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The Career Development Services and Supports Survey asked respondents
to provide a working definition of career development. Definitions
varied along a continuum that started from a more traditional
vocational approach focusing on immediate educational and occupational/
employment choices towards a broader approach that also included the
development of long-term career management skills that could be applied
over a lifetime.
The traditional definition
of career development is focussed on the goal of preparing for the
world of work. It is seen as encompassing the development of the whole
person, but places a critical emphasis on gaining the skills and
experience for work in order to find one's vocation in life. The
primary goal of this approach is directed to improving one's
employability for obtaining meaningful work.
The second view of career
development defines it as a lifelong process of becoming aware of,
exploring and experiencing factors that influence various aspects of a
person's life. The knowledge, skills and attitudes that evolve through
this path of discovery enable planning and decision making not only
about work exploration and related employment and vocational choices
but also about personal management and life/work skills. Career
development is part of lifelong learning, in that personal and
vocational skills constantly change and expand during a lifetime in
response to career changes and emerging opportunities.
Reaching consensus on a common
definition of career development will be a challenge that needs to be
addressed in any proposed career development strategy. This definition
will need to be flexible enough to gain the support of all stakeholders.
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