Over the last three years, large numbers of workers have been losing their jobs and experiencing involuntary unemployment for extended periods of time, as much as two years or more. This is a situation that creates a tremendous challenge for career counselors. This paper begins by providing an historical, economic context for the discussion and…

This paper argues that to survive in today's intense marketplace, it is not enough to be good at a few things. Rather, one must excel across the board--at communicating, innovating, execution, speed, selling, negotiating, service, leadership, teamwork and more. Every individual who wants to be a part of the future must learn to become…

People launch a private career practice for many reasons. Often the motivation is to seek a working life with more control over--and flexibility relating to--time, freedom, location, work style, client base, family life, etc. Career practitioners who launch a private practice have often worked in the academic, government, military or non-profit…

The knowledge economy is changing the way people work. New labor market entrants can expect to experience a succession of jobs in a number of industry sectors during their working lives. They may have concurrent part-time jobs at one time, and no paid work at other times. Work periods will be interspersed with periods of learning, either full- or…

This digest discusses demographic, technological and other factors influencing adult career development and describes new career services, assessment instruments, and interventions for adults. Problems with research in the area of adult career development are noted. (MCF)

The social and psychological effects of rapid technological advancement in the computer industry is the subject of this paper, which focuses on the concerns of people with non-technical backgrounds. It describes the career series, High Tech for Non-Technical People, created by the Georgia State University Career Development Center. The three…

Although the number of Master's level counselor training programs has increased dramatically over the last 20 years, reduction in state and federal funding has reduced the demand for counselors. To examine the supply and demand for counselors in four San Francisco Bay area counties, a regional survey of degrees awarded between 1972 and 1981 in…

To evaluate the vocational rehabilitation program at the Olin E. Teague Veteran's Administration Center, Texas, in relation to client outcomes (i.e., employment status, prediction of outcomes, and services crucial to a positive outcome), 202 former clients were sent follow-up questionnaires. Measured variables included demographic information,…

This paper is intended to help those in a position to provide workers who are displaced by layoffs or plant shutdowns with assistance in adjusting to unemployment and finding new employment. The first section presents a summary of the transformation of the American labor market, showing the effects of economic and technological changes on the…

Traditionally, blacks have been underrepresented in scientific and technical career fields, focusing instead on people and service-oriented careers. To investigate the relationship between career aspiration and various environmental influences (e.g., academic preparation and intellectual orientation, science-oriented hobbies, math and science…

This document is a guidebook for counselors making presentations on how the school community can prepare students for the economic changes of the future. The first section provides a national view of the key forces shaping classrooms and board rooms, stressing the importance of demography and the science of distribution in general. This…

This document is intended to help the rehabilitation professional identify and understand current and future labor market trends and their implications for persons with disabilities. Strategies, methods, and tools are included that counselors can immediately use as they prepare persons with disabilities for the workforce. Chapter 1 examines…

With the many layoffs and downsizing of companies during the 1990s, many displaced workers have turned to temporary employment to earn a living while looking for permanent employment. Others have adopted "temping" as a more long-term work style. Although it may not be possible to predict whether an individual will find satisfaction or…

A career development conference was targeted to disadvantaged young adults who needed assistance in their transition from school to work. Conference participants were 27 economically disadvantaged clients of an agency in southwestern Virginia partially funded by resources from the Job Training Partnership Act. The conference was designed to meet…

This document contains six major presentations from the 1984 summer workshop, "The C3 Experience: Counseling, Computers, and Creative Change," sponsored by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Counseling and Personnel Services. The first presentation, "Exponential Counseling: Computers as a Multiplier" by JoAnn Harris-Bowlsbey, reviews…