As you have surmised by now (if you scanned the front page), this is the last NECA presidential year that I will edit this newsletter. In this and the next two issues I edit, I will include some NECA historical information as a way for me to reminisce a little and remind ‘older’ NECA members of some of the events and experiences we have been through. ‘Younger’ NECA members can zip through this ‘old stuff’ and move to the more current and relevant content in this newsletter. Or not.
Here’s a little history about the NECA Newsletter. I have copies that go back to October, 1976 when Michael Ciavarella of Shippensburg State College was president. He called himself an Acting Editor. Perhaps he was looking to entice someone to become the ‘real’ thing. Although I do not have every one of the earliest newsletters, here’s a listing of editors according to my records:
As you can see, when I finish as editor with the spring-summer issue next year, I will have completed 16 years as editor. So, what was going on in the world in 1987 when I assumed editorship?
Other Significant events of 1987 included: Iraqi missiles killed 37 in an attack on the U.S. Frigate Stark in the Persian Gulf and the next day the Iraqi President apologized. Prime Minister Thatcher won her third term in Britain; Oliver North told congress higher officials approved his secret Iran-Contra operations; a severe earthquake struck Los Angeles leaving 100 injured and six dead; and the Senate rejected Robert Bork as Supreme Court Justice.
Any of this ring a bell? And, we think the DOW is going to ‘hell in a handbasket’ because it is taking a hit! On a more personal note, my daughter turned 11 on July 4th of that year and now lives in New York and my son was eight in October of 1987 and this summer moved to California at the age of 22. This year Linda and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary and I will turn 60 this month (October).
Welcome to a new membership year. Thank you for a wonderful past year. Your commitment and support has earned us national and international recognition which you will hear more about during the year’s professional development experiences and workshops.
In the third millennium, accelerating change has tremendous implications for our organization. The profound explosion of knowledge and technology-based skills supports a system built on resiliency, flexibility and continuous improvement. NECA must strive for growth through advocacy for the members and clients we serve, and in this digital age, they are demanding improved quality, increased delivery speed and reduced costs. As NECA’s leader, I will work to ensure that our members are prepared to effectively address the expectations of our clients for the new world of work. To survive and prosper, particularly after last fall’s terrorist attacks and recent corporate scandals, we must become more cooperative, more mutually supportive, and less confrontational with other groups of similar interests. We can increase our options effectively as a viable and proactive organization in several ways.
To learn more about NECA’s achievements, join us at our national workshop, Showcase of Excellence in the Employment Arena, March 20-21, 2003 at the West Coast Anaheim Hotel in California. The hotel has great rates and it’s the closest hotel to the convention center and the ACA Hilton Headquarters. Mark your calendars now for this stellar professional development celebration. Your participation greatly enhances our organization, and I look forward to meeting and working with you.
NECA President Dr. Kay Brawley recently hosted in Maryland a Japanese delegation from the Career Business Development Office of the Recruit Company, Ltd. of Tokyo. Dr. Brawley is a Master Trainer for Rutgers University’s Center for Workforce Development, and its Working Ahead, a new curriculum used primarily for professionals working in job service centers in this country and overseas.
The overall mission of the Japanese group was to understand the career development services provided in the USA, and in particular, to learn more about the services provided by Global Career Development Facilitators (GCDFs), who work primarily in One-Stop workforce centers. Another objective was to collect information for improving GCDF training courses provided by their company and learn about the other types of human resource training programs in our country.
The delegation visited the new Cecil County Workforce Center in Maryland’s Cecil County, where they met its manager and the director of the Susquehanna Workforce Network, a local Workforce Investment Board. The implementation of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) has caused the One-Stop Center to become an employer driven, partner-focused, outcome-based system. The customer service focus of the Center makes it the agency of choice for matching human capital and employment opportunities with the region’s employers.
They also visited Cecil Community College and discussed with its leadership team the college training programs for employers, and toured the technology center. The College is a partner with the One-Stop Workforce Center and is recognized as one of the most important educational resources in economic development, because of their leadership role in providing training for jobs in high demand by industry. The Recruit delegation expressed a strong interest in developing a similar model in Japan.
Dr. Brawley extended the invitation to visit workforce activities in Cecil County to complement the large city sites being visited by the delegation in New York, Washington and Chicago. While in Chicago, the visitors participated in a GCDF training workshop led by Dr. Brawley during the Careers Across America conference. The conference had more than 1000 attendees, and was co-sponsored by NECA and six other organizations. Other business with NECA and the Japanese delegation included discussions on differences in training for career counseling and career coaching.
The visitors included Yasushi Hosokawa, Executive Manager, as well as managers Fumiaki Hirata and Koji Nishiyama, and GCDF Trainers Takeshi Tsuchida and Sumiko Kato. Recruit Ltd. staff person Akira Takatsu was returning to familiar areas, since he attended the English Language Institute at the University of Delaware, and did undergraduate studies at George Mason University in Virginia.
In the early 90's as the field of career development expanded, the demand for a well trained, credentialed staff increased. The Career Development Training Institute at Oakland University in Michigan, funded by the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (NOICC) was charged to develop a program to increase the skill level and knowledge base of providers of career services in a variety of work settings.
The original 120 Career Development Facilitator (CDF) Curriculum was developed to train these career providers. The content was based on twelve identified critical core competencies. These were: helping skills, diverse populations, ethical and legal issues, consultation, career development models, assessment, labor market information, technology, employability skills, training clients and peers, program management/implementation, and promotion and public relations.
Once developed, various groups endorsed the CDF Curriculum and worked with the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE) to develop a CDF credential. These organizations included the National Career Development Association (NCDA), the National Employment Counseling Association (NECA) and the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP). As the CDF Curriculum spread internationally, CCE changed the title of the credential to Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) to reflect the change.
A GCDF may serve as a career group facilitator, job search trainer, career resource center coordinator, career coach, career development case manager, intake interviewer, occupational and labor market information specialist, employment/placement specialist, school counselor, or workforce development staff person.
Career Development Facilitator Instructors (CDFI) provide a valuable service helping others who work in career development: (a) gain skills and knowledge that can be immediately applied on the job, (b) gain recognition in the field (c) increase professional opportunities, (d) obtain eligibility for global certification, (e) network with regional career development practitioners, and (f) learn in a contextual learning environment.
The CDFI Training provides the content (revised in 2000 by NCDA with assistance from the Career Development Leadership Alliance), networking, and guidance to prepare individuals to teach the CDF curriculum.
This fall, a former NECA President and member of the original curriculum development team and CDF Master Trainer, Roberta Floyd along with the 2001-4 California Career Development Association Past-President (3-year term), Sally Gelardin, are offering an Instructor Certification Workshop for those
interested in teaching the CDF course. It will be held in Irvine, California November 11-13 following the International Career Development Conference. If you are interested and would like more information contact:
Roberta Floyd, MS, NCCC, LPC, 248.357-2426 , rafloyd@earthlink.net
or
Sally Gelardin, NCC, CRPC, Ed.D. (International and Multicultural Education), 415.461-4047,
lifeworks@gelardin.net
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