Understanding the use of digital technology in the career development sector

Abstract

This research, funded jointly by the UK’s Career Development Institute and the University of Derby, has been conducted at a time of rapid change in the availability and use of digital technologies. A recommendation to develop digital skills to harness technology is not new and was first suggested by The Careers Profession Task Force (2010). This research aims to determine what progress has been made over the last nine years since the recommendation was made and seeks to determine: • How practitioners and managers use digital technology to deliver career development services • The potential for digital technology to deliver career development services; and • The training needs of career development practitioners so that they can use digital technology to deliver services, innovate solutions and solve problems in service delivery. The knowledge developed through this research will be used to develop professional support and training activities and services to organisations and individual career development practitioners. It will also be used by policy makers in the UK and beyond, who are tasked with the development of modern, cost-effective and client appropriate career development services.