Career Pathways and the Psychology Major

Numerous transformations have taken place in the workplace during the past several decades, combining to produce a dramatically different career landscape for individuals, educators, and organizations. Career pathways is a workforce development strategy that can be used to support career development activities and transitions across school and work roles. Adopting a career pathways framework and approach can help guide educational institutions in teaching students competencies that will increase their employability and can also help organizations develop people strategically, build engagement, and improve retention. In this book, a wide variety of critically important career pathway topics are addressed, including the role of career technical education, apprenticeships, and career support in career pathways; proactivity and career crafting; the gig economy and emerging career pathways; the role of data analytics in providing career and workforce insights; and career pathways for late career workers. It includes case study chapters that provide important practical insight into the development and use of career pathways in both educational and workplace settings. This book brings together leading workforce researchers and practitioners to provide new perspectives on school-to-work and workplace career pathways. It shows how career pathways can help individuals and organizations succeed in today’s workplace and in the workplace of the future.

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Understanding the career decision making of university students enrolled in STEM disciplines

Australian Journal of Career Development ◽

10.1177/1038416221994312 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 95-105

Author(s):

Dawn Bennett ◽

Elizabeth Knight ◽

Sherry Bawa ◽

Alfred M Dockery

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

University Students ◽

Career Commitment ◽

Career Decision ◽

Career Pathways ◽

Male Students ◽

Career Decision Making ◽

Engineering Mathematics ◽

The Subject ◽

Alternative Career Pathways

This study investigated why university students choose to major in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine/health (STEM(M)) disciplines, and how their study and career-related confidence compares with that of their peers. The study engaged 12,576 students enrolled at Australian universities. The findings suggest that STEM(M) students’ career decision making is guided by their interest in the subject and their intentions to help people. Within the STEM(M) cohort, students in medicine and health were more confident in their career decision making than either their STEM or non-STEM(M) peers. Of interest, they were less aware of alternative career pathways and less prepared to reorient their careers should this be necessary. Female students reported greater confidence than male students in their career decision making, career identity, and career commitment. Implications include the need for career narratives beyond the STEM industries and for career development initiatives that are mindful of disciplinary and gendered differences.

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