Career development and exploitation should start from a young age in order to reduce the gap between education and the workforce. To attain this milestone, then it is important to initiate career development curriculums in elementary and middle schools in order to increase career awareness among students as well as helping them develop comprehensive and effective plans to attain their career objectives. School counselors play a vital role in the success of career development programs because they are supposed to develop programs which are holistic and that employ different developmental theories in order to meet the unique needs of clients. In addition to this, career development programs must be guided by ASCA standards, state standards, and the state’s drive to 55 initiative in order to attain successful career development programs.
Elementary and Middle School Career Development Program
Career exploration should start at an early age, where children in elementary and middle school start to think about career development. It is important to start the conversation at an early age in order to get the students ready for what they need to do in order to attain educational accomplishment and performance level required to attain career and personal objectives. According to Pulliam & Bartek (2018), career development programs are significant because they kick start the drive among students who will develop a plan that is needed to attain set objectives. With a well-developed career development program, students are able to start thinking about and planning their future from a relatively young age. Career development programs should be initiated in elementary and middle school. A successful career development program ought to focus on these demographics since identify development is key to the career development of students (JPMorgan Chase & Co., 2016). Identity development at this stage should focus on a number of key aspects, including career exploration, dedication, and reassessment and provides some consequences for career interventions. For example, students in the fifth grade can be introduced to a career development program that offers them with hands-on activities and also rotates them through different career major modules which are key in career exploration and awareness. The career development programs should be tailored in a way that ensures they meet the needs of the students at different stages of intellectual development. For instance, when students are in the eighth grade, then they should be exposed to hands-on knowledge concerning non-traditional and traditional career fields. Offering quality information at this stage is particularly key because students are transitioning into high school. This information will consequently be essential in enabling the students to make informed decisions concerning their personal career academic plan (Pulliam, & Bartek, 2018). Students in elementary school may be exposed to career connection camps which offer an interactive educational experience that increases their awareness in their quest of career development. In order to get the students prepared for their future careers, then it is important to implement career development programs which will help expose students to hands-on knowledge and activities that increase awareness and exposure to different career modules that will inform their desired career paths (JPMorgan Chase & Co., 2016). In addition to this, implementing career development programs in elementary and middle school will offer students with the skills and training necessary at the high school levels for these students to be competitive and successful within the workforce.
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Developmental Theory
Development theory is key in career development because they help mold an individual’s career identity from childhood through their entire life. There are numerous career development theories that may be applied to career development; however, no sole development theory is wide-ranging, as such, and career counselors need to be conscious of every theory’s strong points, restrictions, and biases (Patton & McMahon, 2014). For example, most developmental models are restricted in that women, minorities, as well as social and economic diversity, are underrepresented in numerous studies. In addition to this, there are a number of theories which do not resonate across cultures because the readings are grounded on the familiarity of particular cultures. Because of this, career counselors must use an all-inclusive method by drawing from a number of key philosophies which best suit their individual style and also the exclusive wants from their clients. The procedure of developmental theory stems from four main disciplines, namely differential psychology, sociology, personality, and developmental psychology. Differential psychology focuses in the profession and occupations of clients. Developmental psychology, on the other hand, focuses on the life course of the client. Personality focuses on the assertion that human beings are organizers of their experiences. Finally, sociology focuses on the occupational mobility of the client (Savickas, 2013). By focusing on all of these four disciplines, the career counselors will be able to offer a holistic approach to career development that will be effective and address the needs of the client. Examples of developmental theories include Frank Parson’s trait and factor theory, career topology theory by John Holland, and the social learning theory of John Krumboltz. Frank Parson’s trait and factor theory are founded on the assertion that people and work have distinct characteristics and that people develop these characteristics over their lifetime (Patton & McMahon, 2014). Career topology theory by John Holland is based on the assertion that individuals and occupations possess a combination of at least two character types; they comprise investigative, artistic, conventional, realistic, and enterprising. The other developmental theory is social learning model developed by John Krumboltz, which emphasizes on environment, heredity, task approach, and learning experience and how these aspects impact career choice and behavior. How to Use Developmental Theory to Develop a Career Development Program Career development is defined as a constant procedure of developmental capabilities which concentrate on finding, achieving, and processing information regarding oneself, professional and learning alternatives, role options, and lifestyles (Savickas, 2013). Essentially, career development is concerned with how people understand themselves as they relate to the realm of work and their place in it. In order to ensure the success of career development programs, then it is important to integrate them with effective and applicable career development programs. According to Savickas (2013), the research and developmental theories that describe career behavior offer the conceptual “glue” that describes the purpose of career education, career counseling, and career guidance which must be implemented. Career counselors have unique privileged and are perfectly positioned to use developmental theories in order to ensure successful career development programs among elementary and middle school students. In order to ensure the successful implementation of developmental theories that are integral to successful implementation of career development programs, then it is important for counselors to try and cater to the unique needs of the student in this demographic by offering a holistic strategy by drawing from an integration of various developmental theories which will suit the individual style of elementary and middle school students (Patton & McMahon, 2014). Focusing on numerous theories such as the Frank Parson’s trait and factor theory, career topology theory by John Holland and social learning theory of John Krumboltz is essential because each theory has its unique limitations and biases. While school counselor uses developmental theory to implement career development programs successfully, they should ensure the development theories also offer the four key aspects of career development (differential psychology, developmental psychology, and personality psychology, and sociology). (Savickas, 2013) believes that counselors should also integrate Maslow’s hierarchy of needs because the occupational needs assume the fundamental physiological needs starting at level 2 (safety needs, such as security of property, employment resources, and family and basic needs), level 3 (love and belonging; people commence working and emerging or discovering their professional paths), level 4 (esteem: attaining professional status), and level 5 (self-actualization).
ASCA Standards, State Standards, and the State’s Drive to 55 initiative
While using developmental theory to help integrate career development programs, counselors are guided by the ASCA standards that are developed to help prepare children to become better adults in the future. According to Dobmeier (2011), the ASCA National Standards for career development directs counselors to develop programs which offer the foundation for the attainment of attitudes, skills, and knowledge which enable the students to make the successful transition from academic work to the professional world through their lifetime. Counselors must tailor the counseling programs in a way that ensures students attain skills they need to research the world of different profession relative to the awareness of self and to make guided and informed professional decisions (Dobmeier, 2011). The ASCA standards will be key in developing career awareness among elementary and elementary school students. In addition to this, ASCA standards help in increasing employment readiness among students by offering the needed career information, as well as helping in developing career objectives as well as develop a plan to attain set objectives. There also different state standards which are geared towards the success of career development among students at a young age. Most of these standards emphasize college and career readiness with the aim of bridging the gap between education and the workforce. Counselors must also develop career development programs that are grounded on these standards in order to ensure that students are well informed about different careers and they are able to develop a blueprint to actualize their career objectives (Meeder & Suddreth, 2012). Other initiatives such as the state’s drive to 55 initiative which aims to achieve 55 percent of students within the state equipped with a degree or certificate. The state’s drive to 55 initiative offers not only a vision for higher education but also a vision for the prospective workforce and economic growth. This initiative will help make great private sector consciousness, support, and ownership, which sustains long-term steps that are required to college readiness and career development (“Governor's Drive to 55”, 2019).
Conclusion
Career development should be initiated at an early age in order to get the students thinking about career development. By starting career development at an early age, students will be aware of what they need to attain educational accomplishment and performance levels required to attain career goals. School counselors have an integral role to play in career development programs. They must design develop a program that is holistically based on different developmental theories as well used ASCA standards, state standards, and the state’s drive to 55 initiative as rubrics while developing career development programs. Successful career development programs will go a long way in reducing the gap between education and the workforce.
References
Dobmeier, R. A. (2011). School counselors support student spirituality through developmental assets, character education, and ASCA competency indicators. Professional School Counseling, 14(5), 2156759X1101400504. Governor's Drive to 55. (2019).Tennessee Board of Regents. Retrieved from https://www.tbr.edu/initiatives/governors-drive-55 JPMorgan Chase & Co. (2016). THE STATE OF CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION: CAREER ADVISING AND DEVELOPMENT Mariani, M., Berger, C., Koerner, K., & Sandlin, C. (2018). Operation Occupation: A college and career readiness intervention for elementary students. Professional School Counseling, 20(1). Meeder, H., & Suddreth, T. (2012). Common Core State Standards & Career and Technical Education: Bridging the Divide between College and Career Readiness. Achieve, Inc. Patton, W., & McMahon, M. (2014). Career development and systems theory: Connecting theory and practice (Vol. 2). Springer. Pulliam, N., & Bartek, S. (2018). College and career readiness in elementary schools. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 10(3), 355–360. Savickas, M. L. (2013). Career construction theory and practice. Career development and counseling: Putting theory and research to work, 2, 147-183.
