Career-Ready Students a Goal of Comprehensive School Counseling Programs

5/26/2018 Career-Ready Students a Goal of Comprehensive School Counseling Programs

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Received 0 1 15 12Revised 01 10 13Accepted 01 14 13DOI:10 1002/J 2161-0045.2013.00057.xCareer Ready Students:A Goal of Comprehensive SchoolCounseling Programs

Norman C. GysbersThis article opens with a rationale for and a definition of studen t career readiness.Next is a presentation of the qualities and attributes of career-ready students.Then discussion follows about what students need to become career ready. Fol-lowing this is a presentation of how comprehensive school counseling programshelp students become career ready, including discussion ofthedelivery system forschool counseling programs that provide the activities and services that contributeto student career readiness. The article closes with the critical point that helpingall students become career ready requires a whole school-community approach.

During this 2nd decade of the 21st century, the United States continues toundergo vast and far-reaching changes economically and socially, restiltinginarapidly changing workplace (Carey & H err, 2012; Dutkowsky, 2013) .These changes are requiring higherlevelsof achievement and preparationfor the emerging workforce (Association for Career and Technical Edu-cation, 2006,p. 1). This means that the students of today and tom orrowwill require an education that providesthem with the academic, career andtechnical, and guidance and counseling knowledge,skills,and dispositionsto be career ready upon graduation from high school.W h a t T.s C a re e r R eady>Contrary to current popular literature, this article proposes to use theterm career ready instead ofcareer and college ready. Why? The wordcareer is used because, when defined broadly, it includes the life roles,settings, and events of individuals' lives that are constantly being influ-enced by such factors as gender, ethnic origin, race, spirituality, socialclass,and sexual orientation (Gysbers, Heppner, & Johnston, 20 09).As aresult, the wordcareerincludes go ing directly to work after high schoolas well as attending a 2-year or 4-year college or university. However,the wordcareermeans much more than that because it emphasizes thetotal person, all of his or her life roles, all the settings in which he or sheis involved, and the many events (planned and unplanned) that affecthim or her. The focus is on the human career. The word readyis usedNorman C. Gysbers, Educational, School and Counseling Psychology,Universityof Missouri. Parts of this article were taken from. Developing & Managing YourSchool Guidance & Counseling Program (5th e d.),byN. C. ysbersand P. Hen-derson, 2012, Alexandria, VA:American Counseling Association. Correspondence


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concerning this article should be addressed to Norman C. G ysbers, Educational,

in career ready because it means completely prepared for immediateaction {Webster s UnabridgedDictionary 2001, p. 1606). When thewordscareerandready reput together, they convey holistic p icture ofresilient individuals who are active and involved in shaping and directingtheir lives now and in the future.Who Are Career-Ready Smdenfs?Who are career-ready students? Career-ready students have a proactive,resilient, and adaptive style of interacting in the present and use that styleto assertively move towards self-defined career futures that add mean-ing , purpose, and satisfaction to their lives (Gysbers & Lapan, 20 09 ,p. 23). They have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to visualizeand plan their futures.Career-ready students know how to engage in various current andpotential life roles, including being a learner and worker. This meansthat they know the importance of succeeding in school and graduating.This means that they know how to take advantage of the current andpossible future opportunities available to them, such as going directlyinto the labor force; obtaining an apprenticeship; selecting a certificateprogram; attending a 2-year technical school, community college, or4-year college or university; or enlisting in the military.Career-ready students also understand that their lives unfold andevolve in various life settings, including school and the workplace. Thismeans that they have work readiness behaviors and the interpersonalrelationship skills needed to prosper in the workplace. On the basis ofthe work of Lapan (2004), Gysbers and Lapan (2009) identified thefollowing behaviors and sdlls for career readiness: (a) social com pe-tence, (b) diversityskills,(c) positive work hab its, (d) personal qualities,(e) personality and emotional states, and (f) entrepreneurship (p. 42 ).In addition, career-ready students understand how life events, plannedand unplanned , can affect them over their lifetimes. This means that theyknow how to anticipate the possible impact that planned and unplannedevents may have on them and their career planning. This also meansthat they know how to plan, but, at the same time, they take advantageof unplanned events (opportunities) that may arise.What Do Students Need toRecome Career Ready?Helping students become career ready begins in elementary school andcontinues on in to middle school and high school. What do students needto become career ready? They need to have opportunities to

engage in critical life contexts (e.g., school and community) with purpose anddirection; respond to opportunities and make good decisions; act with personalagency and empowerment; exhibit a mature commitment to a self-defined direc-tion; feel hopeful, m otivated, and optimistic abo ut theirlives;be able to persevereto overcome obstacles and turn unexpected events into positive opportunities;


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How Do Comprehensive School CounselingPrograms Help Students Eernme CareerSchoolcounselinghaschanged overthe past decadesfiroma position-servicesotientation toacomprehensive program firmly groundedinprinciples of hu-mangrowth and development.School counseling has become adevelopmentalprogram focusing on preventionaswell as remediation.Asa developmentalprogram , it has strengths-based content consisting of knowledge, skills, anddispositions that conttibute to the overall development and success of allstudents to their becomingcareerready.The contentisorganized around thethree domains of academic development, career development,andpersonal/social development. Although these domains are typically portrayed as be-ing separate, in actual practice, they are delivered interactively (holistically)to students through the comprehensive school counseling program. Thecontent in all three is required to prepare students to become career ready.

To provide students with the strengths-based content in thesethree domains, comprehensive school counseling programs use adirect-service delivery system consisting of a guidance curriculum,individual student planning, and responsive services. The contentand activities of the guidance curriculum and individual studentplanning are provided to all students on a systematic and sequentialbasis, whereas responsive services are available to all students if theyneed these services. The fourth delivery system is system support.It is an indirect service to students in that it contains managementactivities that su ppo rt the com prehensive school counseling programas well as the other educational programs in the district (GysbersHenderson, 2012).What Is the Strengths-Based Content forSchool Connseling Programs^The strengths-based content in the three domains of academic, career,and personal/social development is usually cast as standards, as is truein other educational disciplines. In the state of Missouri, the standardslisted under each domain are called big ideas There are three of thesefor each domain as follows:

Personala ndSocial DevelopmentStudents in Missouri schools will acquire personal and social knowledge needed for:

PS 1:und erstand ing self as an individual and as a mem ber o f diverse local and globalcommunities.

PS 2:interacting w ith others in ways that respect individual and grou p differences.PS 3:applying personal safety skills and coping skills.

Academic DevelopmentStudents in Missouri schoolswillacquire the knowledge of academic development needed for:

AD 4:applying the skills for educational achievement.AD 5:applying the skills of transitioning between educational levels.AD : developing and monitoring personal educational plans.


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cv :know ing where and how to obtain information abou t the world of work andpost-secondary training/education.

CD :applying em ploym ent readiness skills and th e skills for o n-the -job success. (Gysbers,Stanley, Kosteck-Bunch, Mag nuson, & Starr, 20 11 , pp. 89 -91 )

What Is the Delivery System forSchool Conn.seling Programs?

Strengths-based guidance content for all students K-12 is providedthro ug h the comprehensive school counseling program 's direct-servicedelivery com pon ents , namely, guidance curriculum , individual studen tplanning, and responsive services, but particularly through the guid-ance curriculum.Guidance urriculum

The idea of a guidance curriculum is not new. Davis (1914) oudinedsuch a curriculum in the early 1900s. Today, the guidance curriculumis part of most comprehensive school counseling programs. In the stateofMissouri, the big ideas listed under the three domains of academic,career, and personal/social development are further divided into con-cepts. Then, for each concept, grade-level standards identify and definethe student outcomes expected for each grade K-12. The guidancecurriculum is presented systematically and sequentially in classrooms inwhich school counselors teach, team teach, or support the teaching ofguidance curriculum activities or units. Teachers may also teach suchunits. In addition, school counselors organize and conduct large-groupsessions, such as career days and college days.

Although school counselors' responsibilities include organizing andimplementing the guidance curriculum, the cooperation and support ofthe entire faculty and staff are necessary for its successil implementa-tion . Also criticalistha t parents or guarciians be invited to provide inputto the guidance curriculum that is taught in the school their childrenattend and that they be encouraged to reinforce learnings from theguidance curriculum at home.

Individual Student PlanningThe individual student planning component ofacomprehensive schoolcounseling program assists students, beginning in middle school, withdeveloping and using student learning plans (e.g., personal plans ofstudy, career plans, student education ). What are student learning plans?

Stud ent learning plans, often referred to as road ma ps, assist studen ts in creat-ing courses of study that are aligned with high school graduation requirements,personal interests, and individually-defined career goals. Learning plans are dy-namic documents that are updated regularly as students' educational and careergoals chan ge. They are developed collaboratively by students , parents and schoolst ff including teachers and guidance counselors. Students use learning plansto reflect upon and document their skills, hobbies, accomplishments, academicrecord, personal goals, career interests and other information relevant to them


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as individuals. Learning plans also include provisions for portfolio development

The foundation for individual student planning is established duringthe elementary school years through guidance curriculum activities.Self-concept development, the acquisition of learning-to-learn skills,interpersonal relationship skill development, decision-making skillbuilding, and awareness and beginning exploration of educational andoccupational possibilities are sample subjects that are covered duringthese years. Subjects such as these continue to be covered through theguidance curriculum during middle school and high school, providingnew information and experiences to enable studen ts to regularly upd ate,monitor, and manage their plans effectively.Building on the foundation provided in elementary school, beginningplanning for the future is undertaken during the middle school yearsthrough the individual studen t planning component. During this period,stud ents plans focus on high school course selection, taking into accountgraduation requirements and the requirements of their postsecondaryacademic and career goals. Guidance curriculum activities continue tosupport and guide the planning process.During the high school years, plans developed in the middle schoolare reviewed and updated periodically in accordance with studentspostsecondary personal, academic, and career goals. The individualstudent planning component provides time for regular individual workwith students as well as group sessions focusing on individual studentplanning. Guidance curriculum activities continue to support studentplanning by giving emphasis to the development and use of decision-making, goal-setting, and planning skills. The importance and relevanceof basic academic and career and technical education preparation skillsare stressed. The goal is for stu dents plans to becom e journeys of dis-covery through which they can use the past and present to anticipateand prepare for the nature.

esponsive ServicesResponsive services consist of activities to meet the current needs andconcerns of students whether these needs or concerns require counsel-ing, consultation, referral, or information. Parent or guardian involve-ment with and participation in activities of this component are criticalin helping students overcome barriers to their academic progress andpersonal/social development. Parents involvement may include refer-ring their children for assistance, working with school counselors andother school staff to identify issues of concern, and giving permissionfor needed special services.A W hole Schoo l -Com m nni ty ApproachAltho ugh school counse lors make substant ial cont r ibu t ions to he lpingal l students become career ready through their work in comprehensiveschool counse l ing prog ram s, so do teachers , adm inis t ra tors , paren ts ,and m em bers of various com m uni ty orga niza t ions . H elpin g a ll s tuden tsbecom e career ready requi res a who le scho ol -co m m un i ty approach. Th egoal of stud ent career readiness m us t be reected in school bu i lding and


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skills,and dispositions to help students become career ready. Finally, thegoal of student career readiness must also be reflected in the activitiesof local chambers of commerce; service clubs; and business, industry,and labor organizations.Reference.*;Associat ion for Career and Technical Educat ion. (2006). Reinventing the American high

school for the 21st century. Alexandria, VA: Author.Carey, E. N ., H err , E. L. (2 01 2) . Career transitions; A new reality. Career Develop-

ments, 28, 5 - 9 .Davis , J. B. (1914) . Vocational and moral guidance. Boston, MA: Ginn.Dutkowsky, S. (2013 ). Trendsin training and development.Retrieved from ht tp : / /e are ers .

s t a teun iver s i ty .com/pages /852 /Trends - in -Tra in ing -Developmen t .h tmlGysbers , N . C , Hen derson , P. (201 2) . Developing managing your school guidance

counseling program-(5th ed .). Alexandria, VA: Am erican Co unse ling Association.Gysbers, N . C , Heppn er , M. J . , Johnston , J . A. (200 9) . Career counseling: Contexts,

processes, and techniques (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.Gysbers, N . C , Lapan, R. T. (20 09 ).Strengths-basedcareerdevelopment for schoolguid

ance and counseling programs. Chelsea, Ml: Counseling Outfit ters.Gysbers, N . C , Stanley, J . B., Kosteck-Bunch, L., M agnu son, C. S., Starr , M. E. (20 11) .

Missouri comprehensiveguidance and counseling program: A manual for program, de-velopment, implementation, evaluation and enhancement. Warrensburg: University ofCentral Missouri, Missouri Center for Career Educat ion.

Lapan, R. T. (2004). Career development across the IC-16 years: Connecting the presentto satisfying and successful futures. Alexandria, VA: Am erican Coun seling A ssociation.Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy. (2011). Student learning plans: Sup-porting every student's transition tocollege an d career. Cambridge, MA: Author .

Webster s unabridged dictionary (2nd ed.) . (20 01) . New York, NY: Ran dom H ous e.


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C o p y r i g h t o f C a r e e r D e v e l o p m e n t Q u a r t e r l y i s t h e p r o p e r t y o f W i l e y - B l a c k w e l l a n d i t s

c o n t e n t m a y n o t b e c o p i e d o r e m a i l e d t o m u l t i p l e s i t e s o r p o s t e d t o a l i s t s e r v w i t h o u t t h e

c o p y r i g h t h o l d e r ' s e x p r e s s w r i t t e n p e r m i s s i o n . H o w e v e r , u s e r s m a y p r i n t , d o w n l o a d , o r e m a i l

a r t i c l e s f o r i n d i v i d u a l u s e .

Career-Ready Students a Goal of Comprehensive School Counseling Programs

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