Children’s Career Development: The Building Blocks for Career Adaptability

Abstract

Today’s world of exponential change, global connectedness, a deepening divide of “have” and “have-not, " and constant uncertainty means that tomorrow’s workers must be prepared to design their lives following indistinct and/or elusive maps while preparing for uncertain and insecure employment. This means that we can no longer wait to implement career development programming in high school and beyond, but instead must begin in early childhood to nurture children’s career development and adaptability. Towards this end, the first part of the chapter provides information on the importance of understanding career development as a lifelong process beginning in childhood. The second part considers influences on childhood career development through the lens of an ecological model and the third section discusses career adaptability. The fourth part of the chapter provides practical implications using both the ecological model and the 4Cs of career adaptability as organizing frameworks and is followed by a short concluding section.