Career Helplines: A Resource for Career Development

Abstract

In response to current global realities and the limitations of traditional career guidance to address labor market changes, inclusive social policies, and cultural diversity, new career guidance paradigms are needed in so-called developing and developed countries. Rapid technological changes over the last 10 years make the policy goal of career services for all more feasible by enabling affordable services to be accessed at a distance, through telephone, cell phone, and Internet channels. National multichannel career development helplines are a particularly strong example and are reviewed in this chapter. This new delivery mechanism has profound implications for inclusive career services that reflect a paradigmatic shift in career guidance policy and provision.

An integrated, multichannel career development helpline enables users to access career guidance as they choose, when they wish, through any channel they prefer. For example, a user can combine Internet search and the telephone, cell phone, email, SMS (short message service), VOIP (voice over Internet protocol such as Skype), webchat, Facebook, or Twitter. This furthers social equity goals of inclusion by mitigating the constraints of geography, time, travel costs, physical disability, and social isolation.

Seven countries have national multichannel helplines: Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, France, New Zealand, and South Africa. In addition, Austria and Germany are expected to launch their helplines shortly. The first distance helpline model evolved in England; other countries have adapted this model in response to their local context and policy mandates. The helplines have in common that they are mostly state-funded; are based on a new paradigm of distance delivery to expand inclusion while remaining affordable; employ the most appropriate technological solution; regard a distance service as a complement to other career development services; provide a mix of mediated and self-help options for the client; and need to be adapted to particular technological, demographic, and cultural contexts.

This distance model has proved resilient in both its applicability and adaptability to various contexts. In South Africa, for example, multichannel career development helpline services include not only telephone calls but also responding to “call me” SMS messages, Facebook queries, emails and letters, and weekly call-in radio programs in nine languages. A walk-in option is also provided.

Crosscutting issues include allocation of resources to career information provision and deeper career guidance counseling; whether to centralize or decentralize services in order to increase regional sensitivity; the place of face-to-face options within a distance service; all-age versus age-specific services; allocation of funding for marketing services; framing and targeting the service aligned to policy commitments; the balance of self-help and mediated options; cost-effectiveness; quality management approaches for consistent quality delivery; cultural adaptation; and staffing, credentials, and professional development infrastructure.

Decisions on distance service channel options and design will depend on country-specific realities, resource allocation, available technological infrastructure, and the needs and preferences of particular demographic groups within each country. Further research and theory are needed to explore and underpin effective career development through multichannel approaches in a wide variety of contexts and to ensure that ever-evolving technological options increase and enhance rather than narrow career development service delivery.