ciag - work and assignments

7/22/2019 CIAG - Work and Assignments

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CIAG

LSIS resource Module 1: Introduction to career

development.

Overview

In this module you can find out more about career development, roles in career

development and how your contribution fits in. You will have the opportunity to think

about its scope and value and do a short activity to help you assess the career learning

and development needs of your learners. The diagnostic activity in this module can

also help you plan your route through the rest of the resource.

To help your understanding, we have provided a glossary of terms for your reference

throughout, which is located at the top right of your screen.

elect !ne"t! to continue.

Terminology

Throughout this resource, the following terms are used#

$roviders is used as a generic term for all types of providers in the learning and skills

sector, including# further education %&'( colleges, si"th form, work)based learning

%*+(, adult and community learning %AC(, offender learning, and specialistcolleges.

earners refers to adults and young people who are receiving education or training

from the above provider types.

Governors is used as a generic term for governors in &' colleges, directors and

trustees in other organisations.

-ow choose another unit title from the list at the top of the screen

Aims and Objectives o t!is Module

Aims

To develop understanding of staff roles and responsibilities in relation to career

development.

To provide you with working definitions of career, career development and other

useful terms.

To enable you to plan how to use this resource.

b/ectives


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+y the end of this module, you will be able to#

define the meanings of !career!, !career patterns! and career development terminology

identify benefits of career development to your learners

outline roles0responsibilities of staff in making career development effective in a

range of settingse"plain the importance of self)assessment for 1uality improvement in career

development

identify a range of sources for further information and select a resource route to meet

your needs.

"!at is #areer development$

ne of the first things that you need to do is make sense of what career development

is and why it is important for your learners and organisation.

Career development in the learning and skills sector helps learners to release their

potential by#

ensuring placement on correct programmes

raising aspirations and developing self)awareness

addressing barriers to social mobility, inclusion, diversity and e1uality

supporting them on programme to reach their learning goals

increasing their employability

facilitating ne"t steps and progression

improving their ability to manage their career and pathway throughout life

recognising strengths and development needs.

T!e beneits o !ig!%&uality career development

Activity# Think about the benefits high)1uality career development has for#

individuals

communities

learning organisations

business0employers

the economy.

pen your online notepad and /ot down two or three benefits for each group, then

select !ne"t! to see what we think.

Individuals

Through high-quality career development, Individuals may be able to obtain their

dream jobs.


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If so, these individuals will be able to achieve the highest goal possible, which is, self-

actualization in their lives through work and hobbies, they will also be able to make

great gains in self-esteem, they will be able to provide for their families, friends and

wider communities, and enhance their status within these organisations.

ven if high-quality career development does not translate into a dream job, it ishighly likely that it will translate into a better job than one would normally have

without such high-quality career development.

This means that Individuals can use the resources they gain from work to gain or

increase the security they have for themselves and their families ! and they can

provide the basic physiological needs for themselves, families and friends. This

definitely translates into a better standard of living.

Communities

The more individuals within a community that have access to high-quality career

development, the more role models there will be within that community. "ince high-

quality career development, also translates into better jobs than the norm, individuals

will have a better standard of living in that community than in others without access

to the same or similar high-quality career development.

# community with a higher standard of living attracts businesses, and with businesses

more work and wealth is created, in a virtuous cycle. $onversely, a community with a

low standard of living drives businesses away, creating joblessness and poverty ! a

vicious cycle.

# community with a low standard of living only attracts businesses with low priced

goods and services, and therefore a low profit margin ! thereby creating low wage

jobs.

# community which has a higher standard of living attracts higher ta%es, therefore it

can demand a higher standard of amenities and a wider range of amenities than a

community with a lower standard of living, which can only demand whatever it is

given, at whatever standard of quality it is given. # community with a lower standard

of living has little or no bargaining power when dealing with central or local

authority.

Learning organisations

&earning organisations which are staffed by individuals who have benefitted from

access to high-quality career development usually end up providing high-quality

career development for their learners.

Those learning organisations end up being recognised quite quickly as being centres

of high-quality career development, and attract highly motivated learners as well as

funding and support from government and the private sector.


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# learning organisation which delivers high-quality career development courses,

soon becomes an e%cellent reference on its own cognisance for its alma mater, who at

some point may be in a position to help the learning organisation in various ways !

such as providing internships, scholarships, financial and material assistance,

mentoring etc.

Businesses/Employers

'usinesses which are staffed by individuals who have benefitted from access to high-

quality career development, usually end up being at the top, or the best in their field,

able to command higher prices for their goods and services and e%pertise ! which

translates into higher profit margins than businesses without staff with access to

high-quality career development. $onsequently, these businesses can afford to pay

the higher wages needed to retain the services of staff who have benefitted from high-

quality career development.

These businesses are much more robust, able to access a variety of difficult markets,

because of the skills, confidence and motivation of their staff. #s a result, they will be

more recession-proof.

The Economy

The economy relies heavily on the circulation of money through business activity, and

the ta%ing of that business activity as well as the interest paid on the money borrowed

to circulate in the economy.

#n economy in which there is a large proportion of individuals who have benefitted

from high-quality career development will be a healthy economy because of the sheer

volume of business the businesses employing these individuals will do each year ! in

a boom, rising revenues raised from corporation, income and sales ta%es will be able

to help the government meet its obligations to its citizens of the country. In addition,

the profits made from interest charged on the circulation of money during a boom can

be reserved as a surplus, which can be used to support the economy whenever there is

a downturn.

#n economy which is healthy and booming will be able to attract foreign investment

because of the profits to be made in it. It also encourages entrepreneurship.

In contrast, an economy with low wages, low volume of sales(business will generate

low levels of ta%es and profits from interest charged on money borrowed to circulate

in the economy. These features will be the same for an economy in recession or

depression. In these economies, foreign investment will fall dramatically or disappear

completely. In addition, individuals with the skills gained from high-quality career

development courses will emigrate and go elsewhere, where there are the jobs and

the pay commensurate to their skills.

Answers or T!e beneits o !ig!%&uality career development


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Individuals

2aised aspirations and confidence

Increased motivation

Awareness of real opportunities

3nderstanding or relationship between own skills and labour market needs

Improved labour management skills

Improved ability to progress successfully between key transition points

Improved financial literacy

Improved entrepreneurship skills

#ommunities

Increased participation0contribution

ess dissatisfaction

4ore community cohesion

2educed crime and anti)social behaviour

4ore positive and creative communities

+etter mental and physical health

2educed demand on community services

2educed number of Young people as -''T

Learning organisations

Improved motivation

Increased attainment

+etter retention and completion of learning programmes

ustainability

'usinesses()mployers

4ore motivated and engaged workforce

Greater sense of corporate responsibility

taff committed to training

+etter skilled staff

4ore creative staff

Increased productivity0competitiveness

Improved recruitment0retention and succession planning

ustainability


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T!e )conomy

2educed staff turnover

4a"imising and capitalising on talent5igher production and increased G6$

Agile, mobile and fle"ible workforce

Increased entrepreneurship

4ore social enterprise

Active retirement 7 dynamic Third Age

2educed social welfare cost

everaged diversity

Society

5elping individuals contribute to the well)being of others

$romoting e1uality, diversity and inclusion

Improving social mobility

Giving people a stake in society

upporting 8at risk9 individuals and groups

"!at does *#areer+ mean to your learners$

There is considerable debate over the definition of careers. 5ere are two definitions#

A career can be seen as !the evolving se1uence of a person!s work e"periences over

time! %Arthur, 5all and awrence, :;>>(.

"!ic! do you preer$ #an you t!in, o a better deinition$

Activity# n the ne"t screen is a word cloud, which shows common metaphors that

people use to describe careers. 5over over a word to find out more about the ideas

underpinning this way of thinking about careers.

*hich of these ways of thinking about careers do you find helpful ) and why? elect

!ne"t! to see the word cloud.

Action


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This is about the idea of self)help and self)determination and taking responsibility for

managing your own career. Action re1uires deliberate planning but also enterprise and

actively seeking out opportunities. *ithout action, learners feel helpless and that they

can!t overcome obstacles such as high unemployment, blemishes in their personal

histories %e.g. a prison sentence(, health problems and even discrimination by

employers.

#ompetition

Associated with winning, being successful and the achievement of goals. As you are

likely to face competition when you apply for a /ob or during your career so too will

learners. Common metaphors for this include climbing to the top of a ladder or

mountain but not everybody finds this association helpful. earners may be more

interested in collaborating with a team to see the other side of the mountain, rather

than aiming for the summit solo@

#ycles

ur lives pass through different stages or cycles and as we mature and grow older, our

roles, career needs and priorities change.

-it

ometimes described as !round peg in round hole! thinking. If you know your skills,

values and interests you will find it easier to match yourself to opportunities. Your

learners may have access to a computer program that can do the matching for them.

+ear in mind that some learners will make decisions based on e"trinsic rewards of

work, such as status, money, pressure from families and the state of the labour market.

rowt!

This associates careers with personal and professional development ) improving

prospects and unlocking further potential. It can also be about finding a !calling! or

vocation, so there is a link with the idea of a career as a /ourney. Growth isfundamentally about self)actualisation ) becoming everything that you can possibly

become.

In!eritance

ur genetic inheritance apart, careers can be strongly influenced by family work

heritage %traceable in many surnames( or by an e"isting family business. *e also get

our reserves of social and cultural capital from our families, which have a strong

influence on our choices and chances.


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/ourney

A career can be depicted as a /ourney towards a certain or uncertain destination,

sometimes following your dreams. The mode of transport we visualise on our /ourney

%on foot, in a car, on a boat( reveals the e"perience we!ve had %bumpy, smooth or out

of control(.

0etwor,s

Careers are not /ust about individual effort. The infrastructure of support around you

makes a big difference to your ability to make progress in life. This includes social

relationships such as family and friends, as well as business contacts and networks

that you can call on. -epotism is the uncomfortable side of this phenomenon, where

an individual secures an unfair advantage from their contacts.

esources

*e can look at developing our resources, such as e"pertise and e"perience, to help

enable us to have the career we want. rganisations sometimes look at individuals in

the same way and offer careers based on developing them into specialist areas as

human resources.

Story

!Career as story! is the theory that knowing who we are and what we have done with

our lives can help us make sense of our evolving e"periences of work in a personal

story or narrative. -otice how we tell different versions of our story to different

people including ourselves. ometimes, one of the best ways of motivating and

building the confidence of learners is by helping them to improve their own story.

"!at does *#areer+ mean to you and your learners$

Comments on the activity

This activity is based on err Inkson!s 3nderstanding Careers# The metaphors of

working lives %age, =>>B(, which can be found under !2elated resources!.

http#00www.uk.sagepub.com0books0+ook==:==DtabviewEgoogle

Inkson recognises that using multiple metaphors enriches our understanding of

careers. It is possible for someone to have a way of thinking about careers that does

not fit into any of the above categories.


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This task should make you aware that your learners may have very different

understandings of what career really means to them. You might find it useful to use

this task with your learners to help them clarify their own thinking about careers.

3nderstanding Career $atterns

The pattern of each person!s career is uni1ue. *e can identify four main patterns#

single)track i.e. making progress in an industry or profession

serial i.e. moving from one sector to another

lifestyle i.e. aiming for a work)life balance

portfolio i.e. /uggling different /obs at the same time

You may find it useful to refer to +arrie 5opson!s paper&rom vocational guidance to

professional careers which you can find in the 2elated resources.

If you would like to e"plore your own career development, you may like to access the

free I online learning resource !haping my future!. It is available on the I

eadership learning environment. You can find the link in the !2elated resources!.

F:. *hat pattern has your career taken so far?

ingle)track?

erial?

ifestyle?

$ortfolio?

6oes it fit into one or more of the above patterns? 2ecord your thoughts.

4y career pattern is serial.

F=. Can you think of someone whose pattern is very different from yours? *hat are

the biggest differences? 2ecord your thoughts.

F. 5ow could a knowledge of Career patterns benefit your learners? 2ecord your

thoughts.

Comments on Activity


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Fuestion : relates to that human need to want to find patterns in our lives. ome

people!s careers have followed different career patterns at different stages of their

lives as a result of their own changing circumstances as well as in response to

changing labour market opportunities.

$eople make different career choices, often based on their personal values. Fuestion =

aims to help you recognise and respond positively to learners in your groups whose

career preferences might be very different to your own.

The purpose of 1uestion is to make you aware that career development is about

giving learners publicly)understood ideas and concepts that they can use to e"plain

their needs, interests, values, etc. to the people around them who give them support.

You can usefully discuss the availability and the pluses and minuses of these different

careers patterns with your learners.

Career development and your Career transitions

$eople often need most help with their career development at times of transition in

their lives. You can use this activity to reflect on your previous career transitions and

to help you with your current and future ones.

Activity# 3sing the career development timeline sheet, think about your own career

and record key transitions e.g. age =H 7 left my /ob and took a year out to go

travelling. If you can, work with a partner and discuss the prompt 1uestions together.

*hen you have recorded your transitions, consider#

*hat career development support did you receive at the time, and from whom?

5ow helpful was this?

*hat career development would have been useful?

If you are doing this as part of a group, you could also discuss#

*ho had a good e"perience? *hy was it good?

*ho had a bad e"perience? *hy was it bad?

*ho had no interventions at all and how did they cope?

The idea behind this activity is to use your own e"perience of career development to

gain insights into your learners9 career development needs and how they can be met.

Timeline s!eet3sing the career development timeline sheet, think about your own career and record

key transitions e.g. age =H 7 left my /ob and took a year out to go travelling. If you

can, work with a partner and discuss the prompt 1uestions together. *hen you have

recorded your transitions, consider#


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*hat career development did you receive at the time, and from whom?

5ow helpful was this?

*hat career development would have been useful?

If you are doing this as part of a group, you could also discuss#

*ho had a good e"perience? *hy was it good?

*ho had a bad e"perience? *hy was it bad?

*ho had no interventions at all and how did you cope?

The idea behind this activity is to use your own e"perience of career development to

gain insights into your learners9 career development needs and how they can be met.


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#areer development needs o your learners

At different times in our lives we have different career development priorities. Think

about the career development needs of your learners %or one of your learner groups(.

&or e"ample, older learners may be re)appraising what they want and their options for

changing their lives. Those with disabilities or mental health issues may need

considerable help with work readiness and ad/ustment.

Activity# The Career development needs survey in this resource will help you assess

which career development tasks are priorities for your learners. ver the ne"t four

screens, you will start to think about the needs and priorities of your learners. You

will then be provided with some feedback.

elect !ne"t! to begin the survey.

Career 6evelopment -eeds urvey

:. If any of the statements below describes an important career development

need of many or most of your learners, click the button ne"t to it.

4any or some of my learners are#

a. an"ious and confused about what they want from their careers.

b. are ready to investigate suggested /ob ideas but need help to find useful andrelevant sources of information.

c. Are concerned about making the right decision for them.

d. 5ave thought about how their career choice will affect important relationships

in their lives.

e. -eed to be thinking about their interests and skills and the types of /obs where

they could make use of them.


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=. 2epeat the e"ercise with these other statements.

4any or some of my learners#

a. need help with thinking about their applications.

b. are looking to achieve work)life balance.

c. have unrealistic aspirations and e"pectations.

d. Are ready to make firm plans and work out the steps to achieve them.

e. Are thinking about how they will cope in the first days of a new /ob0course.

. 2epeat the e"ercise with these other statements.


a. need advice with how to compare one /ob0course with another.

b. lack confidence in their ability to take responsibility for managing their own

careers and achieving their goals.

c. are having to think about the financial planning side of things.

d. Are thinking about how to get on and what training they need now that they

have decided what they want to do.

e. Are at the stage of needing help to compare /ob0course opportunities0offers.

. 2epeat the e"ercise with these other statements.


a. are unaware how to recognise and challenge stereotyped thinking about

careers and work.

b. have not yet developed the self)presentation skills they need to make

successful presentations.

c. need help to evaluate /ob and course offers


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d. -eed to be thinking about how they will develop the ethics, values and

standards that go with the role %employee, student, craft)worker( they have

chosen.

e. -eed support to help them challenge and overcome their own stereotypes.

A-*'2

Sel%development

4aturing or self)development is a key dimension of career development. Young

people, for e"ample, need a level of maturity before they can test the realism of their

career ideas.

Young people and adults may suffer from low self)esteem and self)belief that causes

them to under)aspire and feel helpless. 8*omen returners9, for e"ample, seeking to re)

enter the labour market after a period of time out to raise a family may feel

particularly an"ious. Conversely, some individuals can have unrealistic e"pectations.

This can be an issue for learners with learning difficulties and disabilities.

earners may still need to clarify and deal with issues relating to personal identity

%especially how they see themselves in relation to work(. +eing clear about your

1ualities, skills, interests and values is a pre)condition of effective decision)making

and choice implementation.

Matc!ing

4atching is a short)term process carried out at a point in time and repeated at

subse1uent decision points. 4atching involves assessing an individual!s preferences

and strengths and matching them to different kinds of work that might suit them.

oftware has been developed so that learners can answer a 1uestionnaire and receive a

list of /ob suggestions based on a range of personality factors.

The value of this approach is in generating discussion rather than in providing black)

and)white answers about what the learner should choose. Computer programs are not

yet sophisticated enough to carry out matching of learners with additional needs such


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as those with mental health problems, e")offender status or refugee0asylum)seeker

issues.

earners may be close to a decision point and need to be using careers and labour

market information. 4atching is a pre)cursor to effective decision)making, but

learners may be in a situation where a decision is re1uired, for e"ample, the course is

coming to an end and you may need to find strategies to help those who are unready

to make a decision to start0re)enter work.

Ma,ing c!oices

4aking career decisions and carrying through these choices is an important and often

urgent career development task for young people. Career decision points are less

regular and fre1uent for adults and young adults who have left the formal education

system, but their occurrence may be unpredictable and severe e.g. redeployment,

redundancy, retirement and not forgetting promotion@

earners may be at the stage of marketing themselves, making applications, going for

interviews, evaluating offers and preparing to make an important transition in their

careers.

Adjusting to wor,

Ad/usting and adapting to work is a stage of career development that follows making

a decision. If a successful work ad/ustment cannot be made, an individual will

probably be plunged into a period of re)appraisal that will take them through other

career development tasks such as !*ho am I?!, !*hat suits me?! !*hat will I do?!

In the past, some staff in colleges could not see the point of career development for

learners who had made vocational choices, but not all careers today are single)track

and linearJ learners may still need help with planning their ne"t career move and they

also will benefit from help to establish themselves in work.

earners may continue to benefit from careers activities that promote positive

attitudes to work and training and e1uip them for work readiness. This can mean

developing their enterprise and employability skills, strengthening their work ethic,


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helping them to fit in at work, showing them how to hold on to a /ob and helping them

discover their sources of /ob satisfaction and career well)being.

2oles and 2esponsibilities in Career 6evelopment

A range of colleagues and partners have roles to play in ensuring the provision of

effective career development for your learners, including professional career guidance

specialists. This activity will help you understand how your contribution fits into the

bigger picture.

Activity# n the ne"t screen you will find a video wall of people working in the

learning and skills sector.

+y hovering over each image you can see the individual!s /ob title.

Choose three or four individuals whose roles are relevant to yours and watch their

videos by selecting the images.

As you watch the videos, open your notepad and keep a record of what they are

saying about their roles and responsibilities.


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-ow that you have watched the videos, open your notepad and write your response to

these 1uestions#

*hat formal and informal career development roles does your organisation have?

*hat insights into your role has this task given you in relation to career development?

2eview

It is now worth taking a closer look at how the perspectives of people of different

roles may apply in your organisation. ver the ne"t few pages we will ask you to

consider this further.

6epending on where you work in the sector, you probably identified individuals

and0or teams who take on formal responsibilities at three levels#

strategic management roles

day)to)day management roles

delivery roles.

elect !ne"t! to consider this further.

'veryone in your organisation can contribute to promoting a career development

culture amongst learners. -ote down key individuals in your organisation who

could promote such a culture and what they can do this.


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Governors and senior leaders to provide leadership, vision, strategy and resources,

e"pected to secure independent, impartial career development ) contributing to

social mobility0social /ustice.

Governors and senior leaders should recognise the value of career development

and understand impact on recruitment, retention, achievement, progression,

e1uality, diversity and fsted outcomes. They should work to promote career

development within their organisation and evaluate its effectiveness.

perational leaders0managers, may0may not be career development specialists.

Their role might include managing the career development curriculum, staff

development and day)to)day liaison with e"ternal careers services, employers and

schools.

pecialist delivery staff providing one)to)one support and group sessions.

Tutors0teachers and other staff providing the first level of career development )

knowing when0how to refer learners to more specialist sources of help.

2eview

6epending on your role, you have probably realised that the provision of career

development is a team effort involving staff in your own organisation and in other

agencies.

You need to be aware of your role in the provision of career development and your

responsibilities, as well as how this fits with other roles.

This involves knowing when and how to refer learners on to more specialised sources

of support internally and e"ternally %see 4odule for more on referrals(.

#areer development2 sel%assessment and O-ST)3

6oes your organisation pay attention to career development when doing self)

assessment?


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Continuous improvement in career development is the key to improving outcomes for

learners. ne of the /udgements made by fsted inspectors is the e"tent to which the

provision meets the needs and ensures the achievement of all learners and helps them

to progress into employment or further education and training. It is critical, therefore,

to involve learners, staff and employers in identifying0setting priorities for careerdevelopment, supporting its implementation and reviewing its impact.

&rom time to time, fsted carry out thematic surveys of career development for young

people. !4oving through the system! %=>:>( can be found under !2elated resources!. A

survey report on career guidance for young people is due to be published in Kuly =>:.


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NEXT STEPS

-ow you!ve had an opportunity to consider what career development is and why it is

important as well as considering the needs of your learners, how has your

understanding of the career development tasks that your learners should engage inchanged?

5ow far does the current career development provision for your learners meet their

needs?

5ow effective is the provision?

5ow does the provision need to be developed and improved?

3se the notepad feature to make notes about these and any other issues you!d like to

return to later.

In 4odule =, we will discuss the insights derived from career theory that will help you

consider what kinds of practical steps you could take that would really make a

difference to the career development of your learners.

$lanning your learning from this resource

Activity# You should now know enough about careers, the career development needs

of your learners and the limits and potential of your current role to plan your learning

from this course, so the ne"t activity will help you plan your route through this

resource. The modules can be followed in four ways#

hort course ) work through the core modules %:)( and gain the certificate ofcompletion.

ong course ) work through the core modules %including the certificate of completion(

plus the additional modules.

A !pick and mi"! approach ) browse through the modules and focus on those that are

of particular interest to you.

A thematic approach ) work through some or all of the modules by following

particular themes which determine the se1uence and order in which you look at them.

elect the bo"es ne"t to your chosen options on the following screens to complete the

diagnostic activity and help plan your route through the resource.

$age H ) :>

ummary

In this module, you have#


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learned about the resource and considered how you can make online learning work for

you

thought about the meaning of !career! and how different metaphors can illuminate

what careers are all about

reflected on the pattern of your own career and how talking about career patterns can

benefit your learnerscompleted a career development needs survey to focus your thinking on the career

development tasks that are most relevant to your learners now

heard people talking about their roles in CIAG so that you are in a better position to

understand the contributions that are re1uired from everyone to improve CIAG for

learners

used the diagnostic to plan your route through the core and optional modules.

In the ne"t module, you will#

find out about the theories, models and frameworks that underpin effective CIAG

practice.

To access another module, return to the tart screen by selecting the '"it activity link

above, then select tart.

Module 4: T!eories and Models.

verview

ike teaching and learning, careers work is underpinned by theory. This moduleintroduces you to five careers theories. They will help you choose interventions that

will be most beneficial for your learners.

*e will also introduce you to !the +lueprint! ) a framework of career development

competencies ) which you can use to describe the outcomes that you are seeking for

your learners. 4odule := is dedicated to the +lueprint and provides opportunities to

use the +lueprint fully and consider ways of using it with learners.

If you have a role in teaching or tutoring, we will also show you two models that will

make it easier for you to embed career learning and development activities in your

work.

&inally, in this module you will e"plore theethical standards that apply to all

practitioners when assisting learners with their career development.

Aims and b/ectives of this module

Aim

To develop your appreciation of theories, models and frameworks as the basis of

effective practice in career development.


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b/ectives

+y the end of this module, you will be able to#

e"plain the thinking that underpins effective career development teaching approaches

identify the theory)based and ethical practice needed in your organisation to provideeffective career development

identify the role of the +lueprint framework in supporting career development

find further information from a range of sources

identify effective practice models for embedding career development in your

organisation.

In 4odule :, you considered whether the career development needs of your learners

are focused on#

maturingmatching

making choices

ad/usting to the workplace.

Theories help us understand the dimensions of career development. ne theory may

suit a purpose better than another, but no single theory gives you the whole picture

which is why we draw on different theories to make sense of our work in career

development.

Activity# *e have included information on five types of careers theories in this

module. +efore you look at these we would like you to open your online notepad and

/ot down two or three points about what you e"pect or want from a careers theory.

elect !2elated 2esources! to read our comments on this activity.

)hat I e%pect from a $areers theory*

To be relevant and practical

To point out the client+s weaknesses or barriers

To point out strategies for helping the client overcome his weaknesses or barriers.

Answers to the Fuestion#

As a busy practitioner, you probably want to know that thinking about theory is time

well spent@ The aim of this activity is to help you see the point of engaging with

theory, research and evidence)based practice. ur commentary on careers theories is

that they need to be#

accessible i.e. easy to follow and without using obscure terminology


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applicable to a wide range of people in the learning and skills sector

empirically tested i.e. have the backing of research L in this resource we have

focused on established theories supported by a considerable body of research and

emerging theories where a growing number of studies have been published

relevant and practical L some theoretical approaches re1uire a heavy investment

in staffing, training and time which makes them impractical for learning providers

to use

persuasive and to have wide e"planatory value L theories that are most useful

give us a new understanding of our learners and the career development process,

and help to guide us to act in a concise and easy to follow way.

&ive ey theories

These H key theories will be useful to you in supporting your learner9s career learning

and development.

ocial Cognitive Career theory

The emphasis is how individuals see their ability to get things done %known as 8self)

efficacy9( and their view of future e"pectations.

Constructivist Career theory

In this theory, individuals are seen as active builders of their own careers. They do

this with the support of other people who help them structure their career learning and

make sense of their own careers.

Career 4atching theory

This approach takes the view that individuals have different work personalities which

can be matched to /obs which suit them and so increase their career or /ob satisfaction.

Careership decision)making theory

This theory e"plains that the way that people actually make their career decisions is

different from the way that they are supposed to make them. In practice, they do not

make completely rational decisions with all the information they need at their

fingertips@ 3nderstanding how decisions are really made is the way to help learners

make better career decisions.


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*ork ad/ustment theory

This theory consists of a series of propositions about how people secure their /obs and

make progress in them.

ooking for the right careers theory

The ne"t step is to find out more about each of these approaches.

n the following screens, you will find a comparison of the theories, under the

headings#

ummary

+ig ideas ) what the theory!s !big ideas! are

'"planations ) what the e"planatory value of the theory is

$ractical implications ) how the theory can be applied in practice

You can also download a chart containing this information in the !2elated resources!

area.

Comparison chart

Name oftheory

Social cognitie career theory !SCCT"

S#mmary SCCT is based on the ideas of Albert Bandura by Lent,

Brown and Hackett (1994! "t builds on de#elo$%ental,constructi#ist and %atchin& careers theory!

$ig i%eas Self'efficacy how well indi#iduals think they can deal withdifficult tasks and the effect this has on their beha#iour!

)utco%e e*$ectations what indi#iduals belie#e is likely

to ha$$en to the%!

+ersonal &oals indi#iduals chan&e their actions and

beha#iour so that they can achie#e the &oals they ha#e setthe%sel#es!

E&planations

Self'efficacy is %ore i%$ortant than interests, #alues and

abilities in e*$lainin& career choice and often %orei%$ortant than outco%e e*$ectations!

"ndi#iduals with a low sense of self'efficacy lack$ersistence and resilience!

Success sha$es interest and stren&thens outco%e

e*$ectations throu&h i%$ro#ed $erfor%ance!

+ersonal and back&round factors (such as &ender,

ethnicity, L-- and $arental influence affect learnin& and$erfor%ance!

Practicalimplications

"nter#entions that hel$ indi#iduals raise the le#el of their

belief in their own effecti#eness and stren&then$ersistence.resilience are worthwhile!

"ndi#iduals need to be &i#en o$$ortunities to succeed!

Actions.inter#entions to influence and control the i%$act of


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back&round factors (such as en&a&in& with $arents.carers,challen&in& stereoty$es, raisin& as$irations will ha#e a$ositi#e i%$act on choice and $erfor%ance!

/akin& e*$licit the $rocesses that are ha$$enin& (such as

low self'efficacy beliefs, low outco%e e*$ectations and

barriers in the o$$ortunity structure hel$s &rou$s such aswo%en and %inorities to challen&e and $ersist!

Access to hi&h'0uality careers infor%ation can hel$ to

re%o#e barriers to career e*$loration!

Comments

Name oftheory

Constr#ctiist career theory

S#mmary /ark Sa#ickas et al.(212 ha#e de#elo$ed a newa$$roach that focuses on hel$in& $eo$le to use careerconstructs to desi&n their li#es!

$ig i%eas Constructs "ndi#iduals construct their own realities!

+ersonal a&ency "ndi#iduals are acti#e a&ents in buildin&

their careers!

3arrati#es.stories "ndi#iduals use their life stories, and

es$ecially their early %e%ories, to understand andad#ance their career narrati#e!

Life desi&n Life desi&n is %ore i%$ortant than

occu$ational choice!E&planations

"ndi#iduals %ake $ro&ress in de#elo$in& their careers

when teachers, ad#isers, trusted adults and $eersstructure learnin& o$$ortunities for the% by %akin& iteasier for indi#iduals to build on what they already knowabout careers (known as scaffoldin&5 and to assi%ilatenew learnin&!

Hel$in& indi#iduals to learn in this way is not about

i%$osin& one $erson5s #iew$oint but about #alidatin&different world #iews!

The $ur$ose of career de#elo$%ent is to hel$ indi#iduals

understand their own careers!Practicalimplications

Co'o$erati#e, acti#e.e*$eriential and $roble%'sol#in&

learnin& a$$roaches $ro#ide rich, o$en'ended acti#itiesthat $ro%ote dee$er career learnin&!

Hel$in& learners to tell their own story is a $owerful way of

hel$in& the% to think about the $lace of work in their li#esnow and in the future!

Comments


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Name oftheory

'atching theory

S#mmary The classic #iew of %atchin& is fittin& round $e&s into

round holes! Since +arsons (1929 first e*$lained his

a$$roach to %atchin& indi#iduals to 6obs, %atchin& hasbeco%e %uch %ore so$histicated, es$ecially with thea$$lication of "CT!

The %ost widely'de#elo$ed a$$roach is that of 7ohn

Holland (1998 who identified a way of classifyin&$ersonality ty$es and the work en#iron%ents that wouldsuit the%!

$ig i%eas /atchin& Ad#isers assess the needs, interests, #alues

and $references of the indi#idual usin& a suitable0uestionnaire or by inter#iew and %atch the $rofile a&ainst

6obs (or courses or leisure acti#ities that ha#e been codeda&ainst the factors!

E&planations

/atchin& indi#iduals to work en#iron%ents is likely to

increase indi#iduals5 e*$erience of career satisfaction andsuccess!


sin& %atchin& $ro&ra%s with indi#iduals who lack

%aturity and readiness is unreliable!

/atchin& $ro&ra%s are useful for hel$in& indi#iduals with

few ideas of their own or who are not able to articulatetheir own ideas clearly!

"ndi#iduals chan&e as they &row, so it is best not to rely on

old results.$rintouts but to carry out a fresh assess%ent!

7obs are chan&in& ra$idly so the assu%$tions built into the

way 6obs are coded %ay not be entirely accurate!

"ndi#iduals who ha#e had a lot of rele#ant e*$erience to

infor% their res$onses will &et a better result!

/atchin& is a one'off acti#ity and, therefore, not a suitable

foundation for a de#elo$%ental careers $ro&ra%%e!

Comments

Name oftheory

Careership %ecision(ma)ing

S#mmary +hil Hodkinson et al.stheory of careershi$ (229 is about

career decision'%akin& and career $ro&ression!

$ig i%eas Hori:ons for action +eo$le5s decisions are bounded by

what is $ossible for the%, i!e! what they know about, whatis culturally $er%issible!

Habitus (taken fro% Bourdieu +eo$le aren5t 6ust

influenced by the labour %arket, they are dee$lyinfluenced by their own dis$ositions the habitus which


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is dee$ly en&rained but can and does chan&e o#er ti%e!

Social and cultural ca$ital These are the #aluable

reser#es or resources that affect indi#iduals5 choices!Social ca$ital refers to the &rou$s that the indi#idual isconnected to and their social networks! Cultural ca$ital

refers to any fa%ily, educational or class ad#anta&es thatbenefit the indi#idual!

E&planations

Career decision'%akin& is neither co&niti#e nor rational in

the way that is often assu%ed! "t is %essy5 and always$ra&%atically rational5!

Career $ro&ression is not linear it is stron&ly influenced

by actions, e#ents and circu%stances that lie beyond theindi#idual5s control!

"ndi#iduals are acti#e a&ents in choosin& and constructin&

their careers but they often do so in &endered and classed

ways! "ndi#iduals e*ert a stron& influence on their own hori:ons

for action by dint of their dis$ositions!

-ecisions are based on $artial rather than full and

i%$artial infor%ation!


;ou need knowled&e of the indi#idual and the indi#idual

needs self'knowled&e to e*tend the indi#idual5s hori:onsfor action!


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status, altruis%, safety and autono%y! =ork satisfactionand tenure will be &ood if the or&anisation su$$orts the$attern of #alues that the indi#idual holds!

$ig i%eas Satisfaction The indi#idual5s le#el of satisfaction de$ends

on how well their needs are %et by the 6ob!

Satisfactoriness How satisfactory an e%$loyee theindi#idual is de$ends on how well their abilities %eet there0uire%ents of the 6ob!

E&planations

"ndi#iduals seek corres$ondence (i!e! a har%onious

relationshi$ with their work en#iron%ent!

"f the indi#idual5s abilities corres$ond to the ability

re0uire%ents of the 6ob the indi#idual will be satisfied andsatisfactory to the e%$loyer!

Si%ilarly, if the needs and #alues of the indi#idual

corres$ond with the $attern of rewards in the 6ob then the

indi#idual will be satisfied! -issatisfaction or lack of corres$ondence between the

indi#idual or the en#iron%ent tri&&ers work ad6ust%ent,e!&! $ro%otion, rede$loy%ent, redundancy!


"ndi#iduals need to learn a ran&e of strate&ies to %aintain

corres$ondence, e!&! how to chan&e the re0uire%ents ofthe work en#iron%ent, learn new work skills, rea$$raisetheir needs, show $ersistence.resilience!

"ndi#iduals at the occu$ational choice sta&e should %atch

the%sel#es to the ability re0uire%ents of the 6ob and the

#alue $atterns in the 6ob to see if they are con&ruent withthe abilities and #alues held by the indi#idual!

Comments

Activity# ver the ne"t four screens, read about and compare the different aspects of

the five theories. pen your notepad and make notes about how useful and applicable

you find the theories in your conte"t.

Compare the summaries of the H career theories below.


CCT is based on the ideas of Albert +andura by ent, +rown and 5ackett

%:;;(. It builds on developmental, constructivist and matching careers theory.


4ark avickas et al.%=>:>( have developed a new approach that focuses on

helping people to use career constructs to design their lives.


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The classic view of matching is fitting round pegs into round holes. ince

$arsons %:;>;( first e"plained his approach to matching individuals to /obs,

matching has become much more sophisticated, especially with the application

of ICT.

The most widely)developed approach is that of Kohn 5olland %:;;B( who

identified a way of classifying personality types and the work environments

that would suit them.


$hil 5odkinson et al.+stheory of careership %=>>;( is about career decision)

making and career progression.


This theory identifies a series of variables that can be used to e"plain and

predict the satisfaction of individuals with their /obs and the satisfactoriness of

individuals in their /obs.

6awis M of1uist %:;


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4atching 7 Advisers assess the needs, interests, values and preferences of the

individual using a suitable 1uestionnaire or by interview and match the profile

against /obs %or courses or leisure activities( that have been coded against the

factors.


5oriNons for action 7 $eople9s decisions are bounded by what is possible for

them, i.e. what they know about, what is culturally permissible.

5abitus %taken from +ourdieu( 7 $eople aren9t /ust influenced by the labour

market, they are deeply influenced by their own dispositions 7 the habitus 7

which is deeply engrained but can and does change over time.

ocial and cultural capital 7 These are the valuable reserves or resources that

affect individuals9 choices. ocial capital refers to the groups that the

individual is connected to and their social networks. Cultural capital refers to

any family, educational or class advantages that benefit the individual.


atisfaction 7 The individual9s level of satisfaction depends on how well their

needs are met by the /ob.

atisfactoriness 7 5ow satisfactory an employee the individual is depends on

how well their abilities meet the re1uirements of the /ob.

Compare the '"planations of the H career theories below.


elf)efficacy is more important than interests, values and abilities in

e"plaining career choiceJ and often more important than outcome

e"pectations.

Individuals with a low sense of self)efficacy lack persistence and resilience.

uccess shapes interest and strengthens outcome e"pectations through

improved performance.

$ersonal and background factors %such as gender, ethnicity, 66 and parentalinfluence( affect learning and performance.


Individuals make progress in developing their careers when teachers, advisers,

trusted adults and peers structure learning opportunities for them by making it

easier for individuals to build on what they already know about careers

%known as 8scaffolding9( and to assimilate new learning.

5elping individuals to learn in this way is not about imposing one person9s

viewpoint but about validating different world views.


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The purpose of career development is to help individuals understand their own

careers.


4atching individuals to work environments is likely to increase individuals9e"perience of career satisfaction and success.


Career decision)making is neither cognitive nor rational in the way that is

often assumed. It is 8messy9 and always 8pragmatically rational9.

Career progression is not linear 7 it is strongly influenced by actions, events

and circumstances that lie beyond the individual9s control.

Individuals are active agents in choosing and constructing their careers butthey often do so in gendered and classed ways.

Individuals e"ert a strong influence on their own horiNons for action by dint of

their dispositions.

6ecisions are based on partial rather than full and impartial information.


Individuals seek correspondence %i.e. a harmonious relationship( with their

work environment.

If the individual9s abilities correspond to the ability re1uirements of the /ob theindividual will be satisfied and satisfactory to the employer.

imilarly, if the needs and values of the individual correspond with the pattern

of rewards in the /ob then the individual will be satisfied.

6issatisfaction or lack of correspondence between the individual or the

environment triggers work ad/ustment, e.g. promotion, redeployment,

redundancy.

Compare the $ractical Implications of the H career theories below.


Interventions that help individuals raise the level of their belief in their own

effectiveness and strengthen persistence0resilience are worthwhile.

Individuals need to be given opportunities to succeed.

Actions0interventions to influence and control the impact of background

factors %such as engaging with parents0carers, challenging stereotypes, raising

aspirations( will have a positive impact on choice and performance.

4aking e"plicit the processes that are happening %such as low self)efficacy

beliefs, low outcome e"pectations and barriers in the opportunity structure(

helps groups such as women and minorities to challenge and persist.

Access to high)1uality careers information can help to remove barriers tocareer e"ploration.


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Co)operative, active0e"periential and problem)solving learning approaches

provide rich, open)ended activities that promote deeper career learning.

5elping learners to tell their own story is a powerful way of helping them tothink about the place of work in their lives now and in the future.


3sing matching programs with individuals who lack maturity and readiness is

unreliable.

4atching programs are useful for helping individuals with few ideas of their

own or who are not able to articulate their own ideas clearly.

Individuals change as they grow, so it is best not to rely on old

results0printouts but to carry out a fresh assessment. Kobs are changing rapidly so the assumptions built into the way /obs are coded

may not be entirely accurate.

Individuals who have had a lot of relevant e"perience to inform their

responses will get a better result.

4atching is a one)off activity and, therefore, not a suitable foundation for a

developmental careers programme.


You need knowledge of the individual and the individual needs self)knowledge to e"tend the individual9s horiNons for action.

'"tending a person9s horiNons for action is a long)term pro/ect which cannot

be accomplished overnight. -ot helped by turning career development on and

off.

*e need to personalise careers information and help individuals become

smarter in their use of it.

*e need to increase the individual9s sense of personal agency and their ability

to construct their own career narrative.

*e need to be aware of the limitations of career development while at the

same time seeking to e"tend its impact by creating synergies between career

development and other practical and learning interventions.


Individuals need to learn a range of strategies to maintain correspondence, e.g.

how to change the re1uirements of the work environment, learn new work

skills, reappraise their needs, show persistence0resilience.

Individuals at the occupational choice stage should match themselves to the

ability re1uirements of the /ob and the value patterns in the /ob to see if they

are congruent with the abilities and values held by the individual.


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Compare the various aspects of the H career theories below.






Comments on the activity

4atching theory and work ad/ustment theory are similar in that they are both

concerned with person)environment fitJ but whereas matching theory places a greater

emphasis on vocational choice, work ad/ustment theory emphasises vocational

ad/ustment.

Constructivism, career decision)making theory and social cognitive career theory all

focus on a person!s ability to make things happen for themselves, personal

!constructions! and the influence of social interactions on how individuals see

themselves. They have a holistic view of the individual so they place career decision)

making within the conte"t of a person!s life as a whole.

You will probably have noted differences of emphasis# constructivism emphasises

lifelong career development, career decision)making theory attempts to e"plain how

career decisions are really made and social cognitive career theory underlines the

central importance of self)efficacy.

ther Theories

You may well come across other careers theories as you discover more about career

development. The same headings used to analyse the five main theories presented

here can be used to evaluate their relevance. The following screens show you another

two careers theories that you will encounter in your work#

happenstance, or accident, theory ) This is the !dodgem car! theory of careers. You can

be driving where you want to go and then someone bumps into you and sends you

careering off in another direction@

opportunity structure theory ) This is a sociological theory that argues that individual

career choice is constrained by social determinants based on gender, ethnicity andsocial class.


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5ow helpful are these theories? They look at factors beyond an individual!s control

such as chance events %happenstance( and social structures which strongly impact on

what people can do %opportunity structures(. 5ow do these ideas affect your

attachment to the previous group of theories we looked at?

5appenstance Theory

ummary

Individuals can create and benefit from accidental or chance events in their lives

%8happenstance9 is a term that refers to 8things that /ust happen9(. Kohn rumboltN is

associated with this idea that unpredictable factors such as conditions in education and

labour markets can influence people9s plan and decisions.

+ig Ideas

2esponding to happenstance in a planned way supports purposeful career e"ploration.

'"planation

$ractical Implications

pportunity tructure Theory

ummary

+ig Ideas

'"planation

$ractical Implications

ciag - work and assignments

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