Overview

Career development professionals are typically found in educational settings, training organisations, careers and employment services and human resource or learning and development departments in both the public and the private sector.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to assist individuals as well as organisations before or during career transitions to develop long and short term career strategies. Transitions could include moving from education to employment, re-entering the labour market, resuming education, changing sectors, organisations or management roles, facing redundancy, and making pre-retirement decisions.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for helping individuals assess their own strengths, values, beliefs, and situation and connect them meaningfully to the labour market and the education system. They are responsible for making professional judgements in the best interest of the client whilst adhering to the ethical practice required by the organisation or profession and acting in accordance with organisational policy and relevant legislation. A career development professional is required to act with autonomy, working independently, often on their own and in collaboration with other professionals, for example careers leaders, senior academics, social workers, course tutors, managers and HR professionals.

In their daily work, career development professionals will provide activities and services on an individual or group basis and these may be face-to-face or via on-line technology. They will help people make informed occupational choices, access decent work and facilitate sustainable development. They will interact with: clients with a range of needs and at different stages of their careers; training providers who support the development of skills and vocational training including those needed for sustainable development and the green economy; schools, colleges and universities to support educational or occupational choices and labour market entry and progression; employers to broker employment opportunities including work experience and internships; and other support organisations, such as housing associations, health care providers and social services to address the client's wider needs, for example, accommodation and financial support.

They will exercise their responsibility thorough the provision of information, ideas, tools and resources, administration of assessment and self-assessment tools, career guidance interviews, career education programmes, career coaching, taster programmes, work-search programmes, outplacement, redundancy and transition services, retention and talent assessment reviews, career progression or promotion training, and other forms of career development related consultancy, research and professional development.

Apprenticeship Assessment

Each assessment organisation is responsible for designing its own assessments in line with the apprenticeship standard. The Academy for Project Management has developed an assessment model that allows apprentices to demonstrate competence against the required assessment outcomes. Comprehensive guidance and resources are provided to support both apprentices and training providers.

The assessment for the Career includes:

• A Professional Discussion

And the choice of a:

• presentation
• interview
• additional professional discussion
• question and answer
• written assessment
• project
• portfolio

The standard also includes Employability Skills and Behaviours (EBs), which must be demonstrated consistently by the apprentice throughout the programme. Employers are required to formally confirm this before completion.

Assessment Timing

Components of the assessment may be scheduled at appropriate points during the apprenticeship. The Academy for Project Management works closely with training providers to ensure assessments are timed effectively, allowing apprentices to demonstrate their skills and knowledge at key stages in their development.

Additional information on the apprenticeship standard and the assessment process can be viewed here.

Becoming a Centre

Training providers interested in delivering elements of the assessment internally can explore the Centre model with us. Guidance is available on how the model operates and the steps required to become an approved Centre. For more information, please contact administration@academy4pm.com