Overview
Career education is an important socio-cultural process in the preparation for, transition to, and integration into the workplace.
Career education is not a point-in-time event, rather, it is an unfolding process and its curricula and programs must be universal, ongoing and age appropriate. In career education, there has been a shift from individual differences and matching to occupations, to understanding how individuals develop their work/life roles. Once, the main question posed by those reflecting on the topic of career education was, “What occupation(s) are you interested in?” Today, the process of career choice is the focus — “why are you interested in that occupation?”
Career education should be considered learning for life rather than learning for school. It ought to be a planned process, designed and delivered in a holistic rather than fragmented manner that attends to all the needs of the individual with the aim to facilitate good mental health, as well as economic well-being. The best career exploration programs are developmental, linking learning to life experiences, with students, teachers, parents, counselors and community. A developmental approach is necessary to assist the intellectual, social, emotional, and career development success in the present and future.
Career Education curriculum in Newfoundland and Labrador is defined in terms of eight general curriculum outcomes (GCO’s) based on the Essential Graduation Learnings (EGLS). These eight general curriculum outcomes articulate what students are expected to know and be able to do upon completion of study in career education. They provide a concise description of the student as a career literate and capable citizen. They are divided among three strands:
- Personal Management
- Career Exploration/Learning and Work Exploration
- Career Preparation: Life/Work Building
Career Development Elementary Module
For students, the Elementary career development module has as its focus improved self-knowledge, decision making, change, the world of work and their place in it.
This module is the first exposure students have to formal career development education. It is intended to broaden their perspective, expose them to key, developmentally appropriate concepts and engage them in experiential learning and career building opportunities. All activities are designed to be cross-curricular and can meet curriculum outcomes in multiple subject areas at the Elementary level.
There are three units in this module. These include:
- All about me
- Me in the world of work
- Me and my community
Related Documents
Career Intermediate: Informed Selection of Senior High Courses
Career Intermediate 8
This module is designed to guide students to recognize the connection between senior high course selections and their long-term career development, with the goal of their making these choices by design, not simply by default. It will provide students with information about a wide range of career options, create awareness of the kinds of careers which might appeal to them, and direct them to the courses they should pursue in senior high school to prepare them for a potential career pathway.
The Grade 8 module is organized along four strands:
- Self-awareness
- Career Exploration
- The High School Program
- Life-long Learning
Related Documents
- Curriculum Guide and Lesson Plans (2022)
- Resource List (2022)
- Programme d’études (2022)
- Liste de ressources (2022)
Career Intermediate 9
This module is designed to guide students to recognize the connection between senior high course selections and their long-term career development, with the goal of their making these choices by design, not simply by default. It will provide students with information about a wide range of career options, create awareness of the kinds of careers which might appeal to them, and direct them to the courses they should pursue in senior high school to prepare them for a potential career pathway.
The Grade 9 module is organized along five strands:
- Career Exploration
- Volunteerism and Experiential Learning
- The High School Program
- Post-secondary Exploration
- Informed Selection of Senior High Courses
Related Documents
- Curriculum Guide and Lesson Plans (2022)
- Resource List (2022)
- Programme d’études (2022)
- Liste de ressources (2022)
Career Education 2202 (2021)
This course is designed to help students develop the skills they need to continuously make effective life/work decisions throughout their lives. Students will be required to develop and maintain a comprehensive Personal Career Plan which will support students through their educational and life/work transitions. Creating, maintaining, reviewing, and sharing a coherent personal plan would help students to make thoughtful, informed, and appropriate decisions regarding their goals and their pathways through and beyond school. To receive credit for this course students are also required to complete a minimum of 30 career education hours prior to graduation which can include volunteerism, community service projects, mentorship, job shadowing, and other valuable forms of experiential learning.
The course outcomes are organized along four major strands:
- Personal Management
- Financial Literacy
- Life/Work Exploration and Employability Skills
- Preparing for Life/Work Transitions
Related Documents
Employment and Labour Studies 1106
Employment and Labour Studies has been developed to assist students with understanding the value and transferability of knowledge and skills to their career development. Although not intended to be offered in tandem with Cooperative Education work placements, the material is relevant for any student entering the world of work.
The course is most appropriately presented later in a student’s academic career such that it could be used as a work entry preparatory offering.
The course is broken down in three practical areas:
- Labour Standards
- Workplace Communications
- Customer Relations
The skills outlined within this course mirror skills for success in the workplace. This is intended to be an experiential course, giving students the opportunity not only to learn but experience from the curriculum.
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