Careers Work in Schools: Cost Effective Career Interventions

Catherine Hughes




It is important that schools deliver career education and career services to all students in order to develop the capacity of students to adapt to a changing world of work. From ethical and accountability viewpoints, school career education programs and career services should be evidence-based, known to improve student career development outcomes and cost-effective.
In this practical text, experienced career guidance professional, Catherine Hughes, shows how to design and deliver career services for students in the upper middle and secondary years (typically Years 7-12) that are cost-effective and that adopt a strategic approach to the application of career interventions known to improve student career development.
Essential reading for career practitioners, school leadership teams, and curriculum coordinators, topics covered include:

• cost-effective approaches to career service delivery in high schools

• effectiveness of different career treatment modalities

• the cognitive information processing approach to differentiated career service delivery

• using the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale in a differentiated career service delivery model.


This is book two in the series Careers Work in Schools, written to support the work of career development facilitators in schools — from those charged with teaching a work-related subject for the first time to seasoned school-based career practitioners wanting to refresh their knowledge, understanding and practice.


Buy the ebook edition for $9.99


About the Author

Dr Catherine Hughes is the founder of the Grow Careers website, a self-help career information resource that applies lifelong career development for students, parents or guardians, past students and school staff. Catherine has worked as a career practitioner in a variety of settings, including vocational rehabilitation, outplacement, private practice and has over 25 years experience in designing and delivering career services in schools. She is currently a career counsellor at a school where she is responsible for career development programs and interventions for students from Years 7 to 12. Catherine has presented her work and research at national and international conferences. She has received national awards for her careers work in schools and her academic research.

Table of Contents

  • Acknowledgements
  • About the Author
  • Preface
  • Chapter 1 Introduction
  • Chapter 2 The Effectiveness of Career Interventions
What Career Treatment Modalities Work Best?
Critical Ingredients of Career Interventions
  • Chapter 3 Differentiated Career Service Delivery
Readiness for Career Decision-Making.
Levels of Career Service Delivery.
Steps for Differentiated Career Service Delivery
  • Chapter 4 Using the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale for Readiness Assessment and Career Intervention
  • Chapter 5 Concluding Comments
  • References
  • Appendix 1 Individual Learning Plan
  • Appendix 2 Career Adapt-Abilities Scale
  • Appendix 3 Sample Career Adapt-Abilities Scale Learning
  • Plans for Australia