The WSG Career Development Framework (“CDF”) is a competency-based credentialing framework for career advisors and career practitioners. It is developed by WSG with inputs from the Ministry of Education (“MOE”) and the Employment and Employability Institute Pte. Ltd. (“e2i”) who are key stakeholders in the provision of education and career advisory services for students and adults respectively. The CDF is also aligned to international practices and emphasizes the practice component in a career advisor’s or a career practitioner’s role. The credentialing will allow WSG, MOE, e2i and other stakeholders in the career development community to uphold professional standards and ethics in the community.

The CDF offers 4 credentials targeted at the career professionals in different roles; namely Certified Career Advisor (CCA), Certified Career Practitioner (CCP), Certified Career Clinical Supervisor (CCCS) and Certified Career Services Manager (CCSM). The four credentials are defined by a set of competencies which are packaged into recommended training courses, of which applicants will need to complete as an initial training to testify that they have the body of knowledge for the respective credential. Subsequently, they have to fulfill practice hours as a demonstration of application of skills.

The four credentials and their descriptions are as follows:

Certified Career Advisor (CCA) - A CCA is able to provide basic education and career advisory (including details on government initiatives e.g. Adapt and Grow, SkillsFuture, etc.) to clients using simple profiling tools in a one-to-one or group setting. This role may also include SkillsFuture Advisors and Industry Mentors.

Certified Career Practitioner (CCP) - A CCP is able to apply career development theories and tools to help clients make education, career and training choices through effective one-to-one and group facilitation. This role includes the career coaches at WSG and e2i, the Education and Career Guidance (ECG) counsellors in MOE, and those at the Institutes of Higher Learning.

Certified Career Clinical Supervisor (CCCS) - A CCCS is able to supervise and guide career practitioners to provide and implement effective interventions for clients on a one-to-one or group basis.

Certified Career Services Manager (CCSM) - A CCSM is able to plan and supervise the implementation of career services, develop and adapt career tools to local context and promote career knowledge in various local and international platforms.

ROLE OF CREDENTIAL HOLDERS

The WSG CDF is not for any legislative purposes. Career practitioners who hold the CDF credentials may be working at career centres, schools, Institutes of Higher Learning, centres that cater to niche segments (e.g. persons with disabilities), or within companies that have strong career practices. The decision to hire, designate, and deploy credential holders is up to the organisation. WSG does not make any recommendations as to the role that they should play in an organisation. The credentials are also not tied to any specific job titles or roles.

CODE OF ETHICS, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Applicants and credential holders are expected to abide by the People and Career Development Association’s (PCDA) and the Career Development Association of Singapore (CDAS) Code of Ethics for Career Practitioners, failing which, their credentials will be withdrawn. If their credentials are withdrawn, they will need to show evidence of having complied with the Code of Ethics in order to be reinstated. The decision to reinstate the credentials of any applicant will be at the sole discretion of WSG, whose decision shall be final and conclusive on the applicant. The Code of Ethics can be found at https://www.pcda.co/codeofethics and http://cdas.org.sg/code-of-ethics (or such other website that operates in lieu thereof). WSG is entitled to deny eligibility of any applicant based on an ethics review (which shall be conducted in such format and manner as may be stipulated by WSG). Application fees are not refundable when an application is rejected.

WHO IS IT FOR?

Career Professionals who help clients identify their work-related values, interests, personality, and skills, and to use this understanding in planning and managing their education & training, career and job search advisory. They must be able to apply career development theories and tools to help clients make education, career and training choices through effective one-to-one and group facilitation. 

Services and interventions rendered includes but are not limited to education and career guidance, managing career transition, creation of CVs and resumes, professional branding and marketing, job search, job interview preparation and engaging employers for job vacancies.

To apply for the credentials, applicants must fulfil the following criteria:

1. Completed the recommended training course or undergone the assessment stipulated by WSG if they have completed other career development courses;
2. Completed the required number of practice hours; and
3. Delivered career interventions to the required number of clients.

Click Here for An Overview of the Credentialing Criteria

TRAINING

Applicants are required to complete the following initial training for each track. You will need to submit a scanned copy of the training certificate of completion / statement of attainment (SOA) with your application.

Applicants who have attended other similar training course(s) will be required to complete the assessment stipulated by WSG and abide by the Code of Ethics. Details of the Assessment-only-pathway (AOP) will be shared latest by November 2018. WSG will neither carry out nor accept any mapping of the stipulated courses against the training course(s) that such applicants have completed. The submission of the training certificate and course outline / modules of the programme that such applicants attended is voluntary but will not be considered as part of the evaluation.

PRACTICE

(A)        For First-Time Applicants

Specifically, for first-time applicants, you are required to:

1. Fulfil the required practice hours (as defined in Table 2 below) for a period of 3 years, further broken down by contact and non-contact hours; and
2. Deliver career interventions to the required number of clients,

in accordance with Table 1 below.

Table 1

Table 2

*Breakdown of Practice Hours: Contact vs Non-Contact Hours

 (B)       For Renewal of Credentials

For credential holders renewing their credentials, the credentials are renewable every three years upon fulfilling the following criteria:

1. Completed the required number of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours;
2. Completed the required number of practice hours; and
3. Delivered career interventions to the required number of clients.

Specifically, you are required to:

1. Fulfil the required practice hours (as defined in Table 2 above) for a period of 3 years, further broken down by contact and non-contact hours; and
2. Deliver career interventions to the required number of clients,

in accordance with Table 3 below.

Table 3

	Certified Career Advisor (CCA)	Certified Career Practitioner (CCP)	Certified Career Clinical Supervisor (CCCS)	Certified Career Services Manager (CCSM)
Practice hours* required over 3 years	100	300	300	300
- Contact hours over 3 years	90 (90%)	240 (80%)	225 (75%)	210 (70%)
- Non-contact hours over 3 years	10 (10%)	60 (20%)	75 (25%)	90 (30%)
Min number of unique clients required (group + individual) over 3 years	25	50	40	30

Please note that, with effect from 1 Oct 2021, it is mandatory for first-time and renewal applicants to submit their list of clients (including these clients’ personal data) as part of the application. Applicants will need to request for their clients’ permission prior to submission.

WSG recognizes that applicants may be rendering their services as an employee of an organization or on a voluntary / pro bono, or self-employed basis with a hosting organization. The required verification is summarized below:

Type of Services Rendered	Verification
As employees of organization	Letter of confirmation signed by supervisor or employer (in the format attached in Annex A).
Volunteer / pro bono	Letter of confirmation signed by the hosting organization (in the format attached in Annex B).

The fee per application is $139.10 (inclusive of GST). It is non-refundable fee and applicants are to ensure that they meet the credentialing criteria (which are primarily quantitative factors) before applying.

Note: Appeal fee for each rejected application is $235.40 (inclusive of GST). Subjected to review by the panel.

APPEAL PROCESS

All applications for credentials are carefully evaluated and deliberated by the Credential Approval Panel. Hence, any appeal will unlikely be successful unless there is new information that addresses the gaps highlighted in the rejection notification and advisory. If the appeal does not have any new information to support the original application, there will be no change in the outcome. Instead of appeal, most applicants would address the gaps and file a new application at the next application window. If you believe that you have new information that addresses the gaps in your original application, you may complete the self-assessment checklist and email your request for the appeals form to cpd@wsg.gov.sg. You will need to complete the appeals form, attach the appeal fee, and mail it to us at the same email address. Please note that the appeal fee of $235.40 (inclusive of GST) is payable for any appeal, regardless of the outcome of the appeal, and is non-refundable.

The credential application will open from 1 Jan to 31 Jan 2020. 

Steps to applying:

1. Download and fill up Form 1 (including Annex A/B).
2. Prepare the soft-copies of the following documents.
   •    Certificate of Initial Training Courses Attended;
   •    1-page curriculum vitae;
   •    Signed letter of confirmation (Annex A/Annex B) and;
   •    Payment Reference Number for Online Funds Transfer
3. Submit your credential applications with all the attachments here: https://bit.ly/2KOD6LX
   •    Please ensure that Form 1 and Annex A/B are duly signed.
4. You will receive an email acknowledging the receipt of your application.

For Annex A (employees of organisation), the Letter of confirmation needs to be signed by supervisor or employer.

For Annex B (self-employed/ freelancers), the Letter of confirmation needs to be signed by hosting organisation

Click here to view the list of credential holders.

Career practitioners who wish to find out more about the WSG Career Development Framework and credentialing may contact 6883 5885 or submit their enquiry to WSG feedback portal at https://portal.ssg-wsg.gov.sg/feedback