02/01/2021

Diverse Professional Development for 2021

By NCDA Staff

NCDA promotes and supports professional education, preparation, and credentialing for the effective provision of career development programs and services. Ongoing professional development through conferences, courses, seminars, workshops, supervised practice, presentations, and other training opportunities is easier than ever now that most are offered virtually.

Many in our field are required to pursue continuing education, particularly credential holders (such as the six NCDA credentials), training instructors (such as NCDA's Facilitating Career Development training), or professional coaches. Continuing education options in 2021 are easy to find and participate in, regardless of your budget, location or time factors.

Diverse Opportunities

Start by looking at the NCDA website, under Professional Development, where you will find programs that could easily spark your interest, serve your needs and meet your goals. Also be sure to look at the home page calendar, where both NCDA and state career development association opportunities are listed. Free or low registration fees solve the funding issues and the time commitment is often short, especially for webinars (typically less than one hour) and the Career Practitioner Institutes (CPI).

What is a CPI?

NCDA offers Career Practitioner Institutes (CPI) twice a year. These smaller, regional conferences convene for the purpose of:

• gathering practitioners together for a one-day event at a low cost

• allowing state CDA leaders, NCDA Board members, committee volunteers and qualified representatives opportunities to present to and interact with smaller groups of practitioners

• showcasing NCDA products and benefits to both members and non-members

• offering CEs (continuing education) to practitioners

• convening Board meetings and state CDAs.

Recent CPI's have become virtual, including the upcoming CPI scheduled for February 25, 2021. The virtual format begins with a live session by a keynote speaker to kick off the gathering at 11 am (eastern time) followed by a break and another live keynote speaker. Then participants will be given the choice to view any or all of the eight recorded sessions, covering such topics as STEM initiatives, creative career exploration, effective client engagement and more. All participants will have extended access to all sessions via the NCDA app so as to enjoy watching at any convenient time. The February 25^th CPI includes the following live keynoters:

Kathy Evans, NCDA Past President, will present “Creatively Incorporating Black Lives Matter in Career Practice.” This presentation will focus on (a) the importance of understanding the Black Lives Matter movement as it applies to career practice, (b) understanding the need to think outside the box when working with African American/Black clients, and (c) encouraging advocacy and social justice practice.
Liane Hambly, of Liane Hambly Associates, will present “The Road More Travelled.” The complexity of the contemporary career indicates a need to traverse the byways as well as the highways, to journey without always knowing the destination, to enjoy the ride. To undertake this journey, practitioners and their clients both need creativity - the ability to be curious, playful, to embrace not-knowing, and to combine critical thinking with imagination and intuition. In this presentation Liane will explore the nature of creativity and review a range of whole-brain activities for use with clients.

For more details, visit the NCDA website and click on Professional Development: CPI or click here to register now. Questions about the CPI may be directed to Mary Ann Powell at mpowell@ncda.org

NCDA Webinar Series

Recognizing the talents of many presenters and the challenges workers face when traveling to presentations, NCDA regularly offers webinars. Recent topics included resources during a pandemic, career burn-out, and diversity. Did you know all pre-recorded NCDA webinars are free for viewing at any time at your convenience? In this way, professional development (without CEs) is available at any time. Of course, receiving CEs is equally easy – just watch your chosen recorded webinar then complete the registration form to pay a small fee to obtain CEs. Now, as part of NCDA's response to COVID-19, CEs for watching a group of webinars are available at a discounted price. Watch 1, 2, or 3 webinars, then select the Discounted CE Webinar Package to purchase. Three future webinars are currently being planned, covering cultural competencies, ethics and early career development. For more information and to register, visit the website and click on Professional Development: Webinars

The NCDA 2021 Global Career Development Conference

2021 holds a lot of unknowns and uncertainties, but one thing is for certain. NCDA will hold the annual Global Conference, June 30 - July 2, 2021. We hope to be able to see all of you in person in Atlanta, Georgia, but we are also prepared to meet with you virtually OR a combination of in-person and virtual sessions. Regardless, we are committed to delivering a content-rich experience for career professionals in all settings. Visit the conference website for updated information: www.ncdaconference.org

Current Professional Development
There are many more ways to increase your knowledge and skills in the field of career development. Writing for an NCDA publication, reading a book from the Career Resource Store, or making a presentation at an event are equally valuable to practitioners. Always visit the NCDA website or one of our social media channels for the most current professional development opportunities. Remember, the approved continuing education NCDA offers in support of the NCDA Credentials is detailed in the Credentialing Commission's Continuing Education Manual.

Melanie Reinersman, mreinersman@ncda.org, is the NCDA website and web magazine editor.

Alicia Cheek, acheek@ncda.org, is the Communications & Webinar Coordinator.

Mary Ann Powell, mpowell@ncda.org, is Conference Director.

Ali Breen, abreen@ncda.org, is the NCDA Social Media & Marketing Contractor.

Aaron Leson, aleson@ncda.org, is the Credentialing Director.