02/01/2008
NCDA to Host a Pre-Conference Symposium Focusing on International Public Policy
By Deneen Pennington
Career development services make a key contribution at federal, state, and local government levels to the achievement of public policy goals in education, training and employment. While guidance practitioners rightly concentrate on assisting individuals to manage their learning, work and other life-paths, they operate in policy contexts designed for the public good. Such policies have ultimate goals such as economic competitiveness, efficient investment in education and training, workforce development, and social inclusiveness.
The contribution of career development services to the achievement of such goals is now publicly acknowledged in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand among others and reflected in policy decisions made by governments at national and state/regional levels. The ministries of several countries are active in numerous ways, including:
- funding an International Centre for Career Development and Public Policy (also supported by NCDA),
- organizing four international symposia on career development and public policy
- country policy reviews are in process,
- international collaborative work is taking place on how to provide evidence of the impact of career development services in a meaningful way to policy makers and
- developers and international policy networks for career development services have been established.
Where does the USA fit in this scenario? What efforts if any exist at national and state levels to show leadership in this field? How does the USA engage if at all with international activities and advances in this field?
This pre-conference policy symposium on July 7 & 8 in Washington DC will provide the opportunity to:
- learn about international advances in career development and public policy
- learn from each other what is happening in the USA at national and state levels
- promote leadership in this field at national and state level through action planning
- encourage international engagement of the USA in the field.
Four international experts will accompany us in this process:
- Dr John McCarthy, Director, International Centre for Career Development and Public Policy, Franca
- Professor Tony Watts, UK
- Dr Raimo Vuorinen, Finland
- Lester Oakes, New Zealand
To learn more about this emerging field, visit the site of the International Centre: http://www.iccdpp.org/ . Be sure to read and download Career guidance: a handbook for policymakers (2004) a joint European Commission and OECD publication from the following web site: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/53/53/34060761.pdf
Symposium registration is $150 per person (same for both members and non-members). This fee includes lunch and reception on Monday, and the 1.5 day event. You may register for this event and the NCDA Global conference online.
