Course Description
In this course, students will examine the process of employment counselling based on four areas of focus: job loss, career planning, job search skills, and life skills. Students will have an opportunity to develop the practical skills necessary to assist people to make career transitions and to obtain employment. They will also examine the social and psychological effects of unemployment.
Course Content
The following global ideas guide the design and delivery of this course:
- One’s work and career satisfy multiple human needs. Throughout life, a career is a major source of identity and motivation.
- Occupational wellness emerges when individuals match their interests, personality traits, motivational patterns, and abilities with congruent work environments. Arriving at an employment goal is the beginning of a process of change and learning.
- Career changes are inevitable; some are predictable, some are developmental, others are necessitated by crisis.
- From a systemic perspective, employment and unemployment are the result of many variables; global, national and local economies, culture, gender, education, familial employment patterns and expectations.
- Individuals are unique in the ways they respond to job loss.
- Job loss affects not only the mind, body, and spirit of the individual, but also the health of the families and the community.
- Individuals who are seeking employment find support, encouragement and renewed self-esteem through participation in employment counseling and in groups.
Learning Activities
- Lecture
- Practice
- Use of multimedia resources
- Student presentations
Means of Assessment
This course will conform to Douglas College policy regarding the number and weighting of evaluations. Typical means of evaluation would include a combination of:
- Examinations
- Research reports
- Individual/group presentations
- Participation and attendance
This is a letter graded course
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, within the following content areas the student will be able to:
- Unemployment:
- identify social, economic, health and psychological issues
- describe a range of strategies and skills for motivating individuals
- demonstrate ability to understand and interpret labour force statistics
- Career Counselling:
- identify sources of career information
- demonstrate knowledge of the use of aptitude, interest and personality tests
- Motivation:
- recognize individual differences with respect to motivation
- describe a range of strategies and skills for motivating individuals
- Job Search:
- describe methods for assisting clients to overcome barriers to employment (age, criminal record, language, skill, etc.)
- demonstrate ability to prepare chronological and functional targeted resumes
- demonstrate knowledge of the use of multiple approaches to job search including networking,
- researching employers, use of phone contacts, direct contact with targeted employers, use of the hidden job market, follow up of contacts, call back, use of Internet
- demonstrate ability to prepare for a job interview
- Job Club:
- describe the philosophy, structure and method of Job Club
- Legal:
- describe the structure and operation of unions
- identify relevant legislation