Learning Outcomes Assessment Step-By-Step: The Story Behind NCDA’s New Monograph

By Shawn P. Conlon

Throughout the long history of employee career development, one of the most difficult questions to answer has been, “How is my organization’s career development program impacting the lives of employees?” Through author interviews, this article explains how and why our professional association offers this resource to support the field of career development.

Managing Employee Development in a Non-Profit

By Shelly Trent

Even in these difficult economic times when many non-profits are dealing with funding cuts, employee development remains an important part of maintaining a culture of engagement and retaining your employees. This article showcases ways your organization can begin or continue employee development efforts on a limited budget.

Career Retention for Vulnerable Populations: A Relapse Perspective

By Shan Johnson

In the United States we are facing economic challenges that make getting a job difficult but keeping that job even more crucial. This is especially true for vulnerable populations who can fall through the cracks of our system. Career counselors can benefit from the field of addiction recovery when assisting this population with employment retention. [Ed. Note: this article is being re-run in light of its timely and positive message.]

Developing English Skills Allows Workers to Scale the Career Ladder

By Paige Farris

The Backside Learning Center, which is part of Churchill Downs (home of the Kentucky Derby, the most exciting two minutes in sports), supports a specific population in education and career development: that of the mostly Hispanic track workers. This article explores the different opportunities available for a particular minority group through a non-profit organization created especially for them.

New Opportunity School For Women: A Unique Career and Education Program in Appalachia

By Caroline Francis

The New Opportunity School for Women located in Berea, Kentucky, offers a free three-week career and education program targeting low-income, middle-aged women in the south central Appalachian region. The intensive curriculum includes: job search skills, self-esteem, computer basics, internships, goal setting, and learning how to become enrolled in further education.

Refugee Resettlement: Diversifying and Revitalizing the Workforce

By Becky Burnside

Only about 2% of the over 22 million worldwide refugees will be resettled in a new country and given the opportunity to rebuild their lives. Catholic Charities’ Migration & Refugee Services provides services for resettling refugees. After assessing clients’ needs it provides on-going social services, job placement, housing, case management, English as a Second Language classes, cultural orientation, employment, and community resources.

Louisville Free Public Library’s Job Shop: Helping People Get Back to Work

By Nicole Dixon

In today’s job market, community members need more resources that are available to the public at no cost. Local libraries can fill that need. Libraries are no longer just a place to read and check out books. Many libraries have public-use computers and other valuable resources. This article will provide information about how one library is meeting an important community need for job seekers.

Working 50+ ---Getting Older Workers Back to Work through Community Partnerships

By Emily Allen

Right now, over 3 million older adults are searching for work, and many are dealing with the impact of long-term unemployment. AARP Foundation is working in concert with community partners to reverse the downward spiral that many older Americans and their families face.

Keys to a Successful Non-Profit Grant: Top Five Things Funders Really Want

By Amy Smith

What key things do funders want in a viable grant proposal? With grant funding becoming increasingly competitive, ensure that your proposal catches the attention of funders. There are five key things you can do to set your application apart and position your agency to receive grant funding.

The Nonprofit Career Guide: How to land a job that makes a difference

Book review by Jennifer Ealey & Samuel Plonk

Career counselors working with clients interested in the nonprofit sector will find Shelly Cryer’s new book useful as a resource tool. This article reviews the book and discusses the potential value for both career counselors and those looking for a career in the nonprofit world.

Career Relaunch: Workshop for Women

By Caroline Francis and Kelly Higgins Allgeier

Due to the depressed economy over the past few years, career counselors have seen an increased number of female clients with the need to return to the workforce or obtain better-paying positions. These concerns primarily spurred the necessity for the Career Relaunch workshop for women at the University of Kentucky's Alumni Career Services. Other non-profits may follow the program described here for use in their area.

Jewish Family and Career Services Offers Job Seekers Assistance

By Shelly Trent and Andrea Manierre-Goins

Working in non-profit means you can look to other non-profits to share their experiences in providing career-related services. One such expert is described here, with details of programs your non-profit may wish to offer.

Job Ministry Aids Unemployed

By Shelly Trent

How can communities provide assistance to those downsized due to the economy? Job searching with the help of qualified volunteers in addition to gathering with others in the same situation can be comforting and successful. One local ministry shares their process so others may repeat the help for the unemployed.

Partnering to Assist Former Offenders

By Anna M. Aragon

The collaboration of government agencies and community nonprofits in Colorado is a model for providing successful training and support for former offenders. Government funding increases opportunities for individuals to become self-sufficient members of society. With the improved employment opportunities and decreased recidivism, the government saves money while improving communities.

Associate Editor Opening

Do you work in a non-profit area of career services, such as community/agency, pastoral/religious, rehabilitation, association/foundation? Career Convergence is looking for a volunteer Associate Editor for the Non-Profit department.

Career Development Grants for Underserved Populations

By Varunee Faii Sangganjanavanich

Funding resources are vital to enhance the growth of the career development field. Career practitioners should be aware of these funding resources in order to further their knowledge, skills, and practices with diverse client populations. A review of career development grants available for underserved populations is presented.

Urban Minority Youth Leadership Initiative: Molding Today’s Minority Inner City Youth for Tomorrow’s Successes

By Jayna Butler

The call for education and career development of inner city youth is very urgent. There is a need for school districts, nonprofit programs, and career practitioners to aid the children in the inner city in finding the gift of professional purpose. Career practitioners should be awakened by minority teens and young adults who have a quiet whisper for help.

Job Seekers’ Support Group

By Charles C. Healy, James D. Helin, & Joanne Sliteris

To insure the currency of job search methods for our support group, a counselor-educator teamed with employment experts to structure meetings to encourage job seekers to share what they were learning from searching. Here is what our team offered and accomplished with five different groups.

The Nimble World of a Non-profit Agency and its Partners

By Nancy Olson

Today’s non-profit career counselor can play an integral role in helping identify the clients’ career and training options. Partnerships with companies, colleges, and funders that produce positive results is the goal.

What Employers REALLY Want: Grasping the Unspoken Rules of the Workplace

By Steve Parese

Unconventional candidates often have difficulty finding and keeping good jobs, even when they have strong vocational skills. This article suggests one reason: individuals from challenging backgrounds often fail to meet employers’ unspoken expectations. It explains why this is so, and offers a number of straightforward strategies to address these issues.

Reviving a Stagnant Career

By Tim Lutenski

Many people can lose enthusiasm and passion for work at some time over the course of their career. Career counselors can help both themselves and others rediscover both passion and purpose for their work by implementing several proactive measures.

The Reality of Re-entry for the Ex-offender in the United States

By Lyn Wazny

Ex-offenders face many career-related obstacles upon release from prison. This article presents brief national statistics and some information about federal programs that were created to help ex-offenders obtain gainful employment. Also included are resources specific to the metro Denver, Colorado area.

Gardening as a Tool for Career Development

By Nancy Miller

Strategies for increasing economic empowerment and job search skills are shared via an interview with a "hands-on" practitioner.

How a Nonprofit Agency Helps Latinos Thrive in Adams County, Colorado

By Mariela Michael

This article will discuss the old ideas that Latinos have encountered for many years. Ideas such as Latinos are not interested in education, they cannot speak English and there are no supports for Latino adults. A program to help Latinos overcome many of these career obstacles will be discussed.

Another Career, Not by Choice

By Mary Probst

Recently the demographics of the unemployed population have changed, and more individuals who involuntarily lost their jobs due to a dwindling economy are now seeking new careers. Establishments like workforce centers, employment agencies, nonprofits and community organizations who serve these unemployed individuals have the opportunity to generate empowerment in the job seekers by identifying transferable skills.

Economic Stress on the Non-Profits

By David Scott

Career services are affected by the stressed economic resources, particularly in the non-profit areas. How is your agency responding?

Launch of New Disability Interest Area

By Julia Elliott

During this time of slow economic growth, career development practitioners could see an increase in the number of clients with physical or mental disabilities seeking assistance in the job search process. Career development professionals now have immediate access to Disabilities resources in NCDA's Interest Areas of the website.

Working with Foster Youth: An Interview with Alfred Arroyos

By Maureen Nelson

Every year, 25,000 teens leave the foster youth system. Agencies like the Independent Living Skills Program help them make the leap to adulthood, college and jobs. Employment Specialist must reach out to this often-forgotten population.

Depression and Career Development

By Roger Wilcoxen

How can clients successfully establish a career or a change when battling depression?

Welcome New Associate Editor, Non-Profit

Dr. David Scott is now the Associate Editor of the Non-Profit Department of Career Convergence. He invites new submissions in the areas of community/agency, pastoral/religious, rehabilitation, and association/foundation.

Growing Our Own

By Denise E. Jenkins

A creative in-house career development program at a major midwestern metropolitan hospital develops and motivates current employees and reaches out to a challenging and diverse urban community. Denise Jenkins tells the story of how her hospital uses training and development initiatives to communicate to the whole health-care team that the hospital values them.

Faith and Career Development: Complimentary Tools in Reaching Teens

By Roger Wilcoxen

Could a career counselor and youth religious program leader use the same tools to achieve a faith-based, purpose-driven life? Yes! And these tools successfully reach teens.

Knowledge + Engagement = Great Public Policy

by Bridget Brown and Romella Lee

In this third in a series of advocacy-related articles, Bridget Brown and Romella Lee from NCDA�s Government Relations Committee, address the important role that state-level association leaders play in educating members and facilitating a clear vision for the association. They discuss how career professionals operating in the public sector can use public policy as a tool to enhance engagement at the state level.

Care for Yourself First

by Pam Thorne

People who help others for a living often put themselves last when it comes to mental and physical health. This article highlights the symptoms of compassion fatigue and offers some simple solutions. (Ed's Note: This article originally appeared in Career Convergence in 2003 and is being published again due to the valuable and timeless topic).

The Horse Whisperer Goes to Washington

By Bridget Brown & Ellen Weaver Paquette

The "Horse-Whisperer" image provides an excellent visualization of how advocacy works. In this second in a series, Bridget Brown and Ellen Weaver
Paquette continue discussing the importance of advocacy at the state and national level for programs that enhance career development opportunities for all citizens.

Advocacy Myths and Opportunities

by Bridget Brown

This is the first installment in a series of articles providing an insider�s view of some of the misconceptions associated with advocacy. Bridget Brown, from NCDA�s Government Relations Committee, highlights specific tools to help career development professionals working in non-profit organizations become active in the political arena.

Forming A Career Center-Community Bond

by Ursula B. Carmena

What goes together like toast and jam or sea and sand? How about careers and community? At the 2006 NCDA Global Conference, Ursula B. Carmena will be presenting the unique pilot project she directs, a new public library service that enlarges and supplements the field of career development in Louisiana.

Springboard Forward: Engagement, Self-Efficacy and Hope

by Maureen Nelson

Springboard Forward partners with employers and community-based organizations to improve job performance and promote upward mobility for the low-wage workforce.

Encouraging Career Asset Building Among Low-Income Individuals

by Amy Johnson

Urging low-income adults to "get a job, any job" and creating programming based on this position is shortsighted and leads to poor job retention, welfare cycling, inadequate wages, and greater costs than investing in meaningful career exploration and choice. On the other hand, a focus on career asset-building can increase job retention, satisfaction, and performance. Service providers may be interested in an online comprehensive career development program for lower-income adults.

Helping the Homeless

by Chris Hogg

Quite often, being successful in helping homeless people find meaningful work and start (or re-start) careers is as much about the counselor as it is about the client.

A Look at Career Development for Persons with Mental Retardation

by John Wadsworth PhD and Karen Cocco PhD

Despite the popular view that career development is lifelong, vocational development theories have seldom been applied to persons with mental retardation. A proposed ecological model of career development for persons with developmental disabilities is discussed here. [Eds. Note: this article originally appeared here in Jan. 2003].

Career Development Strategies for Promoting Employee Development and Retention in Social Service Org

by Debbie Walker

Social service organizations represent an opportunity for career counselors who are interested in consulting. Career counselors can help agencies implement career development programs as an employee retention and development strategy. In this article, the author presents a three-step model for initiating such a system.

CACTI:
The Pre-Counseling Assessment

by Martin Elliot Jaffe

InfoPLACE is a public library based career planning program where adults can get help deciding if they are leaning toward a radical career transition or an immediate job search. The career counselors at InfoPLACE developed the Core Adult Career Transition Inventory, CACTI, to indicate the appropriate depth and direction of counseling before sessions begin.

Effectiveness of Short-Term Training for Self-Sufficiency

by Michael E. Wonacott

This article reviews the literature on the outcomes of short-term training programs for welfare recipients and the services required to meet the self-sufficiency needs of welfare recipients participating in short-term training.
[This article was released for publication by Eric Digest (www.eric.ed.gov) and is available at www.cete.org/acve/].

The Education, Social, and Economic Value of Informed and Considered Career Decisions

by Bridget Brown

This ACRNA special report includes the complete Summary of Key Findings, a link to the ACRNA website for the full report, and a brief overview by the Executive Director.

NCDA Plays Key Role in Delivering CDF Training to Persons who Work with Offenders

by JoAnn Harris-Bowlsbey

NCDA's Career Development Facilitator curriculum has been adapted to train Offender Workforce Development Specialists (OWDS). These OWDS help prisoners plan careers, increasing the likelihood that they will stay out of prison after release. NCDA arranges the training of facilitators at the state level. Those trained in each state then provide training to others in their local organizations.