A Career Advisory System for Australia?

Abstract

This article presents a review of career activity, in particular as it relates to vocational education and training, and proposes a model for a system that incorporates an understanding of:

• the transition to the changing world of work;

• the range and variety of types of employment; and

• the best means of utilising available pathways between employment, on- and off-the-job vocational education and training, and university study.

In order to maximise the benefits to be gained from recent reforms in the education and training system, an improved career advisory system is needed to enable students to make informed choices regarding further study and employment. The continual demands for retraining, skills development, work restructuring and continuous improvement mean that the individual's need for ongoing opportunities for career information, counselling and advice can no longer be limited to the formal years of education.

The Career Pathways project team, with the assistance of a reference group, undertook a range of tasks to collect data for the report. These included interviews, visits, focus groups, literature and policy reviews, and detailed analysis of practices of six countries: France, Germany, New Zealand, Canada the United States and the United Kingdom. This article represents a summary of the report, highlighting key findings and recommendations.