Harry N. Drier

Special Issue Introduction: Career and Life Planning Key Feature Within Comprehensive Guidance Programs

Career and life planning is viewed as a process that starts early in the elementary school through adult life and it should be at the heart of any guidance program. This journal discusses the value and process ideas at each of the school and grade levels. The authors also discuss how parents, employers, and teachers enhance the career planning process by expanding student options, encouragement, motivation, mentoring, and providing career life experiences. Career planning is viewed as a structured and expected series of events and activities a student would go through as a part of their school experience. It forwards the idea that to assure all youth have a plan for life transition and success takes state department of education policy and support, local district expectations, time, and resources, and students who see the value in participating. The counselor is viewed as the key agent in such a program and needs to demonstrate that early, continuous and high quality life planning improves not only academic achievement, but life and employment success.

Career Guidance: The Missing Link in Educational Excellence and Work Transition.

Journal of Career Development, Vol. 15(1), Fall 1988 Since 1983, the United States has been rediscovering education as the major instrument available to develop productive citizens and a productive work force. Both national and state reports have argued that enhanced productivity is not possible without educational excellence. Yet such reports frequently oversimplify the complexity of American education, suggesting that just a few key ingredients will give us both the personal and academic excellence sought. In doing so, they make a major omission. Virtually all these reports suggest modifying the structure and organization of schooling, without addressing the diversity of student characteristics and needs. Yet to achieve educational excellence, schools must embrace the many learning styles and motivations of students, even those who have

Planning for Life: A Program of National Significance.

The purpose of education is to prepare students for life. Considering that significant portions of their lives that will be spent in work, it is essential that school leadership establish policy and provide leadership to ensure that career planning for all students is expected and supported. Parents, teachers, administrators, and counselors are faced with the challenge of guiding students through the learning process, and at the same time helping them develop skills to cope with the changing world around them--especially the workplace. To assure that all students have goals and life plans, it is imperative that school leadership actively and visibly ensure that their schools include:

Expanded Roles, Functions and Responsibilities for Programs of Career Guidance.

1Harry N. Drier, Research Specialist, The Center for Vocational Education, Columbus, Ohio; Norman Gysbers, Professor, Counselor Education, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri; David H. Pritchard, Research Specialist, Bureau of Occupational and Adult Education, U.S. Office of Education. During the past five years many guidance and counseling professionals participated in the development of Federal legislation, which contained sections emphasizing guidance and counseling. The results of these efforts have been numerous laws or proposed laws that can pave the way for changes in the focus, content and timing of guidance and counseling. Titles I, II, and III of the Educational amendments of 1976 , (P.L. 94-482) have at least twenty clearly stated guidance areas and another 100 plus inferences. Additionally, the (1) Youth Employment Resource Act of 1977, S. 1; (2) Comprehensive Youth Employment Act of 1977, S. 170; (3) Youth Employment and Training Act, S. 1242; (4) Youth Adult Conservation Corps Act, H.R. 30; (5) Elementary and Secondary Career Education Act of 1977, H.R. 7; and (6) The Career Education Implementation Incentive Act of 1977, S. 1328 and several other manpower laws and proposed laws suggest directly or in-

Career Guidance: The Missing Link in Educational Excellence and Work Transition

ConclusionsWe must recognize that the achievement of educational excellence is a function of student commitment to personal excellence. When we have commitment, we have individual action directed to effective decision making, planning, and preparation. This demands vocational guidance and assessment.Educational excellence, then, is shaped by and reciprocal to the confidence of students in their ability to pursue programs that challenge their abilities, provide access to opportunity, and rest upon self-knowledge and informed choice. Without student commitment, we can have reforms and change that bring us no closer than before to educational excellence. To achieve excellence, we must remember the key ingredient—the students, and their commitment to their own future.

Resources abound for career educators

ConclusionsThis country has the proven products, methods, and committed community resources to meet most of our career development program improvement and expansion needs. But career educators must be vigorous in keeping abreast of current resources and approaches. They also need to evaluate materials for effectiveness before committing time and money to their use. Career educators need to continue to spawn local innovation and creativity. Where outside resources are more practical or desirable, career educators should look to the ERIC Clearinghouse to identify new resources, and they should contact their state department of education career guidance and career education coordinators. These are often the best resources for identifying effective career development materials for use in your state.

Resources for Identifying Training Competencies for Career Guidance Personnel

A staff training approach that is strongly recommended in career guidance literature garner et al., 1976; Bernstein & Lacomte, 1976; Block, 1978; Brammer & Springer, 1971; Froehle, 1976 a & b, 1978; Jones 197h; Jones & Dayton, 1977; Kennedy, 1976; Mitchell, 1975; Shoemaker & Splitter, 1976) tries to help trainees learn and practice the qualities and proficiencies demanded of them for successful interactions with clients. This approach is labeled by various rubrics such as &dquo;performance-based,&dquo; and &dquo;competency-based.&dquo; This article summarizes ways this training approach is defined and suggests resources for implementing it when this type of training is being designed.

A Reaction Paper by the NVGA President.

It was not by accident that in the late 1960’s and during the 1970’s NVGA was actively involved in and supportive of the career education movement. This is evidenced by a number of position papers and publications developed by NVGA such as: Career Development--An NVGA and American Vocational Association Position Paper, 1973; Career Development Education, 1980; Facilitating Career Development of Girls and Women, 1973; Parents’ Role in Career Development, 1967; Career Decisions, 1969; Vocational Maturity, 1974; and a series of five (5) publications dealing with the Career Development needs of both Youth and Adults, 1978. These and numerous other publications of the Association and numerous convention and national workshop forums have truly been instructive in helping educational leaders to restructure learning toward preparation for