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Use career assessment instruments with clients with barriers to
employment
Level
5
Credits
8
Purpose
People credited with this unit standard are able to: provide a safe career
assessment environment for clients with barriers to employment; provide for
the needs of clients with barriers to employment in the career assessment
process; select and adapt career assessment instruments to match the
needs of clients with barriers to employment; use and interpret career
assessment instruments with clients with barriers to employment; and review
the career assessment process for clients with barriers to employment.
Subfield
Career Practice
Domain
Career Assessment and Measurement
Status
Registered
Status date
20 November 2009
Date version published
20 November 2009
Planned review date
31 December 2013
Entry information
Open.
Accreditation
Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA and
industry.
Standard setting body (SSB)
The Skills Organisation
Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference
0121
This AMAP can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Special notes
1
Definitions
Assessment refers to vocational assessment which is a structured process for
gathering information about an individual in order to make career related decisions or
plans. The principal concepts of assessment in this context are: it is focused on
individuals, it involves an information collection process, and it leads to a careerrelated decision or plan.
Barriers to employment may include but not limited to: physical disability, mental
disability, intellectual disability, learning impairment, low functional literacy in English,
long-term unemployed, injury or illness.
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Career refers to the wide range of occupational, family, civic, and political roles which
individuals will undertake throughout their adult lives. It includes paid employment,
self-employment, unpaid work, multiple jobbing, entrepreneurial enterprise, homebased enterprise, study as an adult, and unemployment. A career is a
developmental and lifelong process.
Client refers to people receiving a career related service who may be individuals or
groups associated with employment, education, or training, or in some cases may be
an organisation.
Ethical practice refers to the code of practice as defined in the constitution of an
established career practice association, for example, the Career Practitioner
Association of New Zealand.
Needs, in the context of this unit standard, are those relating to gender, culture,
Māori, ethnicity, age, religion, philosophy, learning, disability, socio-economic group,
career options, language.
2
Legislation relevant to this unit standard includes but is not limited to the: Privacy Act
1993, Human Rights Act 1993, Fair Trading Act 1986.
Elements and performance criteria
Element 1
Provide a safe career assessment environment for clients with barriers to employment.
Performance criteria
1.1
The environment reflects the needs of the clients with barriers to employment.
Range
1.2
sufficient space, suitable access, cultural requirements, food,
drink, time-frame, personal space, non-verbal cues.
The language used in the interaction with clients with barriers to employment is
in accordance with their needs.
Element 2
Provide for the needs of clients with barriers to employment in the career assessment
process.
Performance criteria
2.1
The physical and emotional needs of clients with barriers to employment are
met in the assessment process.
Range
2.2
provision includes but is not limited to – greeting, welcome,
encouragement, identification of background of all parties.
The purpose and proposed outcomes of the career assessment process are
established with clients with barriers to employment in terms of the limitations of
the activity, expectations, time constraints, and their needs.
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2.3
The interaction with clients with barriers to employment includes the appropriate
use of active listening, questioning techniques, and body language.
2.4
The approach used in the career assessment process with clients with barriers
to employment meets their personal and cultural needs.
Range
approach includes but is not limited to – establishment of
commonalities, non-judgmental attitudes, respect of person,
respect for boundaries, welcoming and caring environment, use of
touch, active listening.
2.5
Profile of clients with barriers to employment is identified in accordance with
age, gender, ethnicity, disabilities, and socio-economic group.
2.6
Queries and/or questions are responded to in accordance with the needs of
clients with barriers to employment.
2.7
The procedures of the administration process are explained to clients with
barriers to employment in accordance with their needs.
Element 3
Select and adapt career assessment instruments to match the needs of clients with
barriers to employment.
Performance criteria
3.1
Career assessment instruments selected are in accordance with the identified
purpose of the assessment and the profile of clients with barriers to
employment.
3.2
The rationale of instrument choice is described in accordance with the purpose
of the assessment, and the advantages and benefits to clients with barriers to
employment.
3.3
Career assessment instruments are adapted as required in accordance with
identified needs of clients with barriers to employment.
Element 4
Use and interpret career assessment instruments with clients with barriers to employment.
Performance criteria
4.1
The explanation of the purpose and procedures for administration of the career
assessment instruments selected are in accordance with the needs of clients
with barriers to employment.
4.2
Analysis of outcomes identifies significant items for interpretation in accordance
with the needs of clients with barriers to employment.
Range
interpretation avoids the use of stereotypes and rigidity.
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4.3
The explanation to clients with barriers to employment acknowledges the
limitations of the instrument, the interpretation of outcomes, and their
subsequent impact on career-related decisions.
Range
4.4
explanation avoids use of stereotypes, and rigidity.
Assistance to clients with barriers to employment in prioritising preferences
meets the needs of the client.
Element 5
Review the career assessment process for clients with barriers to employment.
Range
the review may be self or peer.
Performance criteria
5.1
Feedback from clients with barriers to employment is used to evaluate the
outcome of the career assessment process in terms of the established purpose.
5.2
Review confirms whether the outcomes of the career assessment process meet
the stated purpose and the needs of clients with barriers to employment.
5.3
The review of the career assessment process examines the feedback of clients
with barriers to employment in terms of their needs.
5.4
The review of the career assessment process examines adherence to ethical
practice in accordance with legislation and relevant codes of conduct.
Please note
Providers must be accredited by NZQA, or an inter-institutional body with delegated
authority for quality assurance, before they can report credits from assessment against
unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be accredited by NZQA before they can register
credits from assessment against unit standards.
Accredited providers and Industry Training Organisations assessing against unit standards
must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Accreditation requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this
standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The
AMAP also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations
wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for
tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Comments on this unit standard
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Please contact The Skills Organisation info@skills.org.nz if you wish to suggest changes
to the content of this unit standard.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016