Career Planning

Career Planning is an ongoing career development process through which learners attempt to understand their personal, family, school, work, and community experiences and the importance they may have in making career and lifestyle choices.

How many times have you been asked, "What do you want to do when you graduate from high school?" Do you answer, "Go on to further education or training, go to work, go travelling, take time off to decide, or I don't know?" How can parents help students make life and work decisions after high school? It is easier to make informed, appropriate decisions concerning future directions if you know the questions to ask, and have access to career information and resource material.

Labour market researchers have found that workers of all kinds entering the work force today can expect to experience 4 to 5 career changes in their working life due to changing technological and societal expectations. You will need to continuously upgrade your skills and knowledge in order keep pace with these changes. Decisions made today will largely determine life and work choices for the future. This represents a major challenge, both to the youth who must make the decision and to the parents who must guide and support the decision-making process.

The main emphases of the Career Planning section are the processes for career development - career awareness, career exploration, career preparation, and work experience. This section also provides information and resources to help you make career decisions. Commentaries, sample questions and responses are provided through the phases of career development to help you plan your pathway for life after high school. The following questions are designed to start your inquiry process. You may come up with additional questions specific to your interests and skills which will personalize your information search.

1. How can Planning 10 and Career Programs help you make life and work decisions?

2. What is career development? How can the career development process inform your life and work decisions?