Diploma in Careers Information and Advice Level 4

Duration: 12 months

The OCR Level 4 Diploma in Careers Information and Advice is the standard qualification for the National Careers Service, a strong starting point for training providers looking towards both their Matrix and Ofsted reviews and provides skills and credibility within both the welfare to work and employability sectors. It is also popular within the careers teams of further education colleges and is present in schools around the country.

This qualification is the base on which career guidance careers are built. This programme will provide you with plenty of opportunities to develop yourself and knowledge of the subject which is directly applicable to your place of work.

It also provides a stepping-stone for those keen to progress to the level 6 diploma or a Master’s degree in career guidance-related disciplines.

Teaching Style

The focus is on getting the right programme for you or your team, with one live, interactive, teaching seminar via Zoom or Microsoft Teams for each module, supported by coaching from experts and online resources and self study before and after each seminar.

The Qualification

This qualification aims to:

  • provide professional development opportunities for those currently working in career guidance, in para-professional roles
  • prepare you for employment in a career guidance role
  • improve your underpinning knowledge, understanding and skills for your career guidance role
  • improve your performance at work

The qualification has five mandatory units which cover preparation for working in the careers guidance sector, awareness of career choice theories, and meeting the needs of clients. These contribute 30 of the 45 credits required. The remaining 15 credits are covered by a carefully curated selection from the list of optional units. These recommended units selected by JGA will support you to provide efficient, effective advice and guidance services to your clients.

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Course Contents

  • Introduction to the qualification
  • The role of Assessor, IQA and EQA
  • Introduce e-portfolio
  • SWOT self-assessment

  • Understand the career information, advice and guidance sector
  • The aims and objectives of the learners organisation
  • The purpose and function of roles within the organisation
  • Legislation

  • Reflective practice theorists
  • Methods used to reflect on practice
  • Self-assessments
  • CPD and CPD approaches

  • Important interviewing skills
  • Interview skills required to facilitate a careers interview
  • Different interview models that can be used when working with our clients
  • How to tailor sessions to meet the needs of clients
  • Different forms of media we use to communicate

  • Different forms of career guidance
  • Sources of information that can be used to support delivery
  • What is Labour Market Intelligence?
  • Using career related information

  • How do you support your client
  • Theories of career development
  • What is enabling, supporting and empowering
  • Understand motivational theories and concepts

  • Questioning techniques
  • What is involved with career guidance?
  • Exploring the client’s needs
  • Using decision-making tools

  • The different stages of applying for learning, training and work
  • Reviews
  • Analysing your research to produce a presentation on the application procedure
  • Discuss different activities you can use to support clients in the application procedure

  • Barriers to training, learning and work clients may have
  • Legislation
  • Reviews

  • Ways to manage and organise career related information

  • Guided discussions/Professional discussions
  • Evaluation