Global Career Development Facilitator
Encyclopedia
The Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) certification
Certification
Certification refers to the confirmation of certain characteristics of an object, person, or organization. This confirmation is often, but not always, provided by some form of external review, education, assessment, or audit...

 is an evolution of the Career Development Facilitator (CDF) certification developed by the National Career Development Association (NCDA), National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (NOICC), and the Center for Credentialing in Education (CCE), an affiliate of the National Board for Certified Counselors
National Board for Certified Counselors
The National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. and Affiliates is a national certifying organization for professional counselors in the human services in the United States. It is an independent, not-for-profit credentialing organization based in Greensboro, North Carolina...

 (Center for Credentialing in Education, 1997). The credential recognizes the education and experience of those working in CDF occupations like careers advisory service
Careers advisory service
Careers Advisory Services in the UK are typically organisations that offer advice, guidance and counselling on careers. People may use these services for a number of purposes, such as jobhunting, changing careers, getting a promotion, building career skills, returning to work after a career break...

s, employment services, etc. GCDF have successfully completed an approved CDF training program (over 120+ hours and maintain continuing education credits or lose certification) and have meet and verified specific educational and experience requirements.

Outline

GCDF training is built around 12 core competencies identified by career counseling experts. A period of supervised career facilitation practice also is required prior to certification. The 12 competency areas addressed in GCDF training are Helping Skills, Labor Market Information and Resources, Assessment
Assessment
Educational assessment is the process of documenting, usually in measurable terms, knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs. Assessment can focus on the individual learner, the learning community , the institution, or the educational system as a whole...

, Diverse Populations
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...

, Ethical and Legal Issues, Career Development Models, Employability Skills
Employability
Employability refers to a person's capability of gaining initial employment, maintaining employment, and obtaining new employment if required . In simple terms, employability is about being capable of getting and keeping fulfilling work...

, Training Clients and Peers, Program Management and Implementation, Promotion and Public Relations, Technology, and Supervision (Brawley, 2002; National Career Development Association, 2007; Splete & Hoppin, 2000). In light of cultural concerns with the development of the GCDF outside the United States, the tasks within each of the competency areas are adapted to meet the needs of a particular country's context.

In the United States, GCDFs are sometimes still recognized as CDFs and work in government agencies and employment offices, in private practice as "coaches," and in colleges and universities (Splete & Hoppin, 2000). One of the more auspicious places GCDFs are found in the United States is Career One Stop Centers, which are sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor
United States Department of Labor
The United States Department of Labor is a Cabinet department of the United States government responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics. Many U.S. states also have such departments. The...

. The GCDFs at centers like these work with people who are making career transitions. Also, in 2006, the state of South Carolina passed legislation requiring all middle and secondary schools to have a career facilitation and guidance services available to students.

The GCDF certification program for career guidance providers has been implemented in Bulgaria, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Romania, Makedonia, and Turkey. In 2011, training programs have started in El Salvador. Worldwide, about 17,600 GCDF have been certified until 2011.

External links

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