Career Development Services Progress Report

Background The Minister of Higher Education and Training was tasked in 2010 to coordinate career development activities in the country (Outcome 5.1 of Delivery Agreement). The provision of career guidance is however a shared responsibility with social partners, public authorities and individuals, and requires partnership building among everybody involved. Leadership - Department of Higher Education and Training Developing a national, comprehensive career development service to ensure that people have access to quality driven career information and career services, so that they are able to make better and more informed career choices that deliver high levels of employment and help to increase sustainable economic growth in the country 2

Career Development Services Creating an enabling environment for the service to take place through policies, guidelines, protocols, shared responsibilities and collaboration Providing a comprehensive career guidance and career information dissemination and collection system – National Career Advice Portal – Mass communication campaign Providing career guidance, development and career counseling services – A network of walk-in centres – A social networking service – Facebook, twitter, online community support – A guidance, development and counseling web-site and mobi-site – A national telephone helpline 3

Framework for cooperation in the provision of Career Development (information, advice and guidance) Services in South Africa Published In October 2012 Developed through a consultative process with relevant branches and entities in DHET, government departments, agencies and stakeholders Provides a conceptual structure for mapping the coordination and implementation of a national, comprehensive, independent career development service in South Africa Covers a set of principles and long-term goals that will form the basis of and provide guidelines and direction to coherent policy development, planning, cooperation and accountability in meeting national goals Roles and responsibilities of stakeholders were recommended Policy implications emerging will be done through consultation 4

National Policy on Career Development Services Government, as the largest provider of education and training, needs to coordinate and market its education and training opportunities towards careers Policy will clearly spell out the roles and responsibilities of the various spheres of government as well as government departments, entities and institutions within a particular sphere of government February Cabinet approved the development of a national Career Development Services Policy across all spheres of government. 5

Implementation Dedicated Project Management Office to coordinate Career Development Services nationally and to manage career development activities within higher education and training Enabling environment – policies, guidelines, protocols, shared responsibilities and collaboration – Survey – NCDF – Policy Information dissemination – National Career Advice Portal – 800 learning pathways – Case database and Knowledge base to be used by career practitioners – Information dissemination through social media, radio, newspapers, exhibitions and print materials 6

Implementation.. Mass Advocacy and Communication – Inform all levels of government and partners of developments in career development – Communication to all departments (Survey of Career Development activities/Protocols /Research Agenda/NCDF) – Run social media, radio, newspapers, exhibitions and print campaigns, including the Apply Now! Campaign and the National Mandela Day Career Development Festival (14 – 18 July 2014 in Sebokeng) – Maintain a social networking service – Facebook, twitter, online community support – Maintain a guidance, development and counselling web-site and mobi-site 7

Implementation... Training and Support – Schools – LO Teachers – TVET Colleges – University Support Centres – NYDA – DoL and other centres Multi-Platform Helpline (telephone, SMS, Please Call Me, Fax) Career Development Practitioners – Competency Framework – Practitioners in TVET Colleges through the EDTP SETA 8

Management and Coordination The Minister of Higher Education and Training provides leadership in career development in the country DHET is responsible to coordinate and manage career development activities with other stakeholders and inform the Minister of progress, challenges and proposed solutions/recommendations Career Development Task Team – March 2014 National Career Development Forum – In the absence of national policy - Interim NCDF – to further the vision of White Paper and the Framework until the policy has been published 9

Trudi van Wyk