This Information Booklet is designed to assist secondary school educators in implementing the Student Learning–Career Planner (SLCP). The SLCP is one of the tools school systems and schools can use to implement a Comprehensive Career Development System.

There are two versions of the SLCP—one for middle/junior high school students and one for senior high school students.

The two versions of the SLCP are tools secondary schools can use to assist students in their career planning and to support their transitions from:

junior high school into senior high school

senior high school into the workplace and/or post-secondary studies.

The SLCP provides a centralized location for junior and senior high school students to summarize, on an ongoing basis, their career planning activities and to reflect on those activities in terms of future learning plans. The SLCP can stand alone but can also complement the development of a personal career portfolio.

Schools are welcome to add their school logo and/or modify the planner to better meet the needs of their students.

Components of the Student Learning–Career Planner

Personal Profile

Student Experiences

Education Information

Career Planning Activities

Career Goals

Presentation Portfolio Checklist¹

Career Planning Checklist

Career Planning Principles

Consultation Record

¹The Presentation Portfolio Checklist is not included in the middle/junior high school version of the SLCP.

Benefits of the Student Learning–Career Planner

The SLCP can help students become more aware of who they are and what they have already accomplished—the foundation to effective life/work planning. Also, by recognizing how the decisions they make today can have an impact on their future, students can take better advantage of the learning opportunities they have. They will be more confident that they have, or can develop, the competencies they need to make successful transitions into further learning, adult roles and economic independence.

The SLCP provides a location for students to consolidate and reflect on their career-related experiences at school, at home and in the community. The SLCP provides a framework whereby secondary school students and their parents can focus, at least once per year, on the students’ career plans and reflect on:

the evolving nature of students’ career plans as they mature, learn and have new experiences

the importance of the careful selection of courses—courses that will contribute to students’ personal career plans by helping them explore career options as well as build their academic and technical competencies

student responsibility to learn about and manage the career planning process—a skill they will use throughout their lives

how home, school and community can influence students’ career plans and choices

the wide range of programs and services that are available in the school and community to help students with career planning

how what students learn in school helps prepare them for their transitions from senior high school

the flexibility students have in accessing and moving through the basic and adult learning systems.

Student Outcomes

As students understand and use the career planning processes and principles, they will become successful career planners and have:

a solid understanding of their individuality and effectively relate this understanding to their occupational and educational decision making

a proven ability to set goals and maintain action plans that help them attain those goals

an opportunity to gain real-life experiences relevant to their chosen occupational paths; e.g., work and volunteer experience, cocurricular involvement

an opportunity to develop the skills needed to access current information and use it effectively in the career decision-making process; e.g., post-secondary programs, labour market trends, scholarships, loans and occupational information.

School Applications of the Student Learning–Career Planner

The SLCP is an important tool for Alberta’s secondary schools as they work with students, parents and other key partners to help students move through the career planning process. It is a tool that can be used during the registration process, reporting periods and student/parent interviews. While the SLCP does not replace a career portfolio or a presentation portfolio², it can serve as a foundation for the development and enhancement of a personal career portfolio.

² A comprehensive career portfolio is a carefully organized collection that illustrates and showcases a student's competencies, abilities and talents. A presentation portfolio is a selection of items from the career portfolio targeted for a specific purpose and audience; e.g., interview for employment in a particular occupation or industry, scholarship or entry into a particular post-secondary program.

Teachers can review the SLCP to better understand the scope of student interests and accomplishments. As well, the SLCP is a valuable tool for student consultations with school counsellors, teacher–advisors and career centre consultants. The SLCP is an excellent tool that schools and school systems can use to implement the Comprehensive Career Development System and the Comprehensive Guidance and Counselling Program.³

³ For more information, see From Position to Program: Building a Comprehensive School Guidance and Counselling Program, Edmonton, AB: Alberta Education, 1995.

The SLCP complements the many programs and services secondary schools provide to help students make career decisions and prepare for their transition into the workplace or post-secondary learning. All courses help students expand their competencies as they prepare for the future. In particular, Career and Life Management 20 and courses in Health and Life Skills, career and technology studies (CTS), work experience and various other career-specific programs, include outcomes that help students learn about themselves and the wide range of learning and work opportunities that are available to them. Students can review, consolidate and reflect on those learning experiences in the SLCP. As well, there are many services and activities provided through school counsellors and career centres that can be included in the SLCP.

As individuals make career decisions at different times, in different ways and for different reasons, schools need to provide comprehensive, integrated career development programs and services throughout the K–12 learning experience.

Connections of the Student Learning–Career Planner to Career Development

Career planning is the responsibility of the student and his/her parent/guardian and family. Schools, along with other community partners, can assist in the process. The SLCP is a tool that schools can use to help students learn about and apply the career planning process and the principles considered important for career planning in the 21^st century.

Career Development Framework

Career development refers to a school system’s and/or a school’s strategic plan to provide the support that students need as they prepare for their transition from senior high school into the workplace or post-secondary learning. Secondary schools are encouraged to plan how they can increase their effectiveness in attending to the following career development processes:

personal management—students build awareness of self, develop essential employability competencies and increase confidence in their ability to move successfully into adult roles

learning and work exploration—students learn about the wide range of learning and work opportunities and link these to personal interests and goals

life/work building—referred to in the SLCP as career planning—students build a career "tool kit," make career decisions, and implement plans for further learning or workplace entry

work preparation—students develop the competencies and credentials they need for entry into work or further learning—post-secondary, apprenticeship, workplace learning

career transitions—government, school systems and community partners establish systems and processes that help students make successful transitions into the workplace and further learning.

Secondary schools are encouraged to "map out" their career-related programs and services to ensure that they meet the needs of every student. Ideally these programs and services should be:

inclusive, to ensure that every student has access to personal career advice and coaching—either through teacher–advisor programs, one-to-one counselling or career centre consultations

ongoing, to provide opportunities on a regular basis, throughout secondary school grades, for students to reflect on and consider their options and opportunities as they make choices in their formal and informal learning experiences

coordinated, to reduce unnecessary duplication in classroom activities and resources in the various courses that deal with career-related learning outcomes; e.g., teaching how to write résumés.

Career Planning Process

The SLCP models a process of information gathering, reflection and action as outlined in the career planning process—a process students will need to apply throughout their lives as they respond to ongoing changes in themselves and the world around them.

Career Planning Principles

The SLCP encourages students, with the help of their parents and teacher–advisors, to apply the following career planning principles, or key messages, as they reflect on past experiences, consider options and plan for the future.

Key Messages in Making Career Plans

1. Change is constant—Adaptability is one of the most important skills you’ll carry into the 21^st century.
2. Follow your heart—Let your dreams shape your goals so that you go after what you really want.
3. Team up with your allies/be an ally—Your friends, family and teachers can be valuable resources in helping you achieve your goals.
4. Learning is ongoing—The end of school doesn’t mean the end of learning. Opportunities to learn are all around and you will need to take advantage of them.
5. Focus on the journey—Life is not a destination. It’s an exciting trip with many directions and goals that may change.

HBelieve in yourself—Have confidence that you have the skills and ability to meet new challenges and attain your goals.

Managing the Student Learning–Career Planner

Before a school embarks on the implementation of the SLCP, a number of questions should be considered.

1. How does the SLCP add value to the career development program and services already under way in the school?

A Career Development Team⁴ should meet a couple of times a year to "map out" what career-related programs, services and initiatives are under way in the school. This team can also "map" how career-related resources will be used. Appendix A provides a worksheet for "mapping" these programs and services.

⁴ The Career Development Team could include all staff involved in the support of career development; e.g., teachers of health, CALM 20, CTS and other programs including career-related outcomes; school counsellors; career centre coordinators; school librarians; and key community partners.

A key challenge here is to ensure that all school staff are aware and supportive of students’ work on the SLCP. As well, parents and community partners need to be informed that the students are working on the SLCP.

2. How can the SLCP be implemented in secondary schools?

The SLCP for middle/junior high school students can be delivered through the Grade 6 to Grade 9 Health and Life Skills courses.

The SLCP for senior high school students can be delivered in a variety of ways, including:

as part of a teacher–advisor program

as part of the three Career Directions courses in the Career Transitions strand of the CTS program

through school counselling offices and/or career centres.

3. How should the SLCP be stored?

As a work-in-progress, the SLCP needs to be stored in a place where the student can have direct access to it but also have a reasonable degree of security and supervision. For example, the SLCP could be stored in filing cabinets in the library (bar coded), student services offices, career centres, with the teacher–advisor or teacher most responsible for career planning.

The SLCP should not be stored with cumulative files or in the counsellor’s office, as this will restrict student access.

When students leave school or transfer to another school, they should take the SLCP with them. Alternatively, the SLCP could be included with the cumulative files that are sent to the receiving school.

4. How does the SLCP relate to/differ from a personal career portfolio and a presentation portfolio?

A comprehensive career portfolio is a carefully organized collection that illustrates and showcases a student’s competencies, abilities and talents. A presentation portfolio is a selection of items from the career portfolio targeted for a specific purpose and audience; e.g., interview for employment in a particular occupation or industry, scholarship or entry into a particular post-secondary program.

While the SLCP can stand alone as an effective career planning tool, it can also strengthen the development of a personal career portfolio and/or a presentation portfolio.

For example, the SLCP can provide an "executive summary" of the personal career portfolio. As well, the SLCP can be the location to store material, such as checklists and career inventories, until it is included in the more formal career portfolio. The SLCP can help students recognize how they could enhance their personal career portfolio or presentation portfolio, perhaps by adding examples and/or expanding their learning and work investigations.

5. How can schools purchase the SLCP?

The print version, in file-folder format, can be purchased from the Learning Resources Centre (LRC). Alternatively, schools could download a sample version of the SLCP from the Alberta Education web site at http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/curriculum/other.asp.

Suggestions for Completing the Student Learning–Career Planner

The following are brief descriptions of each section of the middle/junior high school and senior high school versions of the Student Learning–Career Planner, including some suggestions about how students could complete the various sections.

Cover Page

Schools may wish to add their school name/logo by attaching a label to the cover page. There are enough boxes to allow for four school changes. It is important to identify a teacher/counsellor for each school year to give students a personal contact for ongoing discussions and coaching related to their personal career planning. The student’s Alberta Learning identification number could be included in the Name box.

Personal Profile

The Personal Profile section helps students recognize their present strengths and assets by identifying their key interests, competencies, values, favourite subjects and any formal or informal recognition they may have received. This section helps them identify what is important to them at this particular time in their lives.

Students should review what they have included in this section on a regular basis—at least once a year. It is quite likely that as students mature and reflect on who they are and what is important to them, they may want to add or delete some information.

Various checklists and inventories completed in career-specific courses, such as Health and Life Skills, and Career and Life Management 20, can help students identify their interests, competencies and values. It is important that students have an opportunity to complete a variety of checklists and inventories over the secondary school experience so that they do not let the results of one checklist or inventory limit their learning and work exploration. They need to recognize that the checklists are just a tool to promote personal reflection.

The Personal Profile section also asks students to identify their favourite subjects. Students who enjoy particular courses may well find that they will enjoy occupations that use the same skills or competencies. Helping students recognize the many learning and work opportunities related to specific subject areas will encourage them to expand their options and give them a focus for more detailed occupational investigations.

Noting any formal or informal recognition they have received can help students build confidence and assist them when they complete their résumés. It gives them an opportunity to document events and experiences of which they are proud. This section can also help students set goals to earn future forms of recognition; e.g., awards, certificates, licences.

Student Experiences

The Student Experiences section is similar to the Personal Profile section in that it helps students identify their assets. By noting their activities—in school, at home and in the community—students can identify additional competencies that they may be using in these environments. Reflecting on what it is that they enjoy, or don’t enjoy, about a particular experience could help them identify future learning or work situations that they would prefer. Information in this section can help them develop their career portfolio and their presentation portfolio.

Education Information

The Education Information section provides a quick reference for what courses have already been taken. This can lead to questions, such as: What courses will help students explore and investigate various work options? What courses are needed to build the foundations students require for their next transition—into senior high school, into post-secondary study, into a particular occupation? Note: In the senior high school SLCP, only courses that generate credits should be included. For example, if students are working part time, they would not include that under work experience but reference that in the Career Planning Activities section, under Experience of Work. Similarly, if they are involved in community music or drama productions, they could reference that in the Student Experiences section or under Experience of Work in the Career Planning Activities section if they are considering a career in the arts.

In the middle/junior high school SLCP, such activities as job shadowing and/or Take Our Kids to Work^TM should be referenced in the Career Planning Activities section.

Career Planning Activities

The Career Planning Activities section asks students to document what they are doing related to the career planning process.

• Know Yourself—What have students done to better understand themselves—self-assessment inventories? This section allows for a great deal of flexibility depending on the self-assessment and career investigation inventories used in various schools. Students can briefly document the results of the various checklists and inventories, including key outcomes that were significant to them. A variety of inventories or checklists⁵ are identified to indicate the scope of the self-assessment activities that could be used with middle/junior high school students. These can be revisited in senior high school to see where such things as interests and skills have changed or strengthened.
  ⁵Self-assessment and career investigation inventories may include: CHOICES, DISCOVER, CAREER EXPLORER, SAFRAN INTEREST INVENTORY, COPES (Career Orientation Placement and Evaluation Survey), COPS (Career Occupational Preference System) and MYERS BRIGGS.
• Explore Possibilities—What have students done to investigate the wide range of learning and work⁶ opportunities that are available? What sources of financial support are available—both for continued learning at post-secondary institutions and/or entrepreneurial initiatives? What experiences of work have they had—part-time jobs; volunteer experiences; job shadowing; mentoring experiences, with a mentor or as a mentor? Investigations can be a formal report on various learning options and work options, including both occupation and industry, or a more informal reflection on various learning/work exploration activities; e.g., field trips, interviews.
  ⁶Work includes both paid and unpaid activities and experiences.
• Set Directions—The Transition Scenarios section encourages students to develop and use their planning skills to prepare at least two alternative plans for moving successfully into the next transition. The transition scenario could focus on the move from junior high school to senior high school or from senior high school to the workplace, further study at a post-secondary institution or apprenticeship. Transition plans could include a goal statement/expected outcomes, time frame, expected challenges, action plan, and available resources or assets that can help in attaining the goal. Students would briefly describe the plans in the Transition Scenarios section and include more detailed plans in their career portfolio.
• Take Action—In the Action Plans section, students would document how they are planning to improve their essential competencies⁷ and learning capacity. The more detailed action plans could be filed in the student’s career portfolio. Students could focus on one or two essential competencies and learning strategies each term/year.
  ⁷Essential competencies are the foundation of knowledge, skills and work effort necessary for growth and success in working, learning and living. A copy of The Alberta Framework of Essential Competencies for Working, Learning and Living (ECF) and an Action Planner are available from Alberta Learning, Adult Skills Alberta, at 780–427–4742. Alternatively, teachers can use such materials as Employability Skills 2000+, produced by The Conference Board of Canada and available through their web site at http://www.conferenceboard.ca/nbec.