NCDA would like to encourage readers of Career Convergence to consider attending the 2020 National Career Development Summit, which will be held in Washington, DC on Wednesday, January 8. The Summit is being hosted by the Coalition for Career Development. NCDA is a charter member of the Coalition, whose Advisory Board also includes more than three dozen of the nation’s most prominent business, government and education organizations, such as the National Governors Association, CCSSO, and the National Association of Workforce Boards.
The Summit is designed to strengthen and accelerate the movement to make career readiness the central priority of American education. Everyone who attends the Summit will take part in interactive breakout sessions, in which they will be asked to refine and endorse the Coalition’s Action Plan for providing all learners with high-quality career development services. The Summit will build on the Coalition’s White Paper, Career Readiness for All, which was released earlier this year.
The Summit will also include remarks from prominent CEOs and educators, Governors and Administration officials. NCDA is actively involved in planning the Summit agenda, and will be presenting our efforts to advance professional development and certifications for those who provide career development. We expect the Summit to attract several hundred educators, business leaders and policymakers who are passionately committed to elevating career development because of its enormous potential to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and equity of our education and workforce systems.
Participants in the previous Summit have found it to be worthy of their time and NCDA's involvement. Here is what they have shared:
Being part of a platform that presented timely information, and that facilitated sharing and collaborative conversations with participants from diverse organizations around a high-needs focus, reignited my hope for the future of our country. I eagerly anticipate the 2020 Summit where I can continue to learn and share accomplishments and progress. It is validating to work in small groups to create next steps.
~ Rebecca Dedmond, Associate Professor, Counseling, George Washington University, NCDA Fellow
NCDA was one of the lead organizations in the formation and work of the 100 plus national organizations in the Coalition. These organizations include the Aspen Institute, the National Governors Association, the Council of Chief State School Officersg, IBM, the National Urban League and Junior Achievement. The Coalition's goal is to strengthen career development in American education with objectives which include having a certified career counselor or specialist in each secondary school and assuring that students have the opportunity and support to develop a career and academic plan prior to graduation. NCDA's program for training and certifying career development specialists and supervisors will be a major factor in helping the Coalition achieve its goals and objectives.
~E. Niel Carey, M.ED., NCC, NCCC (ret.), Executive Director Emeritus, National Career Development Association
Please visit the Coalition’s website to learn more about the Coalition, to obtain the White Paper, and to register for the Summit. The website also includes people to contact with any questions you might have. Registration includes breakfast, lunch and a full day of Summit programming. We are also offering rooms at the Summit hotel, the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Washington, for just $132 a night (plus tax). Plan now to be part of this incredible event!
William Symonds is the Executive Secretary for the Coalition for Career Development. He is the Director of the Global Pathways Institute at Arizona State University. He can be reached at william.symonds@asu.edu or 781 910-3161.