Engaging career development assessment: maximising learning in the workplace

Career development is the focus of the placement program for Sport and Recreation Management degrees in the School of Sport and Exercise Science at Victoria University. Considerable foresight and initiative since 1996 has seen a traditional fieldwork program be transformed into a leading career development teaching and learning model utilising an existing placement program. Throughout the years a regular cycle of activities characterized by reflecting, planning, doing, reviewing and improving the program has ensured a flexible yet challenging framework to encourage students to become proactive and autonomous career builders whilst at university. The Career and Professional Development Program is embedded as core curriculum during the second and third year of the degree. It incorporates a number of linked components all working together to create a career culture that facilitates student career maturity and equips them to self manage their own career using key career development competencies