Search Results for: Practitioner standards
Improving the transparency of higher education admissions: Joint higher education sector and Australian Government implementation plan
The Australian Government released today a plan to implement the recommendations of the Higher Education Standards Panel’s 2016 report: Improving the transparency of higher education admissions.
54 written submissions were received in response to the consultation draft of the plan. IWG members also met with more than 30 stakeholder organisations in formal discussion, including provider peak bodies, tertiary admission centres, career educators, students, parents, school principals, state and territory secondary curriculum and assessment authorities, equity interest groups and practitioners, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Australian Institute for Teaching and School leadership. There was strong stakeholder support for the principles and objectives articulated in the plan.
The plan sets out a phased approach to implementation, with some changes to be put in place this year for the benefit of 2018 higher education applicants. This includes delivery of consistently framed whole-of-institution information on admission policies and processes, along with comparable data on recent student admissions and the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) profile of places offered for every course available. A broader suite of course-level information will be delivered in 2018 to support those applying to study in 2019.
Admissions Transparency Implementation Plan
May 2, 2016
CICA Welcomes the Announcement of a New National Career Education Strategy
The Career Industry Council of Australia has welcomed the announcement that the Turnbull Government will as part of its education quality reforms; improve career advice provided to students by working to develop a new National Career Education Strategy.
David Carney, Executive Director of the Career Industry Council of Australia said, ‘as the Australian economy evolves and transforms, it is imperative that young people are provided with high quality career advice, ensuring that they are making well informed career decisions about their future’.
Research conducted by the Career Industry Council of Australia in 2015 shows that over half of all school career practitioners are working part time in their role. Of those, just 1 in 3 are able to devote the entirety of their time to career education and guidance. This is coupled with the fact that in the last three years career practitioners are 1.75 times more likely to have had their time decreased rather than increased.
At a time when the Australian labour market is undergoing a transition and young people need support in their career decision-making, resourcing is reducing.
A new National Strategy must address the need for schools to ensure that appropriately qualified and experienced career advisors are employed and are appropriately resourced.
Mr Carney said, “ If you need to see a Doctor, you are comfortable in the knowledge that the diagnosis and advice you are given is being backed up by the fact that the Doctor has appropriate medical qualifications and experience. If you require the services of a tradesperson, ensuring they are trained and qualified is essential. In schools however, we think it is OK for someone to provide career advice to a young person with no career specific qualifications ”.
Career Advisers who are registered as Professional by the Career Industry Council of Australia meet the Professional Standards set down by the industry. They are required to have completed an appropriate career development qualification, adhere to a code of ethical standards and maintain a minimum standard of ongoing learning that ensures that their knowledge and skills are constantly updated to ensure currency of the advice being provided.
It is essential that career advisors in schools be provided with opportunities to engage effectively with industry. Changes in technology and in the labour market have produced new vocational options, which, at present, are not well understood by many young people or their classroom teachers, increasing the need for contact with industry professionals.
Research shows that career advisers need and want greater contact with employers and industry. 76% of career advisers who have been in their role for less than 2 years see industry connections as a critical aspect of enhancing their role.
The Career Industry Council of Australia looks forward to working with the Australian Government in developing a new National Career Education strategy that will improve the quality of career advice provided to our young Australians.
Enquiries contact:
David Carney, Executive Director
Career Industry Council of Australia
0407 195 362
March 25, 2015LACK OF FUNDING DEPRIVES YOUNG AUSTRALIANS OF NECESSARY CAREER SUPPORT
Career practitioners working in schools are under resourced and time poor, in turn affecting young Australians’ ability to transition successfully and enter the workforce.
Research released today by the Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA) and McCrindle shows that over half of all school career practitioners are working part time in their role. Of those, just 1 in 3 are able to devote the entirety of their time to career education and guidance.
Career practitioners increasingly under-resourced
Research shows 1 in 3 career practitioners are provided with less than $1000 annually to undertake career development activities across their entire school.
1 in 2 schools with a population of over 1000 students have less than $3 per student to spend on career education.
Preparing young Australians for an ever-changing workforce is a growing challenge, particularly when career practitioners are under-resourced and under-funded.
“What career professionals provide is key to getting young people into the workforce. Today’s school leavers are the most digitally supplied and globally connected generation in history but also have more post-school options to consider than any previous generation – they need help transitioning from education to participation,” says Mark McCrindle, principal of McCrindle. “We know that school leavers today need life and career skills which can future-proof their employment in this changing, multi-career era and this is exactly what career practitioners provide.”
One in five unemployed Australians today is a teenager
More than 290,000 young Australians aged 15 to 24 were categorised as unemployed in January 2015.
The hardest hit were the 15 to 19 year olds, with the unemployment rate for this group hitting 20 per cent – a level not seen since the mid-1990s. Nearly 160,000 Australians aged 15 to 19 were unemployed in January, out of an overall pool of more than 780,000 unemployed.
“If we expect 15-19 year olds to be independent and resilient contributors to our society, it is important to provide them with quality career education programs whilst in school and give them access to high quality career advice, assisting them to make informed decisions about future study and work. This advice should come from qualified career advisers who meet the industry’s professional standards and have been registered by CICA.” – David Carney, CICA Executive Director.
In 2014, CICA published a School Career Development Service Benchmark Resource. This resource has been developed for Principals and leadership teams of schools to help them achieve the best value and outcomes from their career development services. For a copy of the benchmark visit www.cica.org.au/quality-benchmarking
This release references the findings from a national survey conducted by CICA of 937 career practitioners working in schools across Australia, visualized in the infographic, “A Snapshot of Career Practitioners in Australia”.
May 27, 2014
History
The Career Industry Council of Australia – a world first!
The Career Industry Council of Australia had its genesis in 1999, when a group of far sighted career practitioners and academics identified the need for a peak body to be formed that would promote contemporary career development issues to government, private and community sectors, and provide models of best practice. The policies to drive career education forward as a critical component of the secondary school curriculum were articulated in 1992 through the Ministerial Council of Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs. Later Anna Lichtenberg, Col McCowan and others advocated for a National Forum to carry these issues forward, and to contribute to national and global issues on career development.
While the concepts were visionary the various career associations around the country were in development-phase themselves, and the Forum was not sustainable at that time. Other factors, in particular the lack of easy and inexpensive means of communication with each other also inhibited the development of such a Forum, but the flame of insight and inspiration was kept alive, and in 1999 a teleconference between interested associations was held to test the water.
The first informal face-to-face meeting of interested association representatives was held at the IAEVG International Conference in Perth, 2000 with Bryan Hiebert from Canada contributing to the discussion on the development of across country collaboration and partnerships.
In a maturing career development industry the imperatives to develop a cohesive relationship between the associations was more obvious, and a commitment was made to meet during the year 2000 to test the feasibility of forming a consortium (now council) of representatives from the diverse career associations.
At this meeting there was a high level of commitment to working together for the good of the Australian community, and the initial vision and mission statements were articulated. The aim to be inclusive of all specialities under the overarching framework of career development was identified.
Founding member associations provide membership services to people in secondary schools, TAFE, Universities, the public and private sector, specialised groups who work with elite performers and rehabilitation clients, employment services, and in community organisations, and private practice. The logical inclusion of the Graduate Careers Council of Australia as a full member, added to the depth and diversity of the group, and Roger Bartley (then CEO) provided wise advice and advocacy in the early stages of incorporation.
Associations also indicated their desire to contribute to the development of Quality Standards, as well as community education. One of the main aims was to evolve as a peak body that would speak with one voice, and act effectively as a lobby and reference group for government, industry and the community.
CICA since its formation has worked hard to ensure that it carries on the national and regional work initiated by individual associations, advocating on behalf of Australian Career Practitioners in the issues that relate to the vision of having a career development culture in Australia, where citizens are empowered to make informed career decisions, and manage their career development across their life-time.
Members of the Council were delighted that the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) was able to support our early meetings with an initial grant under the trusteeship of the Australian Association of Career Counsellors (AACC). The career associations provided seeding money to progress the incorporation, and also to subsidise travel and accommodation for our bi-annual meetings.
CICA incorporated as an entity in its own right in 2003 with the decision made to incorporate in the State of Victoria. This milestone year heralded CICA as a world first in the global career development industry.
As a result of building on relationships with government and other agencies, members of CICA have been involved in a number of significant initiatives working in collaboration to workshop the creation of the myfuture website. Mary McMahon and Peter Tatham wrote the foundation paper to inform the development of that investment, and members are still involved with the writing or promotion of myfuture.
CICA had representatives on the myfuture advisory committee, and on the Career and Transition Services – Working Group (CTS-WG). There was a gradual transference of some existing advocacy roles on such groups as the Centrelink Partnership Group Forum, and representation on the ANTA Strategic Directions Planning Group.
The participation of CICA in the Leaders in Careers Forum was a significant inclusion, and there are a number of other Forums where CICA was representing career practitioners. CICA has been able to inform and influence stakeholders, and has developed and continues to develop strategies to be an effective national peak body and lobby group.
There was strong support from CICA for the recommendations of the OECD Country paper, Past President and Executive Director, Peter Tatham was selected from the CTS-WG to accompany Mr Tony Grear of DEST to Toronto to an international seminar to discuss the OECD recommendations.
CICA representatives and association members workshopped the Australian Blueprint for Career Development, and given it strong support. The opportunity to input into the adaptation of the Canadian model allowed CICA to discuss the issues of common understandings of terminology in the career development literature, and current usage. The paper “Life, Learning and Work” by Mary McMahon, Peter Tatham, and Wendy Patton provided an impetus for informed discussion, and also a vehicle for informing policy makers, education, and industry leaders on the current issues of developing skills to manage life, learning and work.
CICA is now an invited party to debates on career development issues, and has already gained recognition for its willingness to contribute to discussion papers, seminars and workshops. The development of an excellent working relationship with Governments facilitates cross-fertilisation of ideas, and frank exchanges about issues that impact on the profession.
There is a strongly developing relationship between policy makers, researchers and career practitioners in this country, and CICA will continue to encourage this interactive and constructive relationship.
The impact on individual members of career associations will be cumulative. As the realisation that quality career interventions impact on the economic as well as social benefits for all Australians, and as we are more able to promote the advantages of these interventions, the profile of the career industry will be raised, and the opportunities for practitioners will expand.
Course Endorsement
The Career Industry Council of Australia has examined program proposals put forward by the universities and training providers as detailed below for the specific courses as listed.
In endorsing these programs the Career Industry Council of Australia has requested that each university and training provider work cooperatively with the CICA Endorsement Committee to enhance and further embed the core competency framework of the Professional Standards for Australian Career Development Practitioners within their programs.
CICA commends the universities and training providers for their contribution to improving the quality of career services in Australia by conducting programs that meet the Professional Standards for Australian Career Development Practitioners. This endorsement is for a period of three years for the Graduate Certificate or higher and two years for the Certificate IV in Career Development.
The programs listed below have been endorsed and meet the standards.
It should be noted that only courses that meet the guidelines will receive endorsement.
The courses listed above are the only courses endorsed to date by CICA. Universities are responsible for completion of the Endorsement Application documents. If a postgraduate course is not listed here it has not yet applied for endorsement.
It should be noted that only postgraduate courses endorsed by CICA (and listed above) will meet the requirements of the Professional Standards. Courses must be endorsed by CICA, it is not sufficient for a course to state that it has been “designed to meet the requirements”.
If you need information about a course not listed above you should contact the course coordinator or other contact listed in the course information and ask if they will be applying for endorsement of their course.
Please note: the Professional Standards for Australian Career Development Practitioners sets out the minimum qualifications for career development practitioners – Certificate IV is the minimum qualification for Associate Members and a CICA endorsed postgraduate qualification is the minimum qualification for Professional Members.
CICA recommends that schools looking to provide training to staff wishing to undertake a career development role should enrol in a Graduate Certificate in Career Development or higher in order to be deemed a Professional.
