Less than 40% of university students engage in activities to make themselves ‘career ready’ (Radlof and Coates, 2009). A major challenge facing university careers services is getting the attention of the majority of students who have given little thought to how they will transition from university to the professional workforce. Embedding careers education into the curriculum is the ‘easiest’ way to increase the proportion of students developing career readiness; however gaining institutional support to embed career education into a crowded curriculum is not so simple. The Career Development Centre at La Trobe University is focussing on a strategy that enables sustainable expansion into the curriculum via a multi-modal delivery of five core career education modules and the development and teaching of three accredited career development subjects to undergraduate students. Combined, the modules and subjects address all eleven career management competencies from the Australian Blueprint for Career Development (MCEEDYA, 2010). This workshop will explore the design and delivery of the approach to delivering career education to students in a multi-campus institution.

1. THE ABCD OF DELIVERING CAREER
EDUCATION IN A CROWDED UNIVERSITY
CURRICULUM
Jason Brown, La Trobe University
CDAA Conference 24 May 2013

2. Setting the scene

3. 3CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
ABCD of Career Education
Workshop objectives
 Develop an understanding of the careers environment in a
university
 Appreciate how the ABCD framework can be applied to career
development of university students
 Learn about one approach to embedding careers into the
curriculum

4. 4CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
About La Trobe University

5. 5CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
About the Career Development Centre
• Team within the Student Enrichment division
(Transition, Engagement, Enrichment, Industry & Community Engagement,
Career Development Centre)
• 1 Careers Consultant per 10,000 students
• Individual consultations: approx 1700 pa
• Workshops: 150 pa | approx 3000 students
• Online engagement: 12,000 students (headcount)

6. 6CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
Challenges
• < 40% university students are ‘career ready’
(Radloff & Coates, 2009)
• Increasingly difficult to engage students outside curriculum
• Raising awareness of services
• Limited, if any, space in the curriculum

7. Australian Blueprint for Career Development

8. 8CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
Australian Blueprint for Career Development (ABCD)
“…is a framework that can be used to design,
implement and evaluate career development
programs for young people and adults.”
- MCEEDYA (2010)
www.blueprint.edu.au

9. 9CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
ABCD 11 Career
Competencies
3 Areas of
Competencies
4 Development
phases
Performance
indicators
Local
standards

10. 10CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
11 Career Management Competencies
1. Build & maintain a positive self-concept
2. Interact positively & effectively with
others
3. Change & grow throughout life
4. Participate in lifelong learning supportive
of career goals
5. Locate & effectively use career
information
6. Understand the relationship between
work, society and the economy
7. Secure/create and maintain work
8. Make career-enhancing decisions
9. Maintain balanced life and work roles
10. Understand the changing nature of life
and work roles
11. Understand, engage in and manage the
career-building process

11. 11CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
Three Areas of Competencies
A. Personal Management Competencies
Competencies 1-3
B. Learning & Work Exploration
Competencies 4-6
C. Career Building Competencies
Competencies 7-11

12. 12CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
Four Development Phases
Adults
Phase 4
Senior /
Post-
compulsory
school
Phase 3
Middle
school
Phase 2
Kindergarten
– primary
school
Phase 1

13. 13CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
Four Stage Learning Taxonomy
• Acquire
• Apply
• Personalise
• Act

14. 14CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
Performance Indicators
• A statement indicating how an individual may demonstrate
competence at each of the development stages
• Uses a 3 digit code which identifies the competency; phase;
and performance indicator
Examples
1.1.1 Build and maintain a positive self-concept
11.4.12 Adapt your preferred future in order to always reflect
your true needs, desires and aspirations

15. 15CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
Local Standards
Essentially the learning objectives / outcomes
A local standard would specify:
• What individuals will do to demonstrate skill
• The conditions to perform the task
• How well the task should be performed

16. 16CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
Group Activity: Pros & Cons of the ABCD
Small group discussion
• How do you use the ABCD in your practice?
• 3 Pros & 3 Cons

17. 17CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
Pros and Cons
Pros
• Flexibility to develop local
standards
• Linked to Bloom’s learning
taxonomy
• Useful to compare programs
for ‘completeness’
Cons
• Does it really cover the
lifespan?
• Would you use this
framework with senior
managers?
• Empirically based or designed
by committee?

18. 18CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
Alternative Career Competencies
Akkermans et al., (2012)
• Reflection on motivation
• Reflection on qualities
• Networking
• Self-profiling
• Work Exploration
• Career control
Defillipi & Arthur (1994)
• Knowing why
• Knowing how
• Knowing whom

19. La Trobe’s Approach to Embedding Careers into the Curriculum

20. 20CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
Strategy to Embed Careers into the Curriculum
• Network with academics / champions
• Link to strategic policies / initiatives
• Evidenced-based design of programs
• Research and evaluate your work … and talk about it
Photo by Julia Tenney / Flickr

21. 21CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
Embedding Careers into the Curriculum
Structured career program
• Sits outside the curriculum, but designed to easily be
incorporated in the future
Career development subjects
• One currently being taught
• Two new subjects in development

22. 22CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
Career Ready Program

23. 23CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
Career Ready Program
• Self-paced program
• 5 modules covering all ABCD competencies
• Activities completed in an ePortfolio workbook – serves as an
ongoing career planning guide
• Sustainable & scalable

24. 24CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
Career development subjects
• Work Ready Skills & Planning Your Career (2012-)
• Career Management and Contemporary Workplace Issues
(starts 2014)
• Work Ready Skills for Health Science Professionals (starts 2015)

25. 25CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
Career development subjects
Work Ready Skills & Planning Your Career
• 110 students across 5 campuses, 4 faculties
• Fully online subject
• Use of Webinars, Forums & ePortfolios to increase engagement
• Learning activities personalise the content for each student

26. 26CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
Career development subjects
HUM2WRS - Content
• Future of work
• Employability skills
• Career decision making and career development theories
• Practical information around seeking, applying and obtaining
work

27. 27CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
Career development subjects
HUM2WRS - Assessment
• Job application
• Interview performance and reflection
• Portfolio, including informational interview report, LMI
analysis, self-reflection / career plan

28. 28CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
ABCD Competencies & Performance Indicators
Program 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Career Ready 1.4.3 2.3.9 3.4.10 4.3.8
4.3.9
5.4.5 6.3.11 7.3.7
7.4.9
7.4.10
7.4.17
8.3.12
8.4.10
8.4.12
9.4.8 10.3.7 11.4.11
HLT2WRS 1.4.3 2.4.3 3.4.8 5.4.7 6.4.7 7.4.10
HUM2WRS 5.4.8 6.3.9 7.4.15 11.3.11
HUM3CMC 7.4.17 8.4.10 9.4.6 11.4.11

29. 29CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE | La Trobe University
Reflection
• What are options are available to you to embed careers in your
context (schools, university/TAFE, workplace)?
• Where are the gaps in your careers programs in relation to the
the ABCD framework or alternative career competencies?

30. Thank you
latrobe.edu.au/students/careers CRICOS Provider 00115M
To continue the discussion:
Email: jason.brown@latrobe.edu.au
Twitter: @onejasonbrown
LinkedIn: http://au.linkedin.com/in/brownjasonl/
SlideShare: www.slideshare.net/jason_brown