Handbook for career development: Introduction to the ILO framework for career development in low- and middle-income countries

This handbook introduces an adaptable career development framework that can be used to support the work of teachers, public employment service workers, policymakers, programme developers and careers practitioners. The handbook primarily targets those working in and supporting the education system and youth development, although it can also be applied in public and private employment services, human resource management and welfare systems. Given its stronger applicability in formal education and training environments, this handbook is especially valuable for middle income countries (MIC) with a large young population. The handbook builds on the ILO’s existing Career guidance: A resources handbook for low- and middle-income countries which sets out the value of career guidance and provides an overview of the ways in which countries can implement a career guidance system. This handbook moves on to set out the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) career development framework. This provides detailed ideas about the content and focus of career guidance programmes and interventions as well as ideas about how it can be implemented in the wider education and employment system. This is then illustrated with examples and insights about how this can be implemented in different contexts. This handbook is designed to be a practical guide, but for those who want further detail, it is published alongside a theoretical paper entitled The development of the ILO’s framework for career development. The handbook is to be complemented with practical implementation tools, the first of which, A guide to work experience, looks at how the framework can be implemented through work experience programmes. Further tools are expected to be developed to support field interventions and projects. The handbook was developed for the ILO by Tristram Hooley (University of Derby), Hannah Blake (University of Derby), and Pedro Moreno da Fonseca (International Labour Organization).