Chapter 9: Professional Career Assessment Portfolios in Schools: Empowerment Through Accountability and Documentation

Today’s professional counselors, working in a variety of settings, are tasked with preparing the next generation to enter the global market, an environment that is continually adapting and shifting to meet global economic forces. Increasingly, the work force is requiring specialized skill sets in areas such as math, science, and technology. Today more than ever, this means professional counselors need to provide opportunities for career exploration and planning. The work force has been evolving due to a global recession, the increased number of prior service veterans returning to the civilian job market, re-careering following extended periods of unemployment/underemployment, and effects from global disasters. All of these factors play a role in career planning and transition.