Careers:TOPICS Available to Purchase

Eleven unemployed people — three women and eight men — who want executive level work met last month at Coombe Cliff Adult Education Centre in Croydon. They are the first group to take part in the Development Opportunity Programme, a new venture sponsored by the Manpower Services Commission and staffed by Career & Personal Development Associates, an independent professional team of counsellors and trainers with diverse experience of business, education and the health service. The Programme offers support, challenge, practical guidance and help to adults searching for opportunities at executive or similar levels. It embraces several services, all free of charge to the members. During their first month they meet each Friday for group discussions, led by staff, in which they explore possible career and personal growth objectives as well as approaches to investigating areas of opportunity and to communicating in the employment market. Participation is on a one day a week basis for up to four months. Individual counselling with staff is available and peer group work is encouraged. Homework exercises are made available to stimulate and guide efforts to find a new direction for a working future, in harmony with values, goals and needs of each individual, as well as to research relevant markets for their talents and to improve their style of communication. They use a word processing service, and practise interviewing techniques with closed circuit television. Unemployed people over 24 years of age, who are eligible to register with the Professional & Executive Register of the Manpower Services Commission (PER), may apply to join.