Resources (OERs for Career Development)

Open Educational Resources (OERs) for Career Development and Career Development Professionals

A list of OERs relevant to work in our sector.

National Deaf Children's Society: Deaf Awareness for Careers Advisors
e-learning modules to improve your deaf awareness within the context of offering careers advice. Each module contains country-specific information and identifies key considerations when providing careers advice to deaf young people so you can be confident in the advice you’re providing. 

A free online course from Dyslexia Scotland

A new online learning resource for career professionals across Europe. 

A course you might wish to recommend to clients - if you do, it's wise to complete it yourself first, to see what it covers. A free three week course from the University of Sheffield, to help participants produce a perfect CV, application and online profile when applying for a job or course.

FutureLearn: Create a Professional Online Appearance
Using social media to create and manage your online appearance.

OpenLearn: Skills for Study
A useful collection of study skills focused OERs, for those starting higher level study for the first time, or returning after a break.

Targeted at those aged 40-60.

OpenLearn: Developing career resilience
A course you might wish to recommend to clients - if you do, it's wise to complete it yourself first, to see what it covers.

A course you might wish to recommend to clients - if you do, it's wise to complete it yourself first, to see what it covers.

Introduced by the Careers Team at the Open University.

An overview of the coaching relationship and purpose from both sides.

Note that this England-focused course refers directly to the now (mainly) defunct Connexions services, however the broader principles still stand. 

Note: This is a Scotland-specific course. This course may be of specific interest to professionals working in or aspiring to work in Higher Education. 

OpenLearn/Education Scotland: An introduction to inclusive education
This module has been developed by Education Scotland to provide educational practitioners and local authorities with free professional learning resources which focus on an introduction to Inclusion and equality within Scottish education. The module content is very relevant for all educational practitioners and also supports teachers to meet the required general Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) standards for Professional Learning, annual reviews and Professional Update.

Do you feel concerned about a lack of diversity in your workplace? This free course introduces you to the benefits and complexities of developing and supporting a diverse and inclusive workforce. 

Learn about autism, a complex and challenging long-term condition for many individuals and their families worldwide, and an aspect of human diversity to others. This free course, Understanding autism, introduces the autism spectrum, how it is experienced by different individuals and families, and why it is a global concern. The course explains how ideas about autism have evolved and explores diagnosis, causes, intervention and life-span development. Widely varying perspectives on autism are illustrated and key societal and cross-cultural issues highlighted.

Udemy: Supporting dyslexic people with job applications
An introductory guide for Careers Advisers, Employability Workers and other skilled helpers on supporting dyslexic clients to complete personal statement style job applications.

OpenLearn Create: Dyslexia and Inclusive Practice
The first of 3 modules (links to the other modules on the index page) that aim to provide teachers and local authority staff with an awareness of what dyslexia is, its impact and how it can be supported within an inclusive school community. It may also be of interest if you work in the voluntary sector or simply have an interest in dyslexia and inclusive practice.  

Targeted at students and graduates, but may be useful to any autistic person.

ADHD from the perspective of those who have ADHD and those who care for people who have ADHD.

OpenLearn: Exploring equality and equity in education
This course considers the complexity of social justice as applied to education and reflects on the different purposes of, and value ascribed to, education in different countries and cultures. It discusses different conceptions of 'justice' and the distinction between equity and equality.

A short overview of the key elements of implementing a coaching approach in your work. 

Throughout this course, you will take steps to:  Understand and articulate your key skills, attributes, and unique selling points; Reflect on the experiences which have shaped you so far in your life and career and learn how to articulate them; Identify relevant sources of labour market information and intelligence, and learn tools and techniques which can help you to match what you have to offer with these opportunities; Begin or continue career planning activities, which you will continue to use and develop throughout your career; Engage in discussion with your peers to share experiences.

OpenLearn Developing high trust work relationships
Learn about trust in the organisational context. Course covers: developing high trust work relationships, introduces the concept of trust, what it means to you and how it may affect your organisation.

OpenLearn Challenging ideas in mental health
Challenging ideas in mental health, invites you to think differently about life's dilemmas by taking account of the views of all concerned, especially people experiencing mental distress. It explores ideas and practice in mental health, and will appeal to a wide range of people.

OpenLearn Facilitating group discussions
Gain an insight into facilitating meetings and discussions in the workplace. In this free course, Facilitating group discussions, you will look at some of the behaviours effective facilitators exhibit. Informative and engaging videos will introduce you to examples of facilitation in practice.

OpenLearn (Create) Planning for a better future
An introductory course for anyone considering changing jobs, wondering how to move up the ladder or return to work after a break, and those who might be looking to aspire to better things.

As an employee, what's your own unique "brand"? What do you bring to your employers?
A tool to aid the process of reflection for learners from diverse backgrounds and in a range of contexts.

This is a course developed in Scotland, by The Open University in collaboration with Bridges Programmes, to help with the process of reflection for learners from diverse backgrounds in a range of contexts. It is also for front-line staff and those supporting  new migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

For all staff working in Scotland's universities. Built around the voices of student careers. 

For all staff working in Scotland's universities, to improve their understanding of care experience, student carer voices and corporate parent responsibilities.  

A SWOT analysis is an often-asked-for workplace task and may be used in a career guidance interview. Look at it's structure and purpose in more detail on this course.

A course that explores the purpose of work experience, and how to ensure it is of maximum value.

This link will take you direct to the courses on Career Development. These are very short courses (often taking just one hour) that may be a good starting point to engage a client with OERs. 

Zero Suicide Alliance: Gateway Module and Suicide Awareness Training
ZSA have two different types of awareness training, which provide a better understanding of the signs to look out for and the skills required to approach someone who is struggling.

EmployID: The changing world of work
While this MOOC has completed, the resources are still available as public and Open educational Resources (OERs).

Online learning modules from the National Guidance Research Forum on Labour Market Information
Three Online Learning modules developed to support the continuing professional development of those working in careers education, information, advice and guidance in their understanding and use of labour market information and intelligence.

ACAS: Learning Online
Learning OnLine offers a range of online courses and resources for individuals and different sizes of employers. 

Understand more about autism, including diagnosis, the autistic spectrum and life with autism, with this online course.

FutureLearn: How to Succeed at Interviews
Another course you might wish to recommend to clients - if you do, it's wise to complete it yourself first, to see what it covers.

FutureLearn: Understanding the GDPR
While you will be required to undertake training in the GDPR in relation to your employment, you might also find this MOOC helpful. By developing good knowledge of the GDPR and understanding how it will affect you, you will learn about the first steps for making your organisation compliant and can immediately start taking them. You will explore data subjects’ rights, data controllers’ and processors’ obligations, and enforcement and compliance notions in the context of the Regulation.

FutureLearn: Caring for Vulnerable Children (University of Strathclyde)
In times of austerity and shrinking public services, the task of identifying and caring for vulnerable children has never been more challenging. In this free online course, we’ll help you explore some of the issues involved in undertaking this task.

A useful OER if you work in HE and support staff as well as students. 

A short course to support more inclusive digital practice


Other Useful Websites  
Skills Development Scotland

The Career Development Institute
The Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Service

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