NCDA Facilitating Career Development Training and Certification Program

Watch here for upcoming webinars or other new ways to learn about the program.

NCDA's Facilitating Career Development Training and Certification Program is available in two modes of delivery. Individuals can attend traditional face-to-face classroom training or participate in the eLearning mode of delivery. Most instructors conduct an online course utilizing technology, such as Zoom, MS Teams, Google Meet, or similar, to conduct the required face-to-face instruction and remaining coursework on an online learning platform. NCDA FCD Instructors have an extensive background in career counseling or planning and all of the Career Development Competencies. In addition, they have worked, taught, or trained in a variety of settings. Please visit the Training Calendar for a list of Facilitating Career Development classes.  If you are considering being an eLearning student, use this Technology Assessment Form.

A Certified Career Services Provider (CCSP), is a person who has completed the Facilitating Career Development Training and Certification Program AND successfully completed the CCSP competency-based credential application. This person typically works in any career development setting and incorporates career development information or skills in their work with students, adults, clients, employees, or the public. A Certified Career Services Provider (CCSP) has received in-depth training in the areas of career development in the form of up to 120+ class/instructional hours, provided by a nationally trained and qualified instructor and proven their career development competency by completing the CCSP credential application.

This title designates individuals working in a variety of career development settings. A CCSP may serve as a career group facilitator, job search trainer, career resource center coordinator, career coach, career development case manager, intake interviewer, occupational and labor market information resource person, human resource career development coordinator, employment/placement specialist, or workforce development staff person.

Learn more about the CCSP credential and application process. 

The counseling profession has made great progress in defining professional counseling and career counseling. However, several professional groups recognized that many individuals who are currently providing career assistance are not professional counselors. The NCDA Facilitating Career Development Training and Certification Program was developed to provide standards, training specifications, and CCSP credentialing opportunities for these career providers. The goal was to define and differentiate two levels of career practice.

Initial leadership in the development of the Facilitating Career Development concept was taken by the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (NOICC) through its Career Development Training Institute (CDTI) which had representatives from 15 associations on its Board. Through a CDTI grant to Oakland University, Howard Splete, Judy Hoppin, and others developed Career Development Facilitator competencies, a Career Development Facilitator curriculum, and a Career Development Facilitator instructor training curriculum.

A major emphasis in the initial effort was to develop a curriculum and train instructors who would in turn develop programs to train Career Service Providers. Instructors are developing programs in a variety of settings including colleges, community colleges, and state agencies. The programs are delivered in different ways, including intensive three-week and semester-long programs. Programs may carry college credit, continuing education credit, and/or certificates of completion.

NCDA & Facilitating Career Development

NCDA was an early partner with the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (NOICC) and the Center for Credentialing and Education, Inc. (CCE) in developing and implementing the Career Development Facilitator concept. In addition to the Facilitating Career Development Curriculum, NCDA coordinates these aspects of the NCDA Training Program.

• Distributing and improving the Facilitating Career Development student and instructor manual.
• Conducting NCDA instructor training through a network of over 45 master trainers.
• Maintaining NCDA Registry of Programs and Instructors that use the Facilitating Career Development student manual.
• Maintaining this website to provide information about the Facilitating Career Development Training and Certification Program.
• Inviting program completers to join NCDA (see Membership Information).
• Coordinating the NCDA Training and Education Council (TEC) to direct the future of the NCDA Curriculum and Training Program

Certified Career Services Provider

Individuals who successfully complete the NCDA Facilitating Career Development training program are now eligible to apply for the Certified Career Services Provider (CCSP) credential. Click here to learn more about the CCSP.

For questions or assistance with the NCDA Facilitating Career Development Training and Certification Program please contact the Program Director: Mary Ann Powell or phone (918) 663-7060.