Winter 2007

Careers and transition

What will I be?

Mary McMahon provides an introduction to early childhood career development and career education in preschools and primary schools.

Career development is a lifelong process. In childhood, career development is evident in the games children play and their aspirations. However, childhood career development is largely neglected in the education system. Career education is most frequently introduced into the curriculum in secondary schools and, by this stage, valuable opportunities to challenge gender stereotypes and build foundational career development skills and knowledge are lost. Preschools and primary schools are well positioned to provide meaningful career education that provides young people with a firm foundation for the career decisions and transitions of adolescence and adulthood.

Career development is alive and well in childhood as the comments of young children illustrate. Even very young children are able to discuss the jobs they want to do when they grow up, the jobs they think men and women can do and some of the advantages and disadvantages of work. Career development is also evident in children’s play where they take on adult roles such as police officer, teacher, nurse, doctor, cowboy, or builder in their games. Donald Super explains that career development is a lifelong process and that children develop concepts of themselves in adult roles through fantasy and play. Despite career development being clearly visible in childhood, it has not received as much attention in theory, research and practice as the career development of adolescents and adults. For example, career education is not common practice in preschools and primary schools.

I wouldn’t like to work on just one job for say twenty years or something.

Primary school boy

I suddenly realised that you don’t get much money for it, so I said no I don’t want to do it.

Primary school girl

I wanted to be a lifesaver because you get to drive a boat all the time.

Preschool boy

During childhood, girls and boys identify role models, develop interests and become more aware of their abilities. In addition they attend school, develop work habits and become more future-orientated. Linda Gottfredson explains that children from ages three to five begin to recognise that occupational roles are part of being an adult, and that between the ages of six and eight they become more aware of sex roles and begin to reject occupations they think should be done by the opposite sex.

I wanted to do what my dad does.

Preschool boy

We saw this lady doing a man’s job. She was painting the walls of the supermarket.

Primary school girl

It’s good to get a job because you can do lots of fun things.

Preschool girl

Linda Gottfredson also suggests that between the ages of nine and thirteen children become more aware of social class and distinguish between what they see as lower-status and higher-status occupations. During this stage, they may aspire to what they perceive as high-status jobs such as professional sportsperson and professions such as lawyers and doctors. As children become increasingly aware of their ability, they may rule out occupational options that they perceive as too difficult for them.

Well being famous. I’d just like the whole world to know about me.

Primary school girl

Much of children’s career development learning happens unintentionally as they form impressions of work by observing people, events, scenes and actions in their homes and communities. Bill Law believes that children try to make sense of their experiences by making comparisons and using concepts. For example, children may compare a police officer to a soldier because they wear uniforms or they may conceptualise them as active outdoor occupations. Similarly, they may view a doctor and a vet as helpers.

Well on … (a TV show) I found out there was such a thing as a lawyer. And then I asked my Mum and she said that they always help people with their life and I always thought that helping people would be a nice thing to do so I thought I might be one.

Primary school girl

Learning about career development may also be intentional, and preschools and primary schools provide an excellent setting for such learning through career education. As direct quotes from children show, career development is something that children can talk about and about which they can share their experiences. Career education is not about encouraging children to make occupational choices. Rather it is about encouraging them not to foreclose on their occupational options too early on the basis of gender and perceived status and assisting them to develop skills and knowledge that will help them to cope with important decisions, such as subject, course, and occupational selection, when they are adolescents.

The Australian Blueprint for Career Development developed by Miles Morgan Australia is an excellent resource that outlines the career development competencies that may be developed in children. These competencies fall into three broad areas.

Personal management competencies relate to building a positive self-image and sound relationships with others and developing an awareness of change and growth throughout life.

Learning and work exploration competencies relate to participating in lifelong learning, understanding the relationship between learning, work and society, and discovering career information.

Career building competencies relate to developing work strategies and skills in decision making and understanding the relationship between life roles and work roles.

The Australian Blueprint for Career Development also provides guidance for teachers interested in developing career education programs. Career education may be embedded into most areas of the curriculum and is a topic of relevance that children and teachers will enjoy. Children who participate in career education may be better prepared for the career decisions and transitions of adolescence and adulthood. Career development is a process in which children are actively engaged in their everyday experience. Career education provides an opportunity to capitalise on a process that is already happening and make school and life experiences relevant to children’s futures. Preschools and primary schools are ideally placed to introduce children to career education and, in doing so, provide a firm foundation for the lifelong process of career development.

References

Gottfredson, L S (2002). ‘Gottfredson’s theory of circumscription, compromise and self-creation’ in D. Brown (Ed.), Career choice and development, 4th ed., Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, California, pp. 85–148.

Law, B (1999). ‘Career-learning space: New DOTS thinking for careers education’, British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 27, pp 35–54.

Miles Morgan Australia (2003). Australian Blueprint for Career Development. Retrieved April 8, 2007, from: www.dest.gov.au/sectors/career_development/policy_issues_reviews/key_issues/ australian_blueprint_for_career_dev

Super, D E (1990). ‘A life-span, life-space approach to career development’ in D. Brown & L. Brooks (Eds), Career choice and development, 2nd ed., Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, California, pp. 197–261.

Watson, M & McMahon, M (2005). ‘Children’s career development: A research review from a learning perspective’, Journal of Vocational Behavior, 67, pp. 119–32.

Mary McMahon is a lecturer in the School of Education at The University of Queensland.

The author owns the copyright in this article. For information related to the reuse of this work in any form please contact the publisher denise.quinn@curriculum.edu.au