Career Development Series
An Introduction to the Four Career Units
Introduction to the Career
Development Series
• These 4 units were developed in conjunction with
Brolin’s (1997) 4 stages of career development. Each
unit addresses one of these stages and builds toward
the next unit.
• This series will help teachers develop and implement a
quality career development program, in the classroom
and beyond.
• The 4 units, using Brolin’s stages are::
1)Career Awareness (elementary/middle school)
2)Career Exploration (middle school)
3)Career Preparation (high school)
4)Career Assimilation (high school)
Note: These units can be adapted for older students if they
have not yet been exposed to careers or taught this
information. They still need the early experiences and
exposure, but at an age-appropriate level—keep the
experiences but “modify” the style.
The Career Development
Stages
Career
Development
Career
Awareness
Career
Exploration
Career
Preparation
Career
Exploration
What is a job versus a
career?
What skills do I need
to help me succeed in
a career?
What are my 1-2
preferred interests
and how can I prepare
for them?
What specific skills,
experiences, training,
and abilities will I
need to be successful
in my career choice?
How can I make sure
that I am successful
and happy in my
chosen career?
Career Awareness
Level One:
Career Awareness
Career Exploration
Career Preparation
Career Assimilation
• Critical Knowledge and Skills:
– Exposure to why people need and want
to work; contributions to lifestyle and life
choices
– Exposure to a wide range of careers and
jobs across the Occupational Outlook
Handbook 10 career categories
– Exposure to work expectations,
education/training skill requirements,
and social/communication skills
Career Awareness
Level Two:
Career Exploration
Career Exploration
Career Development
Career Assimilation
• Critical Knowledge and Skills:
– Job shadowing and trial work experiences to
narrow career choices from 4 to 1 or 2
preferred careers
– Matching career requirements with personal
abilities, skills, aptitudes, and preferred
lifestyle; assessing careers for “best-match”
– Developing a plan to meet requirements and
achieve a “best match” career; continuing
and extending the work experience to
ensure that this “best match” reflects stable
interests and skills
Career Awareness
Level Three:
Career Preparation
Career Exploration
Career Preparation
Career Assimilation
• Critical Knowledge and Skills:
– Narrowing and confirmation of one career
field; student may still explore a range of
positions within this field
– Increasing work experience opportunities to
prepare for full-time work in the community;
include vocational rehabilitation services as
needed
– Refine interviewing and job seeking skills for
work experience positions, and develop job
maintenance skills and social/communication
skills to keep one’s position
– Identify potential career advancement and
self-advocacy opportunities and strategies
Level Four:
Career Assimilation
Career Awareness
Career Exploration
Career Development
Career Assimilation
• Critical Knowledge and Skills:
– Implementation of job seeking, interviewing,
and related skills to locate and obtain a job of
choice, in a location of choice
– Ongoing match of work conditions and
environment with personal lifestyle preferences
and needs; use of problem-solving skills and
employment resources (including vocational
rehabilitation) if needed
– Participation in work culture and employee
activities, on and off-the-job, to support
satisfaction between career and worker
Understanding by Design
• The book “Understanding by Design”
by Wiggins and McTighe lays out a
framework for planning curriculum
• Their process is called “backward
design” because unlike most
planning, the teacher begins with the
results (the standards or goals to be
accomplished) and then develops the
curriculum to fit these standards and
the students’ needs.
• We have used this framework to
design these units.
3 Stages of Backward Design
• Stage 1: Identify desired results
– Determine the standards (national, state, and
district) that you want accomplished
– Determine unit goals
– Be sure to take into consideration the
students’ strengths and needs
• Stage 2: Determine acceptable evidence
– Use the 6 Facets of Understanding to create
assessment items
– This will allow for a variety of assessments of
the students’ knowledge, not just a “test” at the
end of the unit
• Stage 3: Plan learning experiences and
instruction
– Instructional activities can be developed using
the standards, goals, and facets already
determined as a guideline
Resources for Teachers
• America’s Career Info Net – Informed Career Decisions
– www.acinet.org/acinet/default.asp
• Becker, R. L. (2000). Reading-Free Vocational Interest
Inventory: 2 (R-FVII:2). Columbus, OH: Elbern
Publications.
• South Central Career Information System - Developing
a Career Portfolio:
– http://www.sccis.org/main/educators/lessonplans1.ht
m
•
•
•
Education World – ways to incorporate career education into
classroom activities
– http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson160.shtm
Quintessential Careers: Your Job Search Starts Here
– http://www.quintcareers.com/
Career Development and Employment – Making Career
Decisions
– http://www.vuw.ac.nz/st_services/careers/career_developm
ent/making_decisions.html
Resource – Department of Labor
• Job market and state activities at:
http://www.dol.gov/
• Bureau of Labor Statistics is a related
link with national and state data at:
http://www.bls.gov/home.htm
• Occupational Outlook Handbook and
it’s 10 career categories at:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm
• Dictionary of Occupational Titles and
its 9 career categories at:
http://www.occupationalinfo.org/conte
nts.html
Resource - NAVESNP
• The National Association of Vocational
Education Special Needs Personnel
(NAVESNP)
http://www.specialpopulations.org/
– An association designed for individuals
involved in career, vocational, and special
needs education. The members serve
students with disabilities as well as other
non-traditional students.
– As a member, NAVESNP provides
professional development, products, and
networking among professionals.
– Membership also includes three issues of
the Journal for Vocational Special Needs
Education as well as other regional
newsletters.
Resource - NCSET
• The National Center on
Secondary Education and
Transition is organized through
the University of Minnesota.
They have a variety of transition
information:
http://www.ncset.org/.
• NCSET unveiled a new website
focused on students and using a
“student friendly” format:
http://www.youthhood.org/youth
hood/index.asp
Resource – Choicemaker Series
• The Choicemaker Series is a set of books and
videos that introduce students into finding their
strengths, skills, and limitations. It also gives
them the opportunity to create goals they can
accomplish in a variety of areas in their lives.
• A website is now available at:
http://web.uccs.edu/education/special/self_deter
mination/cmcr_curriculum.html
• One section of Choicemaker focuses on
“Employment Goals”
• Below are some worksheets from the “Choosing
Employment Goals” workbook
Resource – Choicemaker Series…
•
Choice Maker Worksheets (that support unit activities)
– Aides in students narrowing career choices
• Subjects I Like #1
• Subjects I Like #2
• Subjects I like #3
– Helps students analyze study/work habits
• Study Habits
• Study Habits Log
• School Work Habits and Academic Skills #1
• School Work Habits and Academic Skills #2
– Helps students create a career path for the future
• Timeline
– Helps students prioritize goals
• Choosing General Goals
– Helps students rate themselves and compare to an employer’s
ratings
• Work, Social, and Personal Skills
• Job Duties: How I Did Worksheet
• Job Duties: How I Did Worksheet #2
– Helps students organize their required coursework needed for
graduation/career path
• Graduation Checklist
References
•
Brolin, D. E. (1997). Life centered career education: A competency
based approach. Reston, VA: The Council for Exceptional Children.
•
Luft, P. & Koch, L. (2005). “Career Development: Theories for
Transition Planning”. Transition Planning for Secondary Students
with Disabilities. Columbus, OH: Prentice Hall. 83-108.
•
Marshall, L. H., Martin J. E., Maxson L. & Jerman P. (1997)
Choicemaker: Self Determination Curriculum, Choosing Employment
Goals. Longmount, CO: Sopris West
•
Ohio Department of Education. “Academic Content Standards.” 2004.
http://www.ode.state.oh.us/academic_content_standards/
•
U.S. Department of Labor. 2005. http://www.dol.gov/
•
Wiggins, G. & McTigue, J. (1998). Understanding by Design.
Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development