Experiences of a career development practitioner on career service rendered

Abstract

Career development practitioners have different experiences on how career services are rendered in the country. Working with groups and individuals from all walks of life; career practitioner’s expertise becomes invaluable to the career decision-making of learners and adults in career construction. In South Africa, there are various institutions rendering career services though many do so in silos. There is no monitoring or cohesive system to manage career services. This can impact how they render career services in a well-organized and productive manner. This study explored the experiences of a career development practitioner on career services rendered. The study utilised the qualitative research method to gain more insight into the career practitioner’s experiences of career services; including career services, career information, advice, as well as career guidance. The study was conducted at the Department of Labour in Pretoria west. The sample comprised of one participant who has experience as a career development practitioner. The study used purposive sampling to select the participant. The data was collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed using inductive thematic analysis; where themes, categories, and subcategories emerged. The findings of the study reflect both negative and positive experiences that the career development practitioner has encountered in rendering career services in the past. The findings furthermore highlight the need for adequate training for career practitioners and suggest a need for prescribed ethical conduct to regulate career development practitioners working at the entry-level. This study can contribute to the development of ethical conduct guidelines and influence the further development of training for career development practitioners. Lastly, the findings might assist in the development of a cohesive and coordinated system for monitoring and evaluation in the career development profession.