making the case: demonstrating the impact of career and employment services |
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Authors: | Roberta A. Neault Deirdre A. Pickerell |
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Affiliation: | Roberta A. Neault and Deirdre A. Pickerell, Life Strategies Ltd., Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada. This article is based on a presentation by both authors at the November 2007 Association of Service Providers for Employability and Career Training (ASPECT) conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. |
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Abstract: | Career development practitioners understand that the value of career and employment services extends beyond attachment to the labor market. However, “soft” outcomes such as increased self‐efficacy and improved ability to manage transitions are difficult to measure. Convincing funders and policy makers of the significance of such outcomes may be challenging; consequently, important interventions may not be mandated or funded. In this article, the importance of effective program evaluation is highlighted, limitations of current evaluation models are identified, and a draft evaluation framework that facilitates tracking long‐term impacts of career and employment services is applied to critique a government‐commissioned summative evaluation report. |
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