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A successful and satisfying career results from a strategic approach
to learning, gaining practical experiences and through serendipitous
opportunities. This means developing personal attributes, employability
skills and positive attitudes as the foundation to a rewarding career.
Consequently, career development is not just about jobs or professions
but the nurturing of life journeys through the effective interaction
of all things that bring about the attainment of personal, work and
life goals.
The expansion of a career development culture across Australia is being
driven at a Federal level by the Department of Education, Science and
Technology and, within Western Australia, by the Department of Education
and Training. Work experience is a key aspect of career development
because it involves:
- making well informed decisions about occupation, study and career
pathway options;
- commencing career knowledge and experiences at primary education
levels;
- skilfully transitioning between education and employment (and visa
versa); and
- confidence in self managing labour market options and opportunities.
Work experiences of all types encourage the development and integration
of employability skills across all educational levels
for everyone. Additionally the learning and skill development that come
from researching, planning, participating in and reflecting on work
experience fits within the Australian Blueprint for Career Development
framework: a strategic approach to career development in Australia.
You may read more about these through the resource links provided below.
Benefits of Work Experience
For the Individual benefits include:
- the application of learning in a ‘real’ environment
- the opportunity to talk and network with industry and community
representatives
- having an enhanced résumé appeal
- being more aware of career opportunities which leads to more informed
decisions being made
For the Employer benefits include:
- a strategic approach to skill and labour shortages
- a cost effective recruitment strategy
- the provision of staff development opportunities
- the injection of new ideas, specialist knowledge and enthusiasm
- specialised or routine tasks being completed within managed timeframes
For the Community benefits include:
- enhanced social competencies
- life-long learning and community attitudes
- employability for career heath and satisfaction in our daily lives
You may read more about these through the resource links provided below.
Resources:
Australian Blueprint for Career Development
– Career Competencies - [.doc | 55.5 kb]
The Blueprint introduces 11 career competencies, each with a set of
performance indicators and grouped into three interconnected key areas
– personal management, learning and work exploration, and career
building. There are four developmental phases ensuring that the career
competencies are relevant across a whole lifespan.
Employability Skills for
the Future - Matrix - [.doc | 51 kb]
The matrix is a quick guide to the personal attributes and skills
that aid individual employability in the market place. They also reflect
the attributes and skills required by business to achieve strategic
goals. Note: This matrix has been developed from the Employability Skills
for the Future project. (A link to this resource has been provided below.)
Australian Blueprint for Career Development (ABCD)
The Blueprint is very relevant to work experience. It has a focus
on the broad range of skills, attitudes and experiences that contribute
to a fulfilled life of learning and working as well as the more traditional
career and employment focus of career development.
Report:
Employability Skills for the Future Project
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Business Council
of Australia undertook this research project to provide the Department
of Education, Science and Training with a detailed understanding of
the employability skills needs of industry.
Employers involved in the study indicated that they placed a particular
emphasis on trying to assess attributes and skills during the selection
process when recruiting new employees. A resource used for this assessment
included work experience reports and placement experiences.
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