How you’d get this certificate
- Zavmo teaches you. You learn the units one-to-one with an AI tutor, on your own work.
- You register with an approved centre. That is a college, training provider or employer Cambridge OCR has approved to offer this qualification. Zavmo is not an approved centre, so you register with them, not with us.
- The centre assesses, and Cambridge OCR awards. A qualified assessor at the centre judges your evidence, and the certificate comes from Cambridge OCR.
This Level 6 diploma develops a high-level understanding of career development. Learners will enhance their skills and competences in career guidance. It is intended for individuals working, or intending to work, in direct learning support roles within the career development sector.
These are the units Cambridge OCR registers against this qualification. It is a catalogue, not a syllabus. Which of them you take depends on the combination the qualification requires, and that is set by the awarding body rather than by us. Every unit here is regulated. Zavmo teaches towards them on your own work.
Zavmo is not an awarding body, is not an approved centre, and is not affiliated with Cambridge OCR. It does the teaching and the mapping. Cambridge OCR sets this qualification and awards it, and a qualified human assessor makes the assessment decision.
What each unit actually teaches you to do
Agree the purpose of client-centred career interactions and maintain communication with clients Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand a range of techniques used to effectively agree the purpose and objectives of career guidance and development interactions with clients.
- Understand the range of digital technologies available and how they can be used to communicate effectively with clients.
- Agree with clients the specific purpose and desired outcomes of career guidance and development interactions.
- Maintain effective communication with the client throughout the career guidance and development interaction, adapting the approach as necessary.
Assist clients to apply for learning, training and work Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand application processes and procedures for learning, training and work, including application forms, online applications, interviews, and assessments.
- Assist clients making applications for learning, training or work, including providing information, guidance, and support with completing applications.
- Evaluate with clients the outcomes of the application process for learning, training or work, including identifying strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.
Career guidance theory career guidance and development theories and models Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand a range of established career guidance and development theories and models.
- Understand different theories of motivation and their application in the context of career guidance and development.
- Understand various concepts and models that can be used to support clients in their career planning and development.
- Understand the role and purpose of research in informing career guidance and development theory and practice.
- Understand theories of change management and their relevance to career guidance and development.
- Understand how to apply career guidance and development theories, concepts, and models to effectively support own practice.
Continuously improve career development work in an organisation Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the relevant professional standards and ethical guidelines that govern career development work.
- Understand the importance of adhering to these standards to ensure quality and integrity in practice.
- Understand the key research findings that demonstrate the value and impact of career development work on individuals and organisations.
- Understand how to use research evidence to advocate for the importance of career development and secure resources.
- Undertake and lead reviews and evaluations of career development work to assess its effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
- Use evaluation findings to inform future planning and decision-making.
- Lead developments and innovations in career development work to enhance its relevance and impact.
- Identify and implement new approaches and technologies to improve the delivery of career development services.
- Lead and manage continuing professional development (CPD) activities for colleagues involved in career development work.
- Provide opportunities for colleagues to enhance their skills, knowledge, and competence in career development.
Enable clients to develop and evidence their employment-related skills Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the concept of employment-related skills and how these skills have changed and evolved over time in response to labour market demands.
- Understand how clients develop their employment-related skills, considering different learning styles and individual needs.
- Understand the different ways in which clients can consider, articulate, and evidence their employment-related skills to potential employers.
- Plan the content of an activity designed to enable clients to consider, articulate, and evidence their employment-related skills, ensuring the activity is engaging and motivating.
- Deliver the planned employment-related skills activity effectively, adapting to the needs of the clients.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the employment-related skills activity, identifying areas for improvement and future development.
Engage with other relevant people to help clients to meet their career development needs Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the rationale for working with others to help clients to meet their career development needs, including the benefits of collaboration and the importance of a multi-agency approach.
- Agree how other relevant people will help clients to meet their career development needs, including defining roles, responsibilities, and communication channels.
Explore and agree the career guidance and development needs of clients Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand methods used to explore the career guidance and development needs of clients.
- Understand methods used to agree career guidance and development needs with clients.
- Explore the career guidance and development needs of clients using appropriate methods.
- Agree action plans with clients to meet their identified career guidance and development needs.
- Evaluate with clients the impact of career guidance and development activities.
- Evaluate the application of career guidance and development theories and models when working with clients.
Lead and manage career development work in an organisation Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand different models for the role of a career development leader within an organisation, including their responsibilities and scope of influence.
- Understand the key skills and competencies required for effective leadership in career development.
- Effectively promote the value and importance of career development work within an organisation to all stakeholders.
- Communicate the benefits of career development to employees, managers, and senior leaders.
- Work collaboratively with senior leaders to develop and implement policies that support career development initiatives.
- Influence organisational strategy to ensure that career development is integrated into the overall business objectives.
- Plan and design a comprehensive programme of career development work that aligns with the organisation's strategic goals.
- Identify and prioritise key areas for career development intervention.
- Effectively manage colleagues and resources to ensure the successful delivery of career development work.
- Delegate tasks, provide support, and monitor performance to achieve desired outcomes.
- Manage effective partnerships with external organisations to enhance the delivery of career development work.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, such as training providers and recruitment agencies.
- Understand the process of commissioning career development services for an organisation, including identifying needs, selecting providers, and managing contracts.
Manage a personal caseload/work responsibilities in the career development sector Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the purpose of caseload management within the career development sector.
- Understand the various factors that can affect caseloads in the career development sector.
- Accurately maintain case notes, ensuring confidentiality and adherence to organisational policies.
- Evaluate the intended outcomes of the career development provision being delivered to clients.
- Establish priorities for dealing with a personal caseload, managing time effectively and efficiently.
Negotiate on behalf of clients Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the fundamental principles underpinning effective negotiation practices.
- Understand the practical application of negotiation techniques in various scenarios.
- Understand the specific role and purpose of negotiation when acting on behalf of clients.
- Understand how negotiation contributes to achieving positive outcomes for clients in relation to their career-related needs.
- Effectively negotiate on behalf of clients to secure outcomes that align with their career aspirations and requirements.
- Understand the role and purpose of negotiation when interacting with other organisations.
- Understand the importance of building and maintaining positive relationships with other organisations during the negotiation process.
- Undertake the negotiation process with other organisations in a professional and ethical manner.
Plan and design career-related learning programmes Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand a range of career learning theories and how these can be applied to the design of effective programmes of career-related learning.
- Understand how different theoretical perspectives can inform the selection of appropriate learning activities and resources.
- Understand how the aims of career-related learning fit into the overall aims and objectives of the organisation.
- Understand how career-related learning can contribute to the achievement of organisational goals and strategic priorities.
- Understand how career-related learning is interpreted and delivered in different educational and training institutions.
- Understand the variations in approaches and methodologies used in different contexts.
- Understand how the aims of career-related learning can be translated into practical and engaging programmes of learning and work.
- Understand how to design learning activities that are relevant, challenging, and aligned with learners' needs and aspirations.
- Understand the full range of education, training, and employment opportunities available to learners and integrate this information into career programmes.
- Understand how to provide learners with access to accurate and up-to-date information about career pathways and options.
- Design a comprehensive career-related learning programme of work that meets the needs of the target audience.
- Develop a programme that is aligned with relevant curriculum frameworks and standards.
- Identify and negotiate with others to secure suitable delivery methods and resources for the career-related learning programme.
- Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of the programme.
- Evaluate the career-related learning programme to assess its impact and effectiveness, and make recommendations for improvement.
- Use evaluation data to inform future programme design and delivery.
Plan, deliver and evaluate career-related learning in groups Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand theories of how people learn in groups, including different learning styles and group dynamics.
- Understand methods to plan career-related learning in groups to meet identified needs, considering factors such as group size, learning objectives, and available resources.
- Understand methods to deliver career-related learning in groups effectively, using appropriate facilitation techniques and resources.
- Understand methods to evaluate career-related learning in groups, gathering feedback and measuring outcomes against learning objectives.
- Plan career-related learning activities for groups, taking into account the learning needs of participants and the desired outcomes.
- Deliver career-related learning activities effectively in a group setting, using appropriate facilitation techniques and resources.
- Evaluate career-related learning activities delivered in groups, gathering feedback and measuring outcomes against learning objectives.
Plan, deliver and evaluate presentations Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the different purposes of presentations and the various means of presentation delivery to effectively meet the needs of the target audience.
- Understand appropriate methods to plan, deliver, and evaluate presentations on a range of career development topics.
- Plan presentations on career development topics, considering audience needs, learning objectives, and appropriate delivery methods.
- Deliver planned presentations effectively, using appropriate visual aids and communication techniques to engage the audience.
- Evaluate presentations, gathering feedback and identifying areas for improvement in future presentations.
Preparing to work in the career development sector Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the structure and key features of the career development sector.
- Understand the different roles and responsibilities within a career development organisation.
- Understand the standard working practices and procedures within the career development sector.
- Understand the impact of relevant legislative policy, professional codes of practice, and ethical considerations on the career development sector.
Promote career-related learning to clients Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the policy context for career-related learning, including government initiatives, funding streams, and quality standards.
- Understand the characteristics of career-related learning, including its relevance to the labour market, its focus on skills development, and its potential to improve employability.
- Understand the promotion of career-related learning to clients, including identifying target audiences, developing promotional materials, and delivering presentations.
- Negotiate with external organisations to promote career-related learning, including schools, colleges, employers, and training providers.
- Implement career-related learning promotional activities, including organising events, distributing information, and using social media.
Provide on-going support to clients Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the nature of ongoing support for clients to meet their career-related needs, including the purpose, scope, and duration of support.
- Provide ongoing support for clients to meet their career-related needs in accordance with the organisation’s protocols, including monitoring progress, providing feedback, and addressing challenges.
Publicise and negotiate career development provision with external agencies or other departments within the same organisation Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the range of career development provision that can be offered to clients and stakeholders.
- Understand different methods to effectively publicise the career development provision on offer to internal and external parties.
- Understand the key stages and principles of the negotiation process, including preparation, communication, and conflict resolution.
- Publicise and negotiate the delivery of career development provision to an internal or external party, securing agreement and commitment.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the publicising and negotiation process, identifying lessons learned and areas for improvement in future interactions with external or internal parties.
Reflect on and improve professional practice Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the principles and importance of reflective practice in career development.
- Understand a range of methods used to reflect on professional practice.
- Understand the need for continuous professional development to maintain competence and enhance skills as a career development practitioner.
- Reflect on own performance as a career development professional, identifying strengths and areas for improvement.
- Improve own practice through engagement in continuous professional development activities.
Source, evaluate and use Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) with clients Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) required by different client groups and their specific needs.
- Understand various methods for effectively using Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) with clients to inform their career choices.
- Use Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) effectively with clients to support their career planning.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of using Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) with clients and identify areas for improvement.
Understand how to support specific client groups to overcome barriers to learning, training and work Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the legislative context for working with specific client groups, including relevant laws, regulations, and guidelines.
- Understand the policy context for working with specific client groups, including government initiatives, local authority policies, and organisational procedures.
- Understand barriers to learning for specific client groups, including personal, social, economic, and environmental factors.
- Understand barriers to training for specific client groups, including access, funding, and support.
- Understand barriers to work for specific client groups, including discrimination, skills gaps, and health issues.
- Understand services designed for specific client groups, including education, training, employment, and support services.
Undertake research on behalf of the service Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the specific research requirements of the career development service, including the types of research needed and the purposes for which it is used.
- Understand the research needs of the service's clients, including the types of information they require and how research can support their career development.
- Understand a range of research methods commonly used in career development services, including both quantitative and qualitative approaches.
- Understand the strengths and limitations of different research methods in the context of career development.
- Agree on clear and measurable research requirements with relevant stakeholders.
- Define the scope and objectives of research projects in collaboration with the service and its clients.
- Source relevant evidence and information from a variety of sources to meet the identified research needs of the service and its clients.
- Critically evaluate the quality and reliability of sourced evidence and information.
- Analyse research evidence and information using appropriate techniques to identify key findings and insights.
- Interpret research findings in the context of career development theory and practice.
- Report on research outcomes in a clear, concise, and accessible manner to meet the needs of the service and its clients.
- Present research findings in a format that is appropriate for the intended audience.
Use career-related information with clients Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the scope and purpose of career-related information and its relevance to clients.
- Assist clients in accessing relevant career-related information from appropriate sources.
Use diagnostic and assessment tools with clients Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the purpose and application of various diagnostic and assessment tools used with clients.
- Use diagnostic and assessment tools effectively with clients to support their career development.
Use digital technology in the career development sector Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand how digital technology can be effectively used in the career development sector to enhance service delivery and client engagement.
- Understand the relevant legislative requirements and ethical implications when using digital technology in the career development sector, including data protection and online safety.
- Understand the features of different digital platforms used to enhance communication and maintain the safety and well-being of users, including safeguarding protocols.
- Plan how to use digital technology to deliver a specific career development outcome, considering accessibility and inclusivity.
- Use the chosen digital technology effectively to deliver the planned outcome, while maintaining the well-being and safety of users.
- Evaluate the use of digital technology in delivering the outcome, identifying its benefits and limitations and suggesting improvements for future use.
Use the expertise of employers and other organisations in the delivery of career learning/development activities Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the career learning and career development needs of clients, including diverse needs and backgrounds.
- Understand how the expertise from employers and organisations can contribute to meeting the identified career learning and career development needs of clients.
- Understand different types of involvement that employers and organisations can have in contributing to career learning and career development activities, including work placements, mentoring, and guest speaking.
- Understand how to evaluate the impact of employer and organisation involvement in career learning and career development activities, using appropriate methods and tools.
- Negotiate the involvement of an employer or organisation in the delivery and evaluation of a career learning or development activity, ensuring mutual benefit and clear expectations.
- Facilitate the involvement of an employer or organisation in the delivery of a career learning or development activity, providing necessary support and guidance.
- Evaluate the involvement of an employer and/or organisation in the delivery of a career learning or development activity, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.
Work with other organisations for the benefit of clients and own organisation Real unit · Cambridge OCR
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the characteristics of networks that support career development and how they function.
- Understand the networks that support the delivery of career development services and their roles.
- Understand the benefits of providing further support to meet the needs of both clients and the organisation.
- Understand the principles of negotiation and their application in collaborative working.
- Work collaboratively with other organisations to benefit clients.
- Signpost or refer clients to appropriate sources of further support based on their individual needs.
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The national standards these units are built against
What the job actually needs, in the words employers and awarding bodies already use for the work itself.
- Standard
Develop as a reflective supported employment practitioner
- Standard
Develop yourself as a reflective supported employment practitioner
- Standard
Provide continuing support to clients
The jobs these credits are mapped to
A qualification is never a dead end here. Each of these is a job record this qualification is a mapped route into.
- 1 record
- 1 record
- 1 record
- 1 record
- 1 record
- 2 records
Showing 6 roles, drawn from 55 job records mapped to this qualification. Near-identical records are folded together, and each row says how many it stands for.
Where this can lead
Senior Career Development Coach
This work can lead into HR leadership, organisational development, or a director-level talent role such as Director, Talent & Career Management.
See the whole journeyOne email to help you decide: the facts, what it teaches, the jobs it leads to and where to start free. With a link back here. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.
The credits, and who awards them
Level 6 credits are regulated, and they are awarded by Cambridge OCR rather than by Zavmo. They don’t vanish when a subscription ends or a website closes. They travel to any employer, and Zavmo keeps the map of what you have covered and what is next.
What you would be collecting
Agree the purpose of client-centred career interactions and maintain communication with clientsAssist clients to apply for learning, training and workCareer guidance theory career guidance and development theories and modelsContinuously improve career development work in an organisationEnable clients to develop and evidence their employment-related skillsEngage with other relevant people to help clients to meet their career development needsExplore and agree the career guidance and development needs of clientsLead and manage career development work in an organisation
Each one is a real unit registered against this qualification.
How you’d practise it
You don’t watch this. You do it.
You are not assessed on remembering this. You are assessed on applying it, analysing it, evaluating it and producing something. So that is what the practice is: projects, role play and your own live cases, with a tutor in the room.
- Rehearse the conversation Apply
“Negotiate on behalf of clients” is a conversation before it is a document. You have it with Zavmo playing the other person, badly at first, then again once you know what you actually want to say.
- Pitch it Evaluate
“Source, evaluate and use Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) with clients” gets practised as a pitch. You make the case out loud, Zavmo asks the question the room would ask, and you make it again.
- Bring your own plan Create
For “Plan and design career-related learning programmes” you bring the plan you are actually working on, not a case study. Zavmo pulls on the assumptions in it until the weak one shows.
- Map a live decision Analyse
“Plan, deliver and evaluate career-related learning in groups” runs on a decision you are facing now. Zavmo maps it with you and shows what the second-order effect looks like before you find out the slow way.
What you leave holding
The standards this credential builds, in the shape the product keeps them
Nothing here is marked learned. There is no learner on a public page, so the map shows what the qualification covers rather than what anybody has done.
- Develop as a reflective supported employment practitioner
- Develop yourself as a reflective supported employment practitioner
- Provide continuing support to clients
How you would learn this
One to one, on the work you already do
A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.
A lesson from Agree the purpose of client-centred career interactions and maintain communication with clients, one of this qualification's own units.
Applied to your work in any of these jobs
Learners will develop skills to agree the purpose and objectives of client-centred career interactions using various communication techniques, including digital technologies. The unit emphasises adapting methods to suit client needs and maintaining effective communication throughout the interaction.
- 1 Remember
- 2 Understand
- 3 Apply
- 4 Analyse
- 5 Evaluate
- 6 Create
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Built for Cambridge OCR Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance and Development
26 units in this credential, in the order it lists them, awarded by Cambridge OCR.
- Agree the purpose of client-centred career interactions and maintain communication with clients
- Assist clients to apply for learning, training and work
- Career guidance theory career guidance and development theories and models
- Continuously improve career development work in an organisation
- Enable clients to develop and evidence their employment-related skills
- Engage with other relevant people to help clients to meet their career development needs
and 20 more in the full unit list below.
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The title, level, credits, guided learning hours and unit learning outcomes on this page are taken from the Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Where this data comes from.