About Us
Table of Contents
Program Overview
Mission
Support educational leaders to create meaningful learning opportunities for students to gain knowledge and develop their understanding of career development and life exploration concepts to ensure they are ready for their next steps.
Vision
Educators will report that the CDLE Program Coordinator was essential in supporting them to implement CDLE initiatives, developing inter-school collaborative relationships, and building skills to facilitate student success.
CDLE Program Coordinator will support educators in their pursuits of delivering programming to students of the highest calibre that connect to CDLE topics, assisting student success rates in their respective courses.
CDLE Program Coordinator will develop resources to benefit all relevant parties – administrators, educators, students, parents/guardians, and community partners.
CDLE Program Coordinator will develop a CDLE Professional Learning Group within Hanover School Division to collaborate on concepts related to CDLE.
What is a Career Development and Life Exploration Program Coordinator?
The focus of this role is to come alongside schools to support students’ learning of who they are and how it relates to possible careers (or “real life”). Individualized school plans are created to incorporate career development and life exploration concepts into the classroom in ways that enhance what is already happening and that meet the needs of students.
What is “career development?”
MORE THAN WORK
Career development is more than work. According to CERIC, “career development is the lifelong process of managing learning, work, leisure, and transitions in order to move toward a personally determined and evolving preferred future” (https://ceric.ca/glossary-of-career-development).
Career includes learning (i.e. education), work (i.e. employment, entrepreneurship), volunteerism and leisure time (Guiding Principles of Career Development, CERIC).
SELF-MANAGEMENT IS KEY
Managing is a key word in the definition of career development. Our role is to "[help] clients learn how to manage themselves" (Redekopp & Huston, 2020).
Help students answer "Who do I want to be in the world?" "What kind of lifestyle am I seeking?" and "How can I make an impact?"
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Determine interests, beliefs, values, skills, and competencies
Understand opinions, navigate with purpose, make informed choices
Self-directed process
Make the most of talent and potential
Internal (financial, cultural, health) and external (labour market, technology) constraints exist
Supported and shaped by educators, family, peers, and community partners
Adaptation and resilience needed to help with transitions
Source: Guiding Principles of Career Development, CERIC.
What is “life exploration?”
Life exploration refers to learning about oneself including one’s interests, personality, likes/dislikes, values, background, circumstances, and experience. When this information is viewed in the light of career development, students can start to investigate what career options might be a good fit for themselves.
Why career development and life exploration? What value does this work add?
When students understand the real-world connections to what they are learning in the classroom, it can increase their investment in their learning. It makes it more authentic and gives the work they are doing a clear purpose. Creating connections between the curriculum and careers is one way to help students see the purpose of the work they’re doing.
The goal is to ensure that students are not “pigeon-holed” into career choices but rather understand who they are and how that may influence different options available to them. Helping students understand the industries of work available to them (instead of job titles) and how it might fit with who they are is key to this work.
BENEFITS
Educational, societal, and financial benefits
Individuals have greater well-being and satisfaction
Increased student success and graduation rates
Source: Guiding Principles of Career Development, CERIC.
SKILL DEVELOPMENT
Career development topics help to develop transferrable skills that are beneficial to various subjects and then ultimately their future work. Some relevant skills include research, evaluation, discussion, critical thinking, decision-making, communication, collaboration (i.e. team tasks/projects), and time management (i.e. meeting due dates/deadlines).
ADDITIONAL READING
Additional Information from Manitoba Education and Training can be found here.
Self-discovery
Goal setting
Digital portfolios
Discovering who you are, including your learning styles, interests, personality traits, values, and motivations
Work documents – resumes, cover letters
Job search strategies and tools
Labour market information
Application forms and process
Interview preparation
Success in the workplace
Informational interviews
myBlueprint
Post-secondary education and training
Finance tools
Not listed here but interested to know more? Connect with Kirby Krause through email at kkrause@hsd.ca or by phone at 204-905-3030.
Co-Planning/Co-Teaching:
I look forward to co-planning and/or co-teaching with educators to find ways to incorporate career development and life exploration into what is already happening in the classroom.
Co-Planning/Co-Teaching:
Deeper learning is a part of HSD’s mission. I can work with teachers to find ways to connect career development to the 6Cs of Deeper Learning.
myBlueprint Support
myBlueprint is a platform that can be used in the classroom. Some resources include digital portfolios, interest surveys, high school credit planning, and post-secondary planning, etc.
Resource Development
Website: Sections can be added to the site to meet the needs of edcuators, students, and parents/guardians.
Video Series: Local business tours and local professional interviews can be developed upon request.
Fact Sheets: I am open to creating or curating resources that help teachers and guidance counsellors with their work.
Some resources in development include subject options sheets (i.e. “I am interested in ____ (subject) so what career could I do?”) and course choice implications (i.e. “I don’t want to take _______ (course) so what does that mean for my post-secondary options?”).
Project Ideas: Video series that link to topics in the classroom, Leadership Club, STEAM planning and co-teaching, Career Week (spending time in the schools supporting career development connections in the classroom)
Skill Development: Digital Portfolios, “Who Am I?” surveys
Other Supports: Project 11, Junior Achievement, Wise Workshops, Young Workers Readiness Certificate Course
Work Experience Support
Safety and Health Policy
HSAP Applications
Work Experience Paperwork (including site assessments)
1:1 Career Coaching
Credit Support and Post-Secondary Planning
Project Ideas: Career fairs designed with local schools in mind, in-house safety training
Please note: This is just a small snapshot of some of the projects that I’ve spoken to various schools about and have begun working on. If you have other ideas and are wondering if I can help, I’m sure I can! Reach out anytime.
Contact Kirby Krause by email at kkrause@hsd.ca or by phone at 204-905-3030.