Executive Summary: "The Value of LifeWork Planning Services (LWPS) to NCDA"

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(One page Executive Summary)

The Value of LifeWork Planning Services (LWPS)

to NCDA and lifework decision makers

NCDA's relience on the Internet to leverage its delivery of career development (CD) services and resources is obvious and substantial, and will only increase.

Internet savvy users also rely more on lifework websites, mailing lists, emails and other Internet based applications to assist them in their lifework decisions. But how many of these applications can claim to offer a combination of ALL of the following services and resources in one package?

1. A commitment to the CD industry to support, use and expand NCDA services and resources.
   
2. A commitment to each lifework decision maker to  
   
   
   
   1. only focus on lifework planning, and
      
   2. offer a no-fee service for a basic account
      
   
   
3. A commitment to each career cybercounselor and client to offer a secure and private webspace to conduct counseling sessions.
   
4. Weblogging and social networking via keyword tagging
   
5. Private, semi-private and public access restrictions of weblog posts and files
   
6. File repositories to store digital artifacts (documents, pictures, video, audio)
   
7. ePortfolio development
   
8. RSS feeds and aggregation
   

Only LifeWork Planning Services (LWPS) can make this claim!

Need for Research and Review

“Since the use of the Internet is new for the delivery of career planning and counseling services, it is mandatory that the career counseling profession gain experience with this medium and evaluate its effectiveness through targeted research. The capabilities of Internet delivery of services will expand rapidly as the use of sound and video becomes more feasible. … early guidelines will need constant monitoring and revision as research data become available and additional capabilities become cost-feasible.” (Harris-Bowlsbey (2002), p.80)

LWPS is an infant - a work in progress.  I invite your scrutiny and your support.

Harris-Bowlsbey, J., Riley-Dikel, M.,  Sampson, J.P., Jr.  (2002) The Internet: A Tool For Career Planning,  NCDA.