Hall:

Chair and Discussant: Maree Kobus

Division:

Career counsellors today face the formidable challenge of guiding youth through an era of unprecedented uncertainty and insecurity.The arrival of the Anthropocene in 2024 has catalysed fundamental shifts in the occupational landscape, marked by emerging movements such as eco-conscious working and living and the quest for existential fulfilment.These trends reflect a growing emphasis on sustainability, yet they clash with the harsh realities of an unpredictable world of work.Vulnerable youth,in particular,experience existential crises and repeated traumatisation, exacerbated by a dire shortage of cutting-edge, contemporary career counselling.
Marginalised and resource-constrained communities(predominantly,but not exclusively,in developing contexts)face severe limitations in accessing and utilizing career counselling for self- and career construction.As a result,many young people struggle to envision or pursue hope-filled, meaningful, and sustainable career-life trajectories. Addressing these systemic inequalities is both a moral and ethical imperative,ensuring that all youth are equipped to engage meaningfully with global occupational challenges.
The Career Counsellocene(a new career counselling era spanning the Holocene and Anthropocene)is proposed as a transformative framework designed to foster resilience, adaptability, employability,and strong career identities.Youth must navigate not only fundamental shifts in the world of work but also repeated, often abrupt, career-life transitions. Rooted in the fourth paradigm of career counselling,the Career Counsellocene integrates storied and traditional career counselling approaches, prioritising inclusion, ecological awareness, and global citizenship.
At its core,the Career Counsellocene champions systemic collaboration and innovative problem-solving, ensuring that young people (regardless of background) gain access to essential resources for building sustainable work-life futures. It underscores the interconnectedness of environmental, social, and personal well-being, recognising that career fulfilment and planetary sustainability are inseparable.
Ultimately, the Career Counsellocene seeks to redefine the essence and role of career counselling, positioning it as a catalyst for shaping future work-life realities.It offers a bold, future-oriented paradigm where hope, meaning, personal fulfilment, and sustainability converge to empower youth in a rapidly evolving world.