Innovation in Career Development : Perspectives from Career Development Experts

Abstract

The world or work is constantly changing due to various factors including globalization, digitalisation and automation. Responding to this change, the career development sector must look toward innovation and evolve to meet the challenges of this dynamic connected economy. This phenomenographic study examines innovation in career development as perceived by international career development experts. The participants were designated governmental and non-governmental representatives from 33 countries at the International Symposium for Career Development and Public Policy (ICCDPP symposium). The survey data were collected using open-ended questions that asked participants to provide written responses at a national level as country teams. The results show that career experts’ conceptions of innovation in career development varied from 1) initiating services, 2) developing demographic- base programmes, 3) professionalising the sector to 4) exploiting cross-sectoral synergies. Five dimensions of variation were identified among the categories of description: innovative initiatives, development emphasis, rational for developing ICT, continuing professional development and realisation of career education. The findings may serve as a catalyst for discussion on where innovation within the sector stands today and where it may be going tomorrow.