Career Planning and Placement
Career Development and Work-based Learning
Why Career Development?
Career Development is an integral educational strategy within the Career and Technical Education (CTE) system. It provides students with career awareness, exploration, preparation, and participation with real-life work experiences allowing them to apply academic and technical skills while developing crucial durable employability skills. Career Development experiences are often coordinated by the NC Career Development Coordinator (CDC), along with School Counselors, CTE Staff, Administration, and community partners to illustrate and provide practical application and relevance of academic learning.
Career Development is integral to all CTE clusters in North Carolina, and encompass the four phases —career awareness, exploration, preparation, and participation. These phases facilitate career understanding, exploration, and the development of durable employability skills and positive work attitudes. The program provides meaningful experiences aligned with learners' career interests, emphasizing hands-on learning in real or simulated work settings. Successful implementation of Career Development programs relies on robust partnerships between schools, colleges, and local employers.
The Career Development Continuum, integrated with the Work-based Learning Cycle of Experiences, offers diverse, planned, and meaningful activities, providing students with varied opportunities to actively plan and engage with the world-of-work.
Career Development Coordinators
Career Development Coordinators (CDC) support Career and Technical Education (CTE) and coordinate career development services for students participating in CTE since the early 1980’s. The CDC works collaboratively with administrators, student services personnel, and teachers to ensure the delivery of career development services. CDCs facilitate linkages with parents, business/industry, postsecondary institutions, and community organizations to support students' transition to postsecondary education and employment. The CDC’s responsibilities incorporate the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, National Career Development Association’s Competencies and Guidelines, the National Model for School Counseling Programs, and Future-Ready Students for the 21st Century. Specific Career Development Coordinator responsibilities include:
- Career Development
- Preparatory Services
- Transition Services
- Partnerships
- Professional Development
NCDPI CTE Career Development Continuum
The Career Development Continuum, integrated with work-based learning across 5th- 12th grade, takes the student on a personalized career development journey from Career Awareness, Career Exploration, Career Preparation, to Career Participation. This structured approach enables students to progressively deepen their understanding of talents, strengths, and interests. It guides them in understanding the world-of-work and identifying the postsecondary education required for their chosen careers providing opportunities to practice essential career readiness and technical skills. Postsecondary education, encompassing 2- and 4-year colleges, on-the-job training, and short-term skill acquisition programs, becomes a pivotal aspect of their preparation for entering their desired careers.
Generic Middle School CTE Development Continuum
| 5th – 8th Grade | 5th – 8th Grade | 6th – 8th Grade | 6th – 8th Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Establishing Career Awareness: Career awareness prepares students by introducing them to the meaning of the word “career” and exploring what that might mean for them individually. Career education should begin in the 5th grade as the first step of career development by introducing the concept of a “career” to students and beginning the students’ understanding of the different careers they may pursue. Sample Student Learning Outcome: Students become aware of what a career is, can talk about some careers they have learned about, and are exposed to self-awareness for potential career likes and dislikes. |
Career Awareness & Self Knowledge: Career development begins with career awareness and knowing oneself. Helping understand and reflect on their unique, personal characteristics allows them to answer the first question in their career plan – Who am I? Interests, values, skills, personality type, and career beliefs are examined. Sample Student Learning Outcome: Students become aware of their likes and dislikes and formulate career aspirations. |
Knowledge of the World of Work & Education: As students progress in their learning and maturity, a deeper approach to career awareness takes place. Tying students’ understanding of the world of work to education is critical. They need to connect what they are learning in school to their dreams. Sample Student Learning Outcome: Students can give examples of how their skills and interests related to career fields and occupations. |
Decision Making & Goal Setting: Career decisions further students’ understanding of themselves and of their options. Making decisions and setting goals advance students toward their future in a purposeful, personal, and meaningful way. Sample Student Learning Outcome: Students recognize that their educational performance is important for reaching their goals and make decisions in a systematic way. |
Generic High School CTE Development Continuum
| 9th – 12th Grade | 10th –12th Grade | 11th – 12th Grade | 12th Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Learning ABOUT Work: Students build awareness of careers and begin to identify areas of interest. Students are aware of the role of post-secondary education. Sample Student Learning Outcome: Students understand the types of post-secondary education and training required in a variety of career field. |
Learning ABOUT Work: Activities provide students with a deeper understanding of the workplace. Students explore career options to provide motivation and inform decision-making in high school and post-secondary education. Students can explore and refine areas of interest and prepare for higher intensity work-based learning experiences through interactions with business partners. This includes learning about the basic skills necessary for work-based learning experiences such as internships. Sample Student Learning Outcome: Students can give examples of how their strengths and interests relate to career fields/occupations. |
Learning THROUGH Work: Activities are designed to help students develop the basic foundational skills needed for college and career readiness. Students apply learning through practical experience and interactions with professionals from industry and the community (higher-order thinking, technical skills, academic skills and applied workplace skills are used). Sample Student Learning Outcome: Students can work with diverse teams and collaborate effectively with colleagues, businesses & higher education partners. |
Learning FOR Work: Training for postsecondary education and/or employment/military in a specific range of occupations. Sample Student Learning Outcome: Students can demonstrate knowledge of occupations in a career and skills specific to employment in a range of fields or future college majors. |
Sample Career Development Activities
The table below lists possible activities students might experience while progressing through each phase of the Career Development Continuum.
| Awareness | Exploration | Preparation | Participation |
|---|---|---|---|
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Career Development Partnerships
NCDPI works together with different partners to help students succeed in their future careers. They team up with businesses, community organizations, and other groups to provide students with real-world experiences and opportunities to learn practical skills. This collaboration ensures that students are well-prepared for the workforce and can make informed decisions about their career paths.
Links
- Career Development Plans (NCGA SB193)
- Career Development Resources
- Career One Stop
- Coalition for Career Development
- National Career Development Association
- NCACTE
- NC Business Committee on Education
- NC Career Development Association
- NCCareers.org
- NC Commerce: Labor & Economic Analysis Division (LEAD)
- NC Commerce: Sector Strategies
- US Careers Online Video Gallery
NC Career Development Contact:
Why Work-based Learning?
Work-based Learning (WBL) is an integral educational strategy within the Career and Technical Education (CTE) system, dating back centuries. It provides students with real-life work experiences, allowing them to apply academic and technical skills while developing crucial employability skills. These experiences occur at employer worksites, coordinated with school-based activities to illustrate the practical relevance of academic learning.
Work-based learning strategies, integral to all CTE clusters in North Carolina, encompass the four phases of the career development continuum - career awareness, exploration, preparation, and participation. These strategies facilitate career understanding, exploration, and the development of durable employability skills and positive work attitudes. The program provides meaningful experiences aligned with learners' career interests, emphasizing hands-on learning in real or simulated work settings. Successful implementation relies on robust partnerships between schools, colleges, and local employers.
The Work-based Learning Cycle of Experiences, integrated into the career development continuum, offers diverse, planned, and meaningful activities, providing students with varied opportunities to actively engage with the world of work.
The Work-based Learning Cycle of Experiences, integrated across the career development continuum, reflects the evolving focus of work-based learning as students advance in their education. This structured approach enables students to progressively deepen their understanding of talents, strengths, and interests. It guides them in identifying the postsecondary education required for their chosen careers and provides opportunities to practice essential career readiness and technical skills. Postsecondary education, encompassing 2- and 4-year colleges, on-the-job training, and short-term skill acquisition programs, becomes a pivotal aspect of their preparation for entering their desired careers.
This chart below examines the summary, anticipated outcomes, and advantages for students while also delving into the various work-based learning strategies utilized in each phase.
|
WBL Cycle of Experiences |
Awareness |
Exploration |
Preparation |
Participation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Summary |
Discover a variety of careers and industries, exploring different workplaces to identify personal interests and skills. |
Dive deeper into specific careers through job shadowing and mentorship, finding potential career pathways |
Develop essential skills, craft resumes, and participate in formal training to grasp workplace expectations and norms. |
Engage in hands-on experiences, cooperative work experiences, internships, pre-apprenticeships, and apprenticeships, applying learned skills in real-world settings for active workplace involvement. |
|
Anticipated Outcomes |
Develop a foundational understanding of various career options. |
Gain insights into specific industries and professions.
|
Acquire practical skills and knowledge for the chosen career field.
|
Apply classroom knowledge to practical scenarios |
|
Advantages for students |
Enhanced self-awareness and informed decision-making about future career paths. |
Informed decision-making, narrowing down areas of interest. |
Improved readiness for the workforce, enhanced employability. |
Real-world experience, networking opportunities, and increased confidence in the chosen field |
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Work-based Learning Strategies |
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Work-based Learning Partnerships
NCDPI works together with different partners to help students succeed in their future careers. They team up with businesses, community organizations, and other groups to provide students with real-world experiences and opportunities to learn practical skills. This collaboration ensures that students are well-prepared for the workforce and can make informed decisions about their career paths.
- NCCareers.org
- North Carolina Business Committee for Education
- ApprenticeshipNC - NC Community College System
- NC Association of Workforce Development Boards
- NC Department of Labor, Wage & Hour Division – Youth Employment Laws
- NCWorks
- National Governor’s Association – Youth Apprenticeship
- Jobs for the Future
DPI Work-based Learning Contact Connection
For specific inquiries related to work-based learning, please email CTEWBL@dpi.nc.gov.