The University Certificate in Career Development
is a versatile addition to professional
credentials.
The certificate is a 30-credit, traditionally one-year program
offered at the senior undergraduate level of
university study. It is intended primarily for
practitioners who have some related work
experience in a human services field. The certificate builds on competencies already
developed to enhance the practitioner's
effectiveness.
The certificate is beneficial to human services
professionals such as social workers, counsellors,
health professionals, and corrections officers, as it provides them with insights into how career
development affects all facets of a client's life. Athabasca University has also developed program learning outcomes that describe the career options that may be available to you upon graduating.
Graduates will learn about:
· career development concepts, principles, and
theories
· the career development implications of social,
cultural,
economic, and work trends
· using career resources and communication
skills creatively to
provide
ethical and effective
assistance in a variety of settings
· critically evaluating their practice
· engaging in practitioner research.
Why Career Development?
Most Canadians begin thinking about a career in their mid-teens, and they continue
to make career decisions throughout their lives. For many people,
career decisions can be difficult, confusing, and
even overwhelming: decisions about which occupation to enter, what
type of training or education to pursue, whether
to change jobs, how to manage self-employment, and
how to plan for retirement.
Assistance from a skilled and knowledgeable career
guide can be invaluable. Athabasca University's
Certificate in Career Development is designed to
provide candidates with the professional expertise
to offer such assistance.
Job Opportunities for Graduates
Many reports predict expansion of the career
development field over the next decade. According
to the Canadian Labour Force Development Board,
"An increasing number of workers need periodic
assistance over their working lives in order to
make informed decisions about their place in the
labour market, and to acquire the employability
skills needed to become or remain successful. As a
result, there is unprecedented demand by Canadians
for career development services." (Career
Development: An emerging national strategy,
1996. Ottawa: Canadian Labour Force Development Board.)
Opportunities for career development practitioners
are increasing in the private sector, educational
institutions, social and employment service
agencies, and business and industry.
Athabasca University advisors have developed a
Program Plan. Students complete the program regulations in effect at the time
of their enrolment.
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