Elements and Performance Criteria

RANGE STATEMENT
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Career development may include:
services intended to assist individuals of any age, and at any point throughout their lives, to make vocational, educational, training and occupational choices and to manage their careers, life, learning and work
Career development sessions may be:
expanding and narrowing choice, or specific to a career choice
formal or informal
general in relation to a number of occupations or an industry
occupation or position specific
one-off or ongoing
Diversity includes variations in:
age
belief systems and values
culture
expertise, experience and working styles
gender
interpersonal style
interests
language, literacy and numeracy
physical differences
political viewpoints
race and ethnicity
religious beliefs
sexual orientation
thinking and learning styles
Career development counselling may include:
expanding and narrowing choice, or specific to a career choice
formal or informal
general in relation to a number of occupations or an industry
occupation or position specific
one-off or ongoing
Key skills to successfully complete career development sessions include:
advocacy
coaching and mentoring
conflict resolution
creativity
negotiation
Rapport building and attending skills may include:
establishing a conducive environment
using non-verbal and verbal encouragement
using timely and appropriate pauses, tone, intonation, gestures
Effective responding skills may include:
exploration of discrepancies and exceptions; positives and negatives; past, current and potential implications
exploration of general and specific examples
intensity hierarchies and reframing questions to assist individuals refine their choices
open and probing questioning to explore situations and contexts, time lines, behaviour, thinking and feelings, relationships
timely, appropriate paraphrasing and summaries
Professional conduct and career development standards may include:
those competencies or codes set, recognised and authorised by a national body, for instance the Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA); this includes but is not be limited to the Professional Standards for Australian Career Development Practitioners (2006)
Support resources and technology may include:
career information and support materials
communication technologies, such telephones, TTY and email
electronic and information technology
meeting rooms and facilities
physical support services
policies and rules for clients to complete follow-up with contact staff or service providers
Quality outcomes for career development services may include a mix of physical and electronic means to achieve:
adequate resource needs of the counselling service
capacity to offer a range of choices and advice
careers counselling
compliance with regulatory, professional and organisational standards
effective conflict resolution
identification and removal of any gaps in career counselling services
negotiation, advocacy, enterprising, coaching and mentoring skills
relevance, currency and appropriateness of services provided to individuals
satisfaction of needs associated with a specific context and target group

EVIDENCE GUIDE
The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Evidence of the following is essential:
rigour in analysing, planning, implementing and evaluating individual and target group career development needs
effective communication during a career development session and when providing information services
using technology and other means to collect, assess and store information for use in a career development services setting
capacity to review each individual's needs, taking into consideration the diverse perspectives individuals might hold in relation to characteristics such as their nationality, gender, ethnicity, class, age, sexuality or disability
application of knowledge of a range of concepts and principles relating to service provision.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure:
access to an actual workplace or simulated environment
competence is consistently demonstrated over time, and over a range and variety of situations providing career development sessions to a professional standard.
Method of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:
applied projects or activities such as collection of resources and information in relation to career development, conduct of career information sessions
direct observation of contextual application of skills in a number of career development sessions conducted for a range of individuals and groups
oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of providing vocational career development counselling.
Guidance information for assessment
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:
BSBLED707A Establish career development services
BSBLED709A Identify and communicate trends in career development.