Career development training, certification, supervision and professionalization: case examples from four countries.

The career development sector is professionalizing internationally, through training, certifications, and an abundance of opportunities to learn from colleagues at conferences and international symposia. However, there are significant differences in how the profession is developing in different parts of the world; the notion of “career” is recognized as culturebound and, perhaps, inconceivable to many individuals. In this paper, career development educators from four countries in Asia, North America, and Europe share case examples of the career development sector’s evolution in their regions. Together, they represent institutions and training programs from the public and private sectors, in both formal and informal settings. Several of the authors have been influential in introducing and customizing career development practitioner competency frameworks and training for practitioners from diverse backgrounds to meet certification requirements. Together they examine how professionalizing the delivery of career development services has emerged in their regions, the variety of training opportunities available along a continuum from preparation for practice to reflection of practice, the diversity of standards and certifications in the career development sector, and the early stages of addressing the need for training and equipping supervisors and leaders. The authors advocate a “both/and” approach to professionalization, grounded in local research that surfaces felt needs and then customizing training, resources, and standards that incorporate relevant elements from international sources

The career development sector is professionalizing internationally, through training,
certifications, and an abundance of opportunities to learn from colleagues at conferences
and international symposia. However, there are significant differences in how the profession
is developing in different parts of the world; the notion of “career” is recognized as culturebound
and, perhaps, inconceivable to many individuals. In this paper, career development
educators from four countries in Asia, North America, and Europe share case examples of
the career development sector’s evolution in their regions. Together, they represent
institutions and training programs from the public and private sectors, in both formal and
informal settings. Several of the authors have been influential in introducing and
customizing career development practitioner competency frameworks and training for
practitioners from diverse backgrounds to meet certification requirements. Together they
examine how professionalizing the delivery of career development services has emerged in
their regions, the variety of training opportunities available along a continuum from
preparation for practice to reflection of practice, the diversity of standards and certifications
in the career development sector, and the early stages of addressing the need for training
and equipping supervisors and leaders. The authors advocate a “both/and” approach to
professionalization, grounded in local research that surfaces felt needs and then customizing
training, resources, and standards that incorporate relevant elements from international
sources