Career Research and Development (CRD) is a CTE program that prepares students with the academic, technical and workplace skills necessary to seek further education and employment in a career field of their interest upon graduating high school. The overarching goals of CRD are to help students to:
Become aware of personal characteristics, interests, aptitudes and skills;
Develop an awareness of and respect for the diversity of the world of work;
Understand the relationship between school performance and future employment choices;
Develop a positive attitude toward work; and
Formulate a process for evaluating employability skill development and future education/training options.
The program consists of two in-school course(s), a portfolio development project, and a work-based learning (WBL) experience. The first course, Career Research and Development, provides students with instruction on Maryland’s Career Development Model and includes self-awareness, career awareness and evaluation of career and academic choices through knowledge of the Maryland Career Clusters and Career Technology Education Programs of Study. The second course, Career Development, Preparation, and Transition, continues the self-assessment and career awareness process, however, this course is more focused on career preparation and transition as students enter into a formal WBL experience ,as well as, plan for employment, education, and training beyond high school.
The basis for being successful in the working world is to demonstrate, in a variety of ways, competency in the Skills for Success. These skills include:
Learning
Critical thinking
Communicating effectively
Grasping constantly changing technologies, and
Working effectively with others.
Students participating in the Career Research and Development (CRD) Program have the unique opportunity to practice these skills through a supervised work-based learning experience, the portfolio development process, and in-class instruction as they focus on continuously improving their skills to move beyond high school into employment and further education.
The workplace component is a mentored, on-the-job, work experience with a written, personalized, work-based learning plan and a formal agreement between the student, school and employer. The goal of the WBL experience is to expose students to authentic employment opportunities that link to students’ career interests, LSS career clusters, and employment demand. Work-based learning placements will prepare students for employment that lead to a family-supporting wage. Students develop and maintain a career portfolio throughout the program documenting progress related to their work plan. The elements of the portfolio shall document academic, technical, employability and personal skill development. The program culminates with students presenting their final portfolio documenting personal growth, achievements and learning experiences from their program.