PgDip Career Guidance & Development

This module is intended to develop the advanced skills, techniques and understanding necessary to deliver effective career guidance services to individuals and groups both face to face and through digital modes of delivery.
You will learn how to apply more advanced counselling and coaching models to your developing practice with individual clients to enable you to identify and address their career learning and development needs.
You will also learn how to apply learning theory and group counselling concepts to your practice with groups of clients. You will become more skilled at designing and delivering interactive group work which meets the needs of your learners.
Your practical skills will be developed by background reading, observing experienced practitioners, using role-play, feedback on performance, discussion and reflecting on practice.
There will also be a focus on developing the knowledge and skills to design an integrated guidance system which is able to blend the delivery of a suite of one-to-one, group and digital services.

Further information

This module is intended to develop the skills, techniques and understanding necessary to deliver effective career guidance services to individuals and groups.
You will learn how to apply counselling and coaching concepts to your developing practice with individual clients to enable you to identify and address their career learning and development needs.
You will also learn how to apply learning theory and group counselling concepts to your practice with groups of clients. You will become skilled at designing and delivering interactive group work which meets the needs of your learners.
Your practical skills will be developed by background reading, observing experienced practitioners, using role-play, feedback on performance, discussion and reflecting on practice.
There will also be a focus building up the knowledge and skills to enable you to critically reflect theories and models of counselling and coaching. You will be required to understand your own developing practice in the light of the conceptual literature.

Further information

This module will assume no prior knowledge of psychology or sociology. Career theories will be compared and contrasted. The relationship between theory and practice will be explored, while placing guidance in its political context. Every opportunity will be taken to relate the value of theory to the practical day to day work of professional careers advisers. Psychometric testing and other assessment practices will be explored in relation to their underpinning theory.

Further information

This module will examine contemporary approaches to career guidance practice and the move towards the professionalisation of the sector. The development of reflective professionalism and ethical awareness will be key to this module and you will develop this through learning about models of reflective practice and applying such approaches to your practice to both impact your client’s ongoing career development and your own professional practice.
You will take part in discussion, debate and interaction between fellow students and practitioners in the workplace to develop skills to begin to operate as an autonomous reflective practitioner, integrating information from diverse sources to refine your professional practice and incorporate the values and ethics of the profession into your practice.
The module content will include – Gaining an understanding of the term professionalism and the implication of a move towards the professionisation of the career guidance sector on your developing practice. Being able to develop and critique your own digital literacy skills and use a range of digital career development platforms. Understanding how to engage in constructive professional dialogue and incorporate mentoring and supervision into your practice. Examining different forms of training and development and the impact of engaging in continuous professional development to your practice. Considering how evidence based practice can inform your professional reflection.

Further information

The module will give you a broad understanding of structures in education and employment, as well as government training and initiatives to combat unemployment. You will be supported to undertake field research experience on visits to opportunity providers, which will give specific examples to balance the overview provided by formal teaching input. This culminates in an industry specific project which integrates the collection of LMI, making sense of the information and then presenting knowledge in accessible ways. This provides a holistic and experiential view of labour markets as they relate to the work of career practitioners.

Further information

In this module, you will study:
(1) The development, structure and function of career guidance services;
(2) The relationship between public policy, guidance practice and social justice;
(3) The impact of government policy, notably devolution, equality legislation and social inclusion;
(4) Service level responses to equality of opportunity and social justice;
(5) Partnership working and locating guidance providers within networks;
(6) Key service functions including marketing, quality assurance, client management systems;
(7) Screening and the identification of client needs.

Further information