a significant challenge to young workers while survey participants from a major city mentioned it seemed much less of a factor.

Q30. Which of the following do you think is the greatest reason unemployment is particularly high for young workers under the age of 25? Answers are ranked.

A few noteworthy differences and similarities also emerge when looking at the responses from participants from firms of different sizes – fewer than 10, 10-49, 50-99, 100-499 and 500+. For instance, survey respondents from the three groups under 100 employees shared the impression that being “too demanding in the job they want” is the greatest reason unemployment is particularly high for young workers. Meanwhile, it rated fourth overall for contributors from larger firms – 100-499 and 500+, suggesting that it is a greater concern for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). “A lack of networking and job search skills” was almost unanimously ranked as the least important impediment no matter the size of the firm the respondents work for. It is worth mentioning how respondents from Quebec had a different perspective on this matter compared to the rest of the country. For businesses in British Columbia, the Prairies, Ontario and Atlantic Canada, being “too demanding in the job they want” was identified as the first or second largest challenge in finding a job. In Quebec, this ranked near the bottom of impediments with a “lack of technical skills” taking the top spot.

Looking for and finding young workers

As mentioned earlier, part of the survey focused on uncovering the practices businesses use to attract young workers to vacant positions. We began this investigation by trying to understand whether attracting young workers was challenge for Canada’s businesses and the answers were as diverse as the country itself.

Geographically, respondents from Quebec and Atlantic Canada noted that they had the most difficulty attracting young workers, (67%) while those in Ontario had the least difficulty (38%). Finding young workers was mentioned as being especially problematic by participants from a rural location (64%) and least challenging for those in a major city (40%).

Business size also impacts an employer’s ability to attract a young workforce with smaller enterprises finding it more challenging that their larger counterparts to secure young workers. Among businesses with fewer than 10 employees, 31% find it very challenging to attract young workers whereas only 11% of businesses with over 100 employees feel the same way. Mid-sized organizations fall in between the two extremes with 25% of those employing 10-49 employees finding it challenging and 23% of those employers with headcounts of between 50 and 99 sharing this view.

In spite of the difficulty many employers face in recruiting young workers, few are doing much to address the issue. Only 18% of all those surveyed said they were spending a lot of effort customizing their recruitment efforts to attract the young. In Atlantic Canada where a full 67% of respondents claim the recruitment of a young workforce to be very challenging, only 9% of business say they’re putting a lot of effort into fixing the problem.

Differences and disconnects also appear by business size. Perhaps because they have more resources to use attracting young workers, 35% of those with over 500 employees claim to spend a lot of effort attracting the younger demographic. Only 15% of those with less than 10 employees make the same claim in spite of the fact this size of business says one of its biggest challenges in attracting the same younger workers.

A subsequent question asked what specific practices were used to attract young workers. As shown in Figure #2, “Online job sites/board” and “Recruiting through social media” are the top answers across regions, location and business sizes.

Q32. Which of the following is your organization doing to attract younger workers?
Answer are ranked.

It appears that “Offering unpaid internships” is much more popular in Quebec than in other parts of the country as it was ranked fourth in that province compared to near or at the bottom in the rest of Canada, though it is still a practice pursued by 24% of respondents overall. The findings by location show many commonalities aside from the fact that respondents from a rural location stated that they relied much more on “Recruiting through youth-serving agencies” than those outside a major city or from a major city (fourth ranked in the former compared to eighth rank in the latter two groups). There is also some relative cohesion in the answers by business size. A notable exception includes the fact that “Recruiting through social media” is seemingly much less prevalent for large-scale firms (it ranked fourth compared to second for all other groups). Survey participants from businesses with more than 500 employees also stood out because of how frequently they take part in job fairs.

Mario R. Gravelle is Learning & Innovation Analyst at The Counselling Foundation of Canada. He is responsible for supporting the reception of funding requests as well as managing the Foundation’s grants. Gravelle likewise supports knowledge transfer activities to promote the work accomplished by the organization’s grant recipients. He is completing his doctoral dissertation in history at York University (BA from Concordia University and MA from the University of Ottawa). The Foundation proudly supports CERIC and its programs.

Straight Talk on Leadership

Solving Canada’s Business Crisis

Book by R. Douglas Williamson

Review by Yvonne Rodney

From page one of this book, it’s clear that Douglas Williamson is very mad. Like a passionately caring parent who sees the things he worked hard to establish not being leveraged by the next generation, he feels the same about leadership or lack thereof in Canada. The long and short of his argument is this: Canada will be left behind on the world stage unless our leadership makes a radical shift in how they do business.

The 352-page hardcover tome seems daunting at first glance. However, Williamson has broken down his ideas into short, easily digested chapters, sections and summaries. Using bad and good case scenarios, practical wisdom and information culled from a plethora of thought leaders, Williamson makes a strong, sometimes strident case that Canada’s complacency, “niceness” and risk-averseness will lead to our country being left behind. And he does not mince his words, ergo the title, Straight Talk on Leadership.

Williamson insists that transformational leadership – script-less, making it up as we go, flying by the seat of our pants, but informed by a rich experience repertoire is what is needed to turn things around for Canada and Canadian businesses. After setting the stage for his treatise in Part I of the book, he lays out in Part II, “Meeting the future today,” the different kinds of intelligence a transformational leader must possess in order to lead effectively, and he illustrates how they work throughout the rest of the book. These are contextual intelligence, strategic intelligence, emotional intelligence, innovative intelligence, ambiguity intelligence, talent intelligence and collaborative intelligence.

The transformational leader must discard the map-book style of leadership – basing decisions on how things were done in the past – and instead grab hold of a compass, ignoring short-term thinking mentalities and knee-jerk reactions, to steer “a confident and steady course to the future…”

Straight Talk on Leadership, while making a solid case for transformational leadership, then goes a step further. No leadership can be effective without inspired followership. Williamson claims that most leaders are not giving their followers anything exciting or bold to follow. They claim that people are their most valuable assets, but need to see followers instead as “investors.”

The transformational leader must learn the human culture of his/her organization down to the DNA level, battle stagnation, and realistically face what’s happening in their organization in order to build the high-performing work culture needed to get Canada back on the map. To do this we could learn a lot, he says, from the long-standing work Canada has done in producing “high-performance hockey players capable of competing on the international stage.” He cites Magna International and WestJet Airlines as two examples of Canadian organizations that have approached the organizational culture dynamic from unique perspectives.

Williamson also put high stock in a leader’s credibility and sees it as a gift the followers give the leader that can be capitalized on when times get tough. Williamson states that Canadian business leaders must “declare outright war on the things that diminish credibility… setting high standards and not being afraid to hold everyone accountable.”

In the final chapter of the book, Williamson lays out a six-step transformational action plan for Canada’s future:

1. Raise the awareness level
2. Build the guiding coalition
3. Look at the future through fresh eyes
4. Commit to bold leadership
5. Engage the Canadian people
6. Make brave choices

He sees Canada’s track record of honour, peace and good relations with many nations, our fairness and reasonableness as a people, as strengths we can build on. However, in true Williamson style, he inserts the caveat… “But they will not matter if we fail in rising to the challenge at hand and don’t have the courage, the resolve and the intelligence to carve a new path, in a new world, with new ideas and a new set of national priorities. Canada can, if we put our minds to it.”

Straight Talk on Leadership can be overwhelming when one considers all the intelligences Williamson insists a leader must possess. It was at a presentation at the Cannexus National Career Development Conference this past January that he offered a perspective that was easier for me to wrap my head around: Like a jazz musician, the transformational leader improvises, imagines and inspires. S/he is prepared to throw out the score, pick up the beat and go with the flow, making sense out of the craziness around – not trying to get a perfect solution but a “roughly right” one.

Transformative business leadership, transformative governmental leadership, inspired followership – these are the things that will turn Canada around.

Straight Talk on Leadership will get under your skin – one way or another.

Yvonne Rodney, author, speaker and playwright, is president of Inner Change Consulting, providing career consultation for individuals and organizations. She also offers coaching on personal development and spiritual growth.

R. Douglas Williamson is President & CEO of The Beacon Group, a company that provides leadership development, executive coaching, strategic planning and performance management services.

By Jennifer Holmes

The author’s struggle with disability led her to explore her introversion

The Great Canadian Skills Mismatch

A number of important demographic shifts happened since Rick Miner published the first report in the People Without Jobs, Jobs Without People series in 2010. The Great Canadian Skills Mismatch is intended to add new perspective to the ongoing debate about the existence of skills shortages and/or mismatches in Canada.

Miner concludes that by 2031 skills shortages will drop from 4.2 million unfilled positions to 2.3 million due to increased educational attainment levels, but a major problem will still exist. He argues that to address these shortages we need more workers and we need them to have the right skill sets. His recommendations include:

• Drastically improving our labour market information (LMI) systems.
• Developing a national education and training strategy.
• Establishing “mandatory” career counselling opportunities for students, their parents, teachers and administrators.
• Investing in basic literacy and employability skills training.
• Implementing a variety of changes to our post-secondary system to make it more accessible, flexible, responsive, relevant and affordable.

You can download these reports as well as other publications from Miner at minerandminer.ca.

The world is coming to Quebec City

The International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance (IAEVG) will be holding its annual conference in Quebec City this year, on June 4-6, in partnership with the Ordre des conseillers et conseillères d’orientation du Québec (OCCOQ) and the Regroupement québécois des organismes pour le développement de l’employabilité (RQuODE). Keynote speakers include Norm Amundson, Spencer Niles and Gideon Arulmani, and 1,200 delegates from all over the world are expected. It’s a one-of-a-kind occasion for career development professionals in Canada, since this conference rarely takes place in our country. Find out more at aiosp-congres2014-quebec.ca.

What’s new on ContactPoint: Wikis! Podcasts!

The wikis have become one of the most popular resources on ContactPoint, CERIC’s online community for professionals in the career development field. In addition to the already existing wikis on career development theory and mental health, a new wiki on career development terms will be published online soon. Get in touch with contactpoint@ceric.ca to become a contributor.

To celebrate CERIC’s 10^th anniversary, ContactPoint is holding a series of 10 conversations in its forum and on Twitter (#CERIC10) about topics that matter in your work as a career development professional. Discussions so far have addressed online resources and assessment tools. Also as part of anniversary celebrations, CERIC is hosting the Texttalks podcast series with authors of its newly published textbook Career Development Practice in Canada. The first podcast features an interview with Phil Jarvis on “Career Development: Key to Economic Development.”

CERIC also produces literature searches that include comprehensive listings of notable research and articles in various areas of career development. All 21 literatures searches covering themes such as Older Workers, Aboriginal Issues and Parental Involvement are available in ContactPoint’s Resource directory.

Visit contactpoint.ca.

But really, how important are skills?

The OECD recently published the results from its Survey of Adult Skills, conducted as part of its Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). Essential Skills Ontario published a series of bulletins distilling the PIAAC results, and the most recent one asks a rather blunt question: do skills actually matter when it comes to employment and earnings?

They do. In Ontario, educational attainment is one of the best predictors of employment status and income. The PIAAC data show that those who are employed have higher average scores in literacy and numeracy than those who are unemployed or out of the labour force. These results suggest that skills training could help to integrate more people in the labour force and would be beneficial to those who are looking for work. You can learn more by visiting Essential Skills Ontario’s website at essentialskillsontario.ca.

Two new CERIC-funded projects in the works

Setting the Compass: A Career Services Training Manual for Supporting Mental Health Clients

In partnership with the Nova Scotia Career Development Association, CERIC is funding the development of a web-based training manual for career service workers that will improve employment and educational outcomes for people living with mental health issues. People living with mental illness face the highest unemployment rate of any disability group, and career service workers are a critical resource in supporting clients in meeting their full employment potential. CERIC previously funded another project to better understand the training needs of career practitioners around mental health.

The Mother of All Career Transitions: A Guide to Maternity Leave and Career Development

Another CERIC-funded project seeks to understand the gap in women’s career development and create resources for employers and women experiencing maternity leave career transition. Currently existing resources related to maternity leave pertain to singular groups or singular topics, such as employment law or work/life balance. This project is developed in partnership with Canada Career Counselling and the Vanier Institute of the Family.

CERIC provides funding for research and learning projects in career development and encourages individuals and organizations alike to submit proposals for career counselling-related research or learning and development. Learn more at ceric.ca/projects.

By Chris Hogg

On my way to work, I drive by a homeless camp nestled in a small wooded area near the intersection of I-70 and West Broad Street here in Columbus, Ohio. In the winter, with barren trees, the coloured tents and tarps are easily seen. During the other three seasons, the place is invisible.

Often I see the camp dwellers at their jobs, standing at the interstate exit ramps with their cardboard signs, the black printed words « NEED HELP » and « GOD BLESS » a common marketing and advertising theme. Occasionally I see someone start their shift by selecting one of the signs stashed by the intersection. Once in a while I watch a shift change as one man passes a sign to another and then meanders off, either back to the camp or to the nearby shopping center to ask passersby for « help with bus fare to get to a job interview » as he points to his newspaper’s want ads section.

How interesting, how strange, to think of these homeless men as having jobs and going to work.

Actually, should I become homeless, these men would probably be my job placement counsellors. They would help me identify the issues and barriers that would prevent me from being vocationally successful, such as understanding that I’ll get in big trouble if I intrude on a senior (or stronger) worker’s territory; help me find the best places to earn the most money; discover which churches and social service agencies to go to for food and shelter; and perhaps most importantly, help me avoid the police who periodically stop at work sites to admonish workers about their interpersonal skills.

Sharing information, advising, helping identify possible solutions to issues and barriers – these are the same kinds of things I need to do when the homeless approach me for career guidance or job search assistance.

Some choose homelessness because that lifestyle affords them freedom and flexibility not found elsewhere in society. Some are homeless due to mental illness, anti-social tendencies, addictions or criminal behaviour. Others are in situational homelessness, having unexpectedly been run over by the truck of life: they got sick and then lost their jobs; they were displaced by natural or man-made disasters; they were abandoned by or had to leave their families – and they all want very much to re-enter their previous lifestyle.

Reactions to the homeless vary. Many people simply want them to disappear. Others mistakenly believe that homeless people can’t or won’t work. Some avoid the homeless for fear it will rub off on them. Others want to help these individuals, but just don’t know where to start.

Even the most well-intentioned of us can make the mistake of assuming all homeless people want the same thing – permanent housing, for instance. But the truth is that just because a person wants to find a better job doesn’t mean they want to move, say, from the homeless class into the working or middle class. Certainly knowing a person’s life, education, spiritual and other goals allows us to offer a higher level of vocational guidance. But we really do need to ask about those things, and not assume them.

An area that I struggle with is the tension between trying to lead clients (homeless or not) in the direction I believe they should go versus providing them the information and resources that they want. I often see tremendous potential in a person, and want him or her to develop that potential, when what they want is « anything » that comes along. Their aspiration is the goal and my job is to provide the same core service no matter what their circumstances. We will all be more effective if, when working with the homeless, or anyone else, we apply these basic principles:

• Treat people as individuals.
• Remember that the client needs to bring the motivation and the counsellor needs to provide the structure – not the other way around.
• Understand the hidden rules of class, and help clients learn to switch between classes (see Bridges Out of Poverty by Ruby K. Payne).
• Urge our clients to answer that basic question: Who am I? and then What do I want to do? Where? Why?
• Challenge the client (à la Richard Bolles) with these three questions: What do you want to do? What’s stopping you? What are you doing about that?
• Understand that there are only four things employers want: make/save money; prevent/solve problems; get/keep customers; and employees who will fit in.
• Remind clients that they can only meet employers’ wants by applying acquired skills, experience and knowledge, while demonstrating an attitude that says, I know who I am, why I’m here and I will fit in.

A homeless man came into a career center where I was volunteering. He had tree trimming skills and experience. I asked if I could help him and he said no thanks. He opened up the yellow pages, started calling tree service companies, and in 20 minutes had a job interview lined up for the next day. Quite often, if we give homeless folks the tools and get out of their way, they can do quite well.

Chris Hogg is an employment specialist in a neighborhood social service agency in Columbus, Ohio. His career exploration and job search clients range from the homeless to the upper middle class and from high school dropouts to PhDs.

The article, Helping the Homeless, by Chris Hogg, originally appeared in NCDA’s web magazine, Career Convergence, at www.ncda.org. Copyright © March 2014. Reprinted with permission.

By Nicki Moore and Siobhan Neary

Researchers from the UK found a way to make compulsory training in career theory and reflective practice palatable – and efficient – for time-strapped practitioners

Recent work by career development professionals across the UK has resulted in a new agenda for professionalization. This includes a new professional body, a national register for practitioners and higher-level qualifications, including the requirement to study three additional areas of professional practice: labour market information, reflective practice and career theory. This has created a need for new approaches to training and professional development for career practitioners.

Staff at the International Centre for Guidance Studies (iCeGS) at the University of Derby have developed two pedagogical approaches to deliver the topics of reflective practice and career theory: one in which both topics were delivered as stand-alone themes, and one which integrated elements of both career theory and reflective practice in a single program. We will explore the different outcomes for those undertaking the programs, and for ourselves as teachers and practitioners.

Approach one: Delivering programs independently

Teaching reflective practice can be a challenge as it is very difficult to switch reluctant learners on to the idea of being reflective. This is particularly the case when their practice offers them little time or resources to think, write or share feelings, ideas or evidence-based practice. Teaching reflective practice as an isolated topic can be a two-dimensional route through theory and discussion of its application in the abstract. Including reflective activities in these sessions has some success in that it encourages practitioners to reflect on a selected activity or issue using a variety of models, but it can create a very pressurized and false environment for reflection. Although the program was well received and learners left with the knowledge and understanding to meet the assessment requirements, we are not persuaded that we have won the hearts and minds of the practitioners and transformed them into more focused and thoughtful individuals able to reflect on their own continuing professional development needs. This is especially the case since we have had no opportunity to follow up with this group of learners to determine the longer term impact of their learning.

Teaching career theory can also be difficult as many learners consider the idea of studying theory a dull prospect. To meet the new learning requirements, practitioners need to demonstrate that they are able to understand and apply theories and concepts in their own practice. While it is possible to teach these in isolation, applying difficult ideas to abstract situations can result in switched-off learners who understand but don’t apply their learning.

Approach two: An integrated pedagogy

An alternative to delivering topics in isolation was to combine and integrate both areas of learning into one program and use the concept of reflective practice as a vehicle to learn about, apply and reflect on career theory. By reflecting on life and professional experiences, learners enrich their understanding of these situations and develop new insights and knowledge as a result. This, of course, is one of the principles of reflective practice and it seemed logical to us, when developing the program on career theory, to use this principle to help learners create new knowledge and understanding for themselves. Our approach encouraged learners to apply and reflect on theory and its application in a range of situations and to share this with their colleagues, very much in the spirit of a “career theory community of practice.” There have been implications for us as teachers in this respect, as we became part of the community of practice and learned a great deal about ourselves as teachers and practitioners in the process.

Our program was structured to include an introduction to reflective practice followed by three days of theory, each separated by a number of weeks. Each session was structured to include small bursts of teaching followed by a series of projects designed to stimulate creative and critical thinking. Learners were encouraged to reflect on their insights and to apply these in their practice during the time between each session, reflecting on their findings and feeding back to the group at the next session. Learners were also invited to join an online community of practice to reflect on their learning. The program ended with a further session of reflective practice during which learners were asked to reflect on their learning journey.

Learners became increasingly engaged as we progressed through the program. The final presentations demonstrated that many reluctant learners had engaged in theory in unexpected ways. They had moved from situations of profound frustration and mediocre practice, constrained by perceived employer expectations and dogmatic systems, to a new position of empowerment and understanding. Our approach to teaching theory has caused many to examine the application of career theory to their own personal context, and many had gained new insights into their own lives, relationships, influences and motivations for personal career development. Some of the outcomes of this approach included:

• A greater understanding of clients’ aspirations, motivation and engagement in career planning based on an understanding of theory and its application;
• More insight into the impact of career development activities on clients, business, community and society;
• A drive to share practice with colleagues, including the implementation of a number of new local communities of practice; and
• A greater awareness of issues of quality, including a refocusing on client entitlement and client centredness.

We perceived a change in the way our learners were approaching their practice. They all achieved a level of enlightenment far exceeding our expectations in terms of their professional identity and intellectual engagement. Our integrated approach created a new understanding of what it means to be an autonomous professional. Our learners had transformed from simply seeing themselves as employees to regarding themselves as true professionals with a grasp of theory and its application, which transformed not only their professional practice but also contributed to their own personal development. Many of our learners expressed a renewed commitment and enjoyment in their work, and sought opportunities to shape and influence their professional context.

Our reflection on the differences in these pedagogies suggests that, while there is considerable merit in teaching career theory and reflective practice as separate disciplines, teaching them together as a self-supporting theoretical and conceptual framework reaps dividends in terms of both formal learning outcomes and in individual personal development.

Nicki Moore and Siobhan Neary both work for the International Centre for Guidance Studies and have many years’ experience working as practitioners, teachers, trainers and researchers in the field of career development. Their work includes consultancy for organizations across the world including, most recently, Sri Lanka, China, Malaysia and Croatia.

In recognition of his lifetime of achievement in career development, Bryan Hiebert accepted the Etta St John Wileman Award at the Cannexus14 National Career Development Conference in Ottawa. Hiebert holds positions as Professor Emeritus of Education, University of Calgary; Adjunct Professor, Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies, University of Victoria; and Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Education, University of Lethbridge.

In one sentence, describe why career development matters.

Career development is a matter of having a vision for your life and making sure that your paid employment is helping to move you towards the sort of person you want to become in five years, or 10 or 20, etc. People who don’t have a fairly clear vision for their life often end up floundering, exploring blind alleys, and not becoming the person they were looking forward to becoming.

Which book are you reading right now?

I usually am reading more than one book, typically two, one related to my professional work and a second one of personal interest. Right now I’m reading Embedded Formative Assessment by Dylan William, and am finding new sources that I had not encountered before as well as affirmation of many of my own ideas. It’s an easy read and I recommend it. The other book I am reading is The Incomplete Folksinger by Pete Seeger. It’s an autobiography tracing the development of folk song in North America and the connection with folk songs in other countries. It is helping me get back in touch with my musical past and motivating me to take my banjo off the wall and play again.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I was a floundering young person. I was always good at math, and pretty much squandered everything else. After a year of bible school, I thought I might become a minister, but my father would not hear of it. He had seen too many poor ministers and pressured me to find a job that was better paying and more reliable. So, I explored teaching. The counsellor at the University of Calgary I talked to indicated that people who believed their job was to impart subject matter usually did a BSc or BA and then did the additional year to obtain their teaching credential. On the other hand, people who believed that their job as a teacher was to work with children entered the BEd program. It was a question of priorities: Is the more important thing the subject matter content or the students? As a result of the thinking that comment spawned, I enrolled in a BEd program.

Name one thing you wouldn’t be able to work without?

My library. I have a good selection of professional books and lots of access through the universities and via Google. The library is one thing that I would really miss if it was not available to me.

What activity do you usually turn to when procrastinating?

Hands-on projects dealing with house repairs, or general tidying my workplace. Ultimately, I need to take myself by the ear and force myself to sit down and get started. Then ideas start to flow and I begin to be productive.

What song do you listen to for inspiration?

I have many playlists and select one that is appropriate for the job at hand. Likely the song that has the most influence right now is “Against the Wind” by Bob Seger. I especially revisit the line “wish I didn’t know now what I didn’t know then.” Many things are best forgotten.

Which word do you overuse?

I spot this tendency in others and have in the past fallen into the trap myself usually accompanied by severe consequences. Right now, I think that I don’t overuse any word, I just try to be descriptive of the things I see and do.

Who would you like to work with most?

People who are like-minded in the things they are trying to pursue. I’ve passed the stage in my career path where I want to convert others to my way of thinking, but I’m pretty open to people who are trying to do similar things and we can work together to inform each other.

Which talent or superpower would you like to have?

Some sort of telekinesis would be nice, so I could travel to destinations, participate in projects, and not have the five- or 12-hour plane trip to contend with.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

I have been able to foster the career advancement of many of my graduate students and colleagues. Standing in the background and seeing others move ahead, and trying to prepare the opportunities that they could step into, has been more important to me than any of the many projects I have undertaken.

A youth’s toolbag of essential life skills for transitioning from high school to post-secondary education to the workplace

Book by Sandra Finkelstein

Review by Lynn Sadlowski

We’re not gonna take it is described as a youth’s toolbag of essential life skills for transitioning from high school to post-secondary education to the workplace. It’s intended audience is youth between the ages of 15 and 25 who are moving through very important life transitions toward the world of work at a time when youth unemployment and youth underemployment rates are considered quite high. It is the author’s belief that young people need to stand up against the “old style of thinking” that casts such a bleak future for them. The argument is that in choosing to learn and effectively use the 10 essential life skills outlined in the book, young people will enact changes in the economy and the world, thereby making it a better place for their generation moving forward.

While the seven-part book is designed so that the reader can skip around – reading only relevant sections as needed – the 10 essential life skills outlined in Part 1 are likely a necessary first read. It is difficult to narrow down a long list of life skills into just 10 considered to be essential. The author chose some common ones: decision-making, effective communication, leadership, teamwork and collaboration, goal-setting and building relationships; a few less common ones such as giving, receiving and requesting feedback, the art of storytelling, being in the moment and one at the top of my list – financial awareness and literacy. Rightfully so, a sizeable section is devoted to this area. Financial literacy is a difficult subject for young people. They live in the here and now and when they start to receive that first paycheque or a sizeable student loan, it is far too tempting to buy all the items they have longed for; to frequent the clubs or take a trip for spring break. So I applaud the author’s effort to include financial awareness and literacy and her approach to the subject is accessible to a young reader with relevant examples. Important to this section as well as all others is the offer of tools, exercises, action steps and suggested resources to help the young person practice and integrate the lessons into their lives.

Part 2 and 3 are fairly short sections focusing on decision making regarding high school to post-secondary. Unfortunately the author makes an assumption that all readers would be choosing post-secondary education – “Do I attend college or university?” In my opinion, there is not enough attention paid to the need for self-awareness and finding ‘what’s right for you.’ These exercises and thought processes are a necessary first step in not only selecting a program of study, but in taking that first step into the world of work.

For this reader, “Understanding the Baby boomer-created workplace” might be one of the more important sections of the book. The world of work has changed. On one hand, the dreams and expectations of young people, fuelled by the advice and experience of their parents, are often unrealistic. On the other hand, this generation – often called the Millennials – recognize they have very different core beliefs, values, wants and needs than those of the baby boomers and the comparison used in this book is an effective method of showing how the Millennials are moving toward creating their “new workplace.”

The final section addresses the job search process. Entire libraries could be filled with job search and resume-writing books. We’re not gonna take it highlights a few key points in the process – the need for networking, research and preparation, and provides further resources that the reader can use when relevant to do so.

Overall, the content is accessible to the audience with a variety of tools, exercises and additional resources for further exploration. The book, the first in a series of three, is a good resource for young people and teachers hitting many relevant topics in the area of career development, post-secondary choice and job search

The author of this review, Lynn Sadlowski, holds a Master’s degree in Education from Queen’s University as well as junior, intermediate and secondary teaching qualifications in Ontario. She has specialist qualifications in guidance and more than 15 years’ experience in career and guidance education. In 2013, Lynn transitioned from a sales consultant role with Career Cruising to a position as career counsellor at Queen’s University. She now works full time in undergraduate admissions at Queen’s.

The authors of the book, Sandra Finkelstein, is a youth advocate who is concerned about the world being handed down to her children and all children. After researching the market for nearly three years, she has provided a timely resource of essential life skills to assist the millennial youths, their parents and youth workers with tools fundamental to youths’ success and to help in the decision-making process.