08/01/2018

NCDA’s New Training Program and Participation in the National Coalition for Career Development

By Deneen Pennington and Cynthia Marco Scanlon

NCDA has joined the Global Pathways Institute, along with many national organizations, to form the National Coalition for Career Development. This Coalition is committed to making career readiness a central focus of American education. Their mission is to work collaboratively with education, business, government and non-profit organizations to create a national movement dedicated to helping all learners become career literate and career ready.

NCDA, at the request of the National Coalition, developed the School Career Development Advisor (SCDA) Training and adopted it as the official national training program for those serving the career development needs of students in middle and high schools. NCDA was honored to pilot this program in both South Dakota and South Carolina in early 2018. The South Dakota Training was supported by the Governor’s Office and provided much needed recognition to educators entrusted with this responsibility. A second pilot was conducted at the Lexington District Two, based in Columbia, South Carolina. South Carolina has a long history of supporting career advisors and we appreciate their support in helping NCDA pilot the program. The objectives for the SCDA surround two primary competency areas: knowledge of skills related to student advising and knowledge of skills related to working with business and industry. The SCDA Training will be made available to the public in early 2019.

Those completing the SCDA Training are eligible to apply for the Certified School Career Development Advisor (CSCDA) Credential through the NCDA Credentialing Commission. A goal of the Coalition is to have a career advisor in every high school in America and NCDA is poised to provide the training and credentialing for these practitioners. NCDA is proud to offer this training and credential to meet the needs of the Coalition and others working diligently in the schools across the nation.

National Career Development Summit

September 12, 2018 – Washington DC 

The National Coalition is sponsoring a National Summit, and NCDA members are encouraged to attend. The Coalition Advisory Board Members supporting this event with NCDA include the

• National Governors Association
• Education Commission of the States
• National Association of Workforce Boards.

Invited speakers are from some of the nation’s most prominent leaders in this movement, including

• Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan Chase and Chairman of the Business Roundtable 
• Michael Bloomberg, former Mayor of New York City
• Prominent Governors
• Leading educators
• Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta
• Republican and Democratic members of Congress.

The one-day Summit is being designed to insure that all attendees will have the opportunity to share their ideas for the call to action. Participants will take part in facilitated breakout sessions in the morning and afternoon, where they will be encouraged to share their suggestions in small-group settings. The Coalition encourages all attendees to come to the Summit with a pledge of what they or their organization will do to promote high-quality career development in the education system. A number of NCDA member facilitators and notetakers will be needed for the roundtable discussion groups during this event. For those fulfilling these roles, a reduced registration rate is being offered, and for those holding an NCDA credential, this event could count toward your continuing education requirements. If you are interested in that opportunity, contact Cynthia Scanlon at cscanlon@ncda.org for more information. To register for the Summit, go to https://www.eiseverywhere.com/339463?categoryid=2678428 then enter a valid email address and use the following password:  NCDA 2018.

Deneen Pennington is the Executive Director of NCDA. She can be reached at dpennington@ncda.org

Cynthia Marco Scanlon is the Director of Credentialing and Special Programs. She can be reached at cscanlon@ncda.org