The SLCP can help students become more aware of who they are and what
they have already accomplished—the foundation to effective life/work
planning. Also, by recognizing how the decisions they make today can have
an impact on their future, students can take better advantage of the
learning opportunities they have. They will be more confident that they
have, or can develop, the competencies they need to make successful
transitions into further learning, adult roles and economic independence.
The SLCP provides a location for students to consolidate and reflect on
their career-related experiences at school, at home and in the community.
The SLCP provides a framework whereby secondary school students and their
parents can focus, at least once per year, on the students’ career plans
and reflect on:
the evolving nature of students’ career plans as they mature, learn and have new experiences
the importance of the careful selection of courses—courses that will contribute to students’ personal career plans by helping them explore career options as well as build their academic and technical competencies
student responsibility to learn about and manage the career planning process—a skill they will use throughout their lives
how home, school and community can influence students’ career plans and choices
the wide range of programs and services that are available in the school and community to help students with career planning
how what students learn in school helps prepare them for their transitions from senior high school
the flexibility students have in accessing and moving through the basic and adult learning systems.
Student Outcomes
As students understand and use the career planning processes and
principles, they will become successful career planners and have:
a solid understanding of their individuality and effectively relate this understanding to their occupational and educational decision making
a proven ability to set goals and maintain action plans that help them attain those goals
an opportunity to gain real-life experiences relevant to their chosen occupational paths; e.g., work and volunteer experience, cocurricular involvement
an opportunity to develop the skills needed to access current information and use it effectively in the career decision-making process; e.g., post-secondary programs, labour market trends, scholarships, loans and occupational information.
School Applications of the Student Learning–Career Planner
The SLCP is an important tool for Alberta’s secondary
schools as they work with students, parents and other key partners to help
students move through the career planning process. It is a tool that can
be used during the registration process, reporting periods and
student/parent interviews. While the SLCP does not replace a career
portfolio or a presentation portfolio2, it can serve as a foundation for
the development and enhancement of a personal career portfolio.
2 A comprehensive career portfolio is a carefully organized collection that illustrates and showcases a student's competencies, abilities and talents. A presentation portfolio is a selection of items from the career portfolio targeted for a specific purpose and audience; e.g., interview for employment in a particular occupation or industry, scholarship or entry into a particular post-secondary program.
Teachers can review the SLCP to better understand the scope of student
interests and accomplishments. As well, the SLCP is a valuable tool for
student consultations with school counsellors, teacher–advisors and
career centre consultants. The SLCP is an excellent tool that schools and
school systems can use to implement the Comprehensive Career Development
System and the Comprehensive Guidance and Counselling Program.3
3 For more information, see From Position to Program: Building a Comprehensive School Guidance and Counselling Program, Edmonton, AB: Alberta Education, 1995.
The SLCP complements the many programs and services secondary schools
provide to help students make career decisions and prepare for their
transition into the workplace or post-secondary learning. All courses help
students expand their competencies as they prepare for the future. In
particular, Career and Life Management 20 and courses in Health and Life
Skills, career and technology studies (CTS), work experience and various
other career-specific programs, include outcomes that help students learn
about themselves and the wide range of learning and work opportunities
that are available to them. Students can review, consolidate and reflect
on those learning experiences in the SLCP. As well, there are many
services and activities provided through school counsellors and career
centres that can be included in the SLCP.
As individuals make career decisions at different times, in different ways and for different reasons, schools need to provide comprehensive, integrated career development programs and services throughout the K–12 learning experience.
Connections of the Student Learning–Career Planner to Career Development
Career planning is the responsibility of the student and his/her
parent/guardian and family. Schools, along with other community partners,
can assist in the process. The SLCP is a tool that schools can use to help
students learn about and apply the career planning process and the
principles considered important for career planning in the 21st
century.
Career Development Framework
Career development refers to a school system’s and/or a school’s
strategic plan to provide the support that students need as they prepare
for their transition from senior high school into the workplace or
post-secondary learning. Secondary schools are encouraged to plan how they
can increase their effectiveness in attending to the following career
development processes:
personal management—students build awareness of self, develop essential employability competencies and increase confidence in their ability to move successfully into adult roles
learning and work exploration—students learn about the wide range of learning and work opportunities and link these to personal interests and goals
life/work building—referred to in the SLCP as career planning—students build a career "tool kit," make career decisions, and implement plans for further learning or workplace entry
work preparation—students develop the competencies and credentials they need for entry into work or further learning—post-secondary, apprenticeship, workplace learning
career transitions—government, school systems and community partners establish systems and processes that help students make successful transitions into the workplace and further learning.
Secondary schools are encouraged to "map out" their
career-related programs and services to ensure that they meet the needs
of every student. Ideally these programs and services should be:
inclusive, to ensure that every student has access to personal career advice and coaching—either through teacher–advisor programs, one-to-one counselling or career centre consultations
ongoing, to provide opportunities on a regular basis, throughout secondary school grades, for students to reflect on and consider their options and opportunities as they make choices in their formal and informal learning experiences
coordinated, to reduce unnecessary duplication in classroom activities and resources in the various courses that deal with career-related learning outcomes; e.g., teaching how to write résumés.
Career Planning Process
The SLCP models a process of information gathering, reflection and
action as outlined in the career planning process—a process students
will need to apply throughout their lives as they respond to ongoing
changes in themselves and the world around them.
Career Planning Principles
The SLCP encourages students, with the help of their parents and
teacher–advisors, to apply the following career planning principles, or
key messages, as they reflect on past experiences, consider options and
plan for the future.
Key Messages in Making Career Plans
- Change is constant—Adaptability is one of the most important skills you’ll carry into the 21st century.
- Follow your heart—Let your dreams shape your goals so that you go after what you really want.
- Team up with your allies/be an ally—Your friends, family and teachers can be valuable resources in helping you achieve your goals.
- Learning is ongoing—The end of school doesn’t mean the end of learning. Opportunities to learn are all around and you will need to take advantage of them.
- Focus on the journey—Life is not a destination. It’s an exciting trip with many directions and goals that may change.
HBelieve
in yourself—Have confidence that you have the skills and ability to
meet new challenges and attain your goals.
Managing the Student Learning–Career Planner
Before a school embarks on the implementation of the SLCP, a number of
questions should be considered.
1. How does the SLCP add value to the career development program and services already under way in the school?
A Career Development Team4 should meet a couple of times a year to
"map out" what career-related programs, services and initiatives
are under way in the school. This team can also "map" how
career-related resources will be used. Appendix A provides a worksheet for
"mapping" these programs and services.
4 The Career Development Team could include all staff involved in the support of career development; e.g., teachers of health, CALM 20, CTS and other programs including career-related outcomes; school counsellors; career centre coordinators; school librarians; and key community partners.
A key challenge here is to ensure that all school staff are aware and
supportive of students’ work on the SLCP. As well, parents and community
partners need to be informed that the students are working on the SLCP.
2. How can the SLCP be implemented in secondary schools?
The SLCP for middle/junior high school students can be delivered
through the Grade 6 to Grade 9 Health and Life Skills courses.
The SLCP for senior high school students can be delivered in a variety
of ways, including:
as part of a teacher–advisor program
as part of the three Career Directions courses in the Career Transitions strand of the CTS program
through school counselling offices and/or career centres.
3. How should the SLCP be stored?
As a work-in-progress, the SLCP needs to be stored in a place where the
student can have direct access to it but also have a reasonable degree of
security and supervision. For example, the SLCP could be stored in filing
cabinets in the library (bar coded), student services offices, career
centres, with the teacher–advisor or teacher most responsible for career
planning.
The SLCP should not be stored with cumulative files or in the
counsellor’s office, as this will restrict student access.
When students leave school or transfer to another school, they should
take the SLCP with them. Alternatively, the SLCP could be included with
the cumulative files that are sent to the receiving school.
4. How does the SLCP relate to/differ from a personal career portfolio and a presentation portfolio?
A comprehensive career portfolio is a carefully organized collection
that illustrates and showcases a student’s competencies, abilities and
talents. A presentation portfolio is a selection of items from the career
portfolio targeted for a specific purpose and audience; e.g., interview
for employment in a particular occupation or industry, scholarship or
entry into a particular post-secondary program.
While the SLCP can stand alone as an effective career planning tool, it
can also strengthen the development of a personal career portfolio and/or
a presentation portfolio.
For example, the SLCP can provide an "executive summary" of
the personal career portfolio. As well, the SLCP can be the location to
store material, such as checklists and career inventories, until it is
included in the more formal career portfolio. The SLCP can help students
recognize how they could enhance their personal career portfolio or
presentation portfolio, perhaps by adding examples and/or expanding their
learning and work investigations.
5. How can schools purchase the SLCP?
The print version, in file-folder format, can be purchased from the
Learning Resources Centre (LRC). Alternatively, schools could download a sample version of the SLCP from the Alberta Education web site at
http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/curriculum/other.asp.
Suggestions for Completing the Student Learning–Career Planner
The following are brief descriptions of each section of the
middle/junior high school and senior high school versions of the Student
Learning–Career Planner, including some suggestions about how
students could complete the various sections.
Cover Page
Schools may wish to add their school name/logo by attaching a label to
the cover page. There are enough boxes to allow for four school changes.
It is important to identify a teacher/counsellor for each school year to
give students a personal contact for ongoing discussions and coaching
related to their personal career planning. The student’s Alberta
Learning identification number could be included in the Name box.
Personal Profile
The Personal Profile section helps students recognize their present
strengths and assets by identifying their key interests, competencies,
values, favourite subjects and any formal or informal recognition they may
have received. This section helps them identify what is important to them
at this particular time in their lives.
Students should review what they have included in this section on a
regular basis—at least once a year. It is quite likely that as students
mature and reflect on who they are and what is important to them, they may
want to add or delete some information.
Various checklists and inventories completed in career-specific
courses, such as Health and Life Skills, and Career and Life Management
20, can help students identify their interests, competencies and values.
It is important that students have an opportunity to complete a variety of
checklists and inventories over the secondary school experience so that
they do not let the results of one checklist or inventory limit their
learning and work exploration. They need to recognize that the checklists
are just a tool to promote personal reflection.
The Personal Profile section also asks students to identify their
favourite subjects. Students who enjoy particular courses may well find
that they will enjoy occupations that use the same skills or competencies.
Helping students recognize the many learning and work opportunities
related to specific subject areas will encourage them to expand their
options and give them a focus for more detailed occupational
investigations.
Noting any formal or informal recognition they have received can help
students build confidence and assist them when they complete their
résumés. It gives them an opportunity to document events and experiences
of which they are proud. This section can also help students set goals to
earn future forms of recognition; e.g., awards, certificates, licences.
Student Experiences
The Student Experiences section is similar to the Personal Profile
section in that it helps students identify their assets. By noting their
activities—in school, at home and in the community—students can
identify additional competencies that they may be using in these
environments. Reflecting on what it is that they enjoy, or don’t enjoy,
about a particular experience could help them identify future learning or
work situations that they would prefer. Information in this section can
help them develop their career portfolio and their presentation portfolio.
Education Information
The Education Information section provides a quick reference for what
courses have already been taken. This can lead to questions, such as: What
courses will help students explore and investigate various work options?
What courses are needed to build the foundations students require for
their next transition—into senior high school, into post-secondary
study, into a particular occupation? Note: In the senior high
school SLCP, only courses that generate credits should be included. For
example, if students are working part time, they would not include that
under work experience but reference that in the Career Planning Activities
section, under Experience of Work. Similarly, if they are involved in
community music or drama productions, they could reference that in the
Student Experiences section or under Experience of Work in the Career
Planning Activities section if they are considering a career in the arts.
In the middle/junior high school SLCP, such activities as job shadowing
and/or Take Our Kids to WorkTM should be referenced in
the Career Planning Activities section.
Career Planning Activities
The Career Planning Activities section asks students to document what
they are doing related to the career planning process.
- Know Yourself—What have students done to better understand themselves—self-assessment inventories? This section allows for a great deal of flexibility depending on the self-assessment and career investigation inventories used in various schools. Students can briefly document the results of the various checklists and inventories, including key outcomes that were significant to them. A variety of inventories or checklists5 are identified to indicate the scope of the self-assessment activities that could be used with middle/junior high school students. These can be revisited in senior high school to see where such things as interests and skills have changed or strengthened.
5Self-assessment and career investigation inventories may include: CHOICES, DISCOVER, CAREER EXPLORER, SAFRAN INTEREST INVENTORY, COPES (Career Orientation Placement and Evaluation Survey), COPS (Career Occupational Preference System) and MYERS BRIGGS.
- Explore Possibilities—What have students done to investigate the wide range of learning and work6 opportunities that are available? What sources of financial support are available—both for continued learning at post-secondary institutions and/or entrepreneurial initiatives? What experiences of work have they had—part-time jobs; volunteer experiences; job shadowing; mentoring experiences, with a mentor or as a mentor? Investigations can be a formal report on various learning options and work options, including both occupation and industry, or a more informal reflection on various learning/work exploration activities; e.g., field trips, interviews.
6Work includes both paid and unpaid activities and experiences.
- Set Directions—The Transition Scenarios section encourages students to develop and use their planning skills to prepare at least two alternative plans for moving successfully into the next transition. The transition scenario could focus on the move from junior high school to senior high school or from senior high school to the workplace, further study at a post-secondary institution or apprenticeship. Transition plans could include a goal statement/expected outcomes, time frame, expected challenges, action plan, and available resources or assets that can help in attaining the goal. Students would briefly describe the plans in the Transition Scenarios section and include more detailed plans in their career portfolio.
- Take Action—In the Action Plans section, students would document how they are planning to improve their essential competencies7 and learning capacity. The more detailed action plans could be filed in the student’s career portfolio. Students could focus on one or two essential competencies and learning strategies each term/year.
7Essential competencies are the foundation of knowledge, skills and work effort necessary for growth and success in working, learning and living. A copy of The Alberta Framework of Essential Competencies for Working, Learning and Living (ECF) and an Action Planner are available from Alberta Learning, Adult Skills Alberta, at 780–427–4742. Alternatively, teachers can use such materials as Employability Skills 2000+, produced by The Conference Board of Canada and available through their web site at http://www.conferenceboard.ca/nbec.
When completing the Career Planning Activities section of the SLCP,
some students may have the same focus throughout whereas others may change
from year to year.
Career Goals
Once students have started the career planning process, they will begin
to think about possible career areas. What is important here is not just
the career goals but WHY they want to explore this area and HOW they plan
to do this. Writing goals down and dating them are the first steps toward
commitment. The Student Learning–Career Planner is a useful document for
helping students set career goals and revisit them periodically for
evaluation. The steps toward attainment can reference the transition
scenarios, explorations and experiences of work described in the Career
Planning Activities section.
Middle/junior high school students will likely identify broad career
areas. The hope is that by Grade 11 and Grade 12, students will have
completed sufficient activities in such areas as self-assessment, career
investigation and career experience to have a pathway started.
Presentation Portfolio Checklist
The Presentation Portfolio Checklist is only included in the
senior high school SLCP. The checklist identifies the key components to
include in a presentation portfolio. The presentation portfolio should
always be targeted to a particular audience; e.g., to qualify for a
particular scholarship, to take along when going to an interview for a job
or for entry into a particular post-secondary institution/program.
Students should select items from their extensive career portfolio and
modify the items so that they target the interests of the people attending
the presentation.
Career Planning Checklist
The Career Planning Checklist section lists all the areas that should
be reviewed and discussed prior to the student graduating from junior high
school or senior high school. Many of these activities may have been
addressed in various courses. This checklist encourages students to
recognize how the sum of the activities can help them make career
decisions. As outlined in the Career Planning Principles, it is important
to note that the activities in the checklist will help students identify
career paths and, hopefully, recognize that they have many learning and
work options. As students understand how the various career planning
activities can help them make decisions, they will be better able to make
successful transitions now and throughout their lives.
Consultation
The Consultation section ensures that students, teachers and parents
review the Student Learning–Career Planner at least once a year.
This can be done at parent–teacher interviews or other times throughout
the school year. It is important that the planner is discussed and that
follow-up takes place where appropriate. This provides an opportunity to
help students and parents/guardians learn about the career planning
process and career planning principles, as well as share perceptions and
address concerns. It also provides an opportunity for the teacher/counsellor to help students and parents identify various sources of
support, both within the school and in the community.
APPENDIX A
Mapping Career Development Processes and Activities
|
Personal Management |
Self-awareness involves
understanding yourself by clarifying and assessing your present situation
on an ongoing basis and establishing and implementing action plans for
improvement. This includes reflecting on:
· interests
· values
· aptitudes
· goals/dreams/expectations
· work preferences
· multiple intelligence
· skill—academic, essential,
technical
· learning styles
|
|
Learning and Work Exploration
· work options
· learning options
|
Exploring Work Options involves
investigating:
· various forms of work;
e.g., paid, unpaid, full-time, part-time, contract
· occupations—work
environment, education requirements, skills required, potential career
paths
· industries—work
environment, occupations involved, potential career paths
· self-employment
· labour market
trends/projections
· volunteer/community
opportunities
|
| |
Exploring Learning Options involves
investigating entry requirements, expectations—courses, portfolios—articulation
agreements and/or transfer points for:
· apprenticeship—various
trades, local and regional opportunities
· post-secondary study—technical
institutes, colleges, universities
· workplace training
· volunteer/community learning
opportunities
|
|
Life/Work Building
· processes and principles
· career portfolio
· financial support
· action planning
· presenting
|
Understanding Career Planning/Building Processes, Principles and
Guidelines involves:
· understanding basic process—Know
Yourself, Explore Possibilities, Set Directions, Take Action
· reflecting on career planning
principles (High 5+1) and guidelines when making decisions
· knowing how to access and
assess career information and sources of support
· knowing effective strategies
for work search
|
|
|
Developing a Career Portfolio includes:
· evidence of skills or
experiences and key work search tools, sample résumés (various types),
sample letters, personal resource/network list
· selections from work
undertaken in Personal Management; e.g., goals, personal inventories
· selections from work
undertaken in Learning and Work Exploration; e.g., work/learning
investigations, career pathway reports, personal career transition
scenarios
|
| |
Accessing Financial Support involves
identifying sources, requirements and expectations for:
· continuing learning—scholarships,
grants, loans, bursaries, income supports
· work transitions—subsidies
· budgeting and saving
|
| |
Action Planning involves:
· establishing and
implementing plans for self-improvement:
- academic qualifications
- technical qualifications
- essential competencies
- learning capacity
· developing personal career
transition scenarios
· documenting personal
support network
|
| |
Presenting involves describing
yourself, your competencies and your goals for work and learning
transitions through:
· interviews
· presentation portfolios—targeted
to purpose/audience
· networking
|
|
Work Preparation |
Work Preparation involves
developing the academic, essential/employability and technical skills
needed for the transition process. This development occurs throughout all
core and complementary courses. Intermediate and advanced level career and
technology studies courses, as well as fine arts, second and international
languages, and physical education courses can prepare students for related
occupations.
|
|
Career Transitions |
Career Transitions include:
· identifying and applying
for employment—undertaking work search
· applying for entry into a
post-secondary institution
· applying for an
apprenticeship
· identifying and applying
for financial support; e.g., loans, grants, scholarships, bursaries
|
Contacts: Send comments to our curriculum contact.
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