"Comprehensive Support for Career Development"

Nebraska Career Information System (NCIS)

The Nebraska Career Information System, the State’s comprehensive career information delivery system (CIDS), now has O*NET® in it. The mission of the Nebraska CIDS is to facilitate the career development of children, adolescents, and adults. It accomplishes this goal by providing information and tools needed for developing career awareness, doing career exploration, and making career decisions and plans. In addition, the Nebraska CIDS develops curriculum; provides training for educators, counselors, and agency staff; and collaborates with policy makers at the local, state, and national levels.

How is O*NET being used

The O*NET database is a primary source for developing occupation descriptions for the NCIS computer-based systems and printed resources. The O*NET information was converted into a more user-friendly format and into a reading level that is more appropriate for a CIDS target population. For example, the O*NET job description for dental hygienists—“Perform dental prophylactic treatments and instruct groups and individuals in the care of teeth and mouth.” — was rewritten to be more understandable: “Dental hygienists clean teeth and help people prevent tooth decay and gum disease.”

The descriptions were developed in a nationwide effort among states and CIDS developers using the same national software in their systems. First, they developed a guide and structure for database tools to be used in writing the occupation descriptions. The resulting descriptions were reviewed against data sources to validate accuracy of content. Finally, a single editor reviewed all the descriptions for clarity, grammar, and reading level. In addition, the coding for Occupational Sort and Skills, two career assessment sorts available in the computer-based system, was converted to the O*NET classification. O*NET data could then be used to link occupations to worker traits for the Occupational Sort and to skills for the Skills sort.

Who is your target population?

The general target population for the occupation descriptions includes students from middle school through postsecondary school and adults at workforce development sites, rehabilitation agencies, correctional facilities, and counseling agencies. The target population for the Nebraska CIDS includes children, adolescents, and adults and the educators, counselors, and agency staff who work with these individuals.

What kinds of results is O*NET helping you to achieve?

The O*NET database provides more current, reliable, and detailed information about occupations. The outcome is that the occupational information is more useful for counselors, educators, and agency staff as they work with teens and adults and for individuals as they make career plans and decisions.

What are the related program initiatives?

In addition to using O*NET as a data source, Nebraska CIDS staff consult with State agencies on their use of O*NET information in their roles as analysts and counselors. They also do presentations at conferences and workshops on using O*NET data and O*NET OnLine.

Nebraska CIDS programs and activities do much more than focus on occupational information. 

• Teens and adults can access more information:

Industries
Self-Employment
Job Search
Military Employment
Keeping a Job 
Postsecondary Schools in Nebraska
Postsecondary School in the United States
Programs of Study
Scholarships and Financial Aid
Apprenticeships 
 
• They can sort information through the National School Sort and Financial Aid Sort.
• They can learn how their interests, preferences, and skills link to occupations through Occupation Sort, Skills and IDEAS.
• Educators and counselors can integrate career education into their classrooms and workshops by using Career Education Activities.
• Educators, counselors, and agency staff can improve their work with students and clients by attending staff development workshops.

The Nebraska CIDS is based on National CIS, one of several proprietary career information delivery systems available nationwide. Some of these national proprietary systems have been adopted and customized for a state or local area. The adopting state or area usually enhances and updates the system with state, regional and/or local information, tailors it to the target audience, and then makes the system available to schools, libraries, One-Stop Career Centers, and/or other facilities serving youth and adults. Some states have developed their own systems. Some now make part or all of their system available over the Internet.

Today statewide CIDS serve millions of individuals across the United States. Many of the major developers are in the process of integrating O*NET into their systems or have already done so. For specific information about the Nebraska system, see the contacts below. To identify the statewide CIDS for your state or to obtain general information about CIDS and standards for their development and content, visit the Association of Computer-Based Systems for Career Information (ACSCI) website at: http://www.acsci.org.

What other strategies make your product, program or service successful?

The success of the Nebraska CIDS systems, programs, and services are based on several important strategies.

• The comprehensive systems integrate information with career assessments, sorts, and career planning and education. 
• The components and component integration are built on a foundation of national, state, and local standards, expectations, and needs.
• The occupation, industries, education and training, and scholarship information is localized.
• The computer-based systems are available for Mac and PC platforms and on the Internet.
• Nebraska CIDS seeks input from constituencies in Nebraska and responds to that input.
• Nebraska CIDS staff members are recognized for their integrity in adhering to standards for gathering, interpreting, and reporting information and for updating content.
• Nebraska CIDS staff provides support for users including technical assistance, response to requests for information, and providing specialized training.
• Nebraska CIDS supports the activities of the State counseling and career development associations and staff are members and leaders in those associations.
• Nebraska CIDS does not collect data on any individual user.

Dr. LeeAnn Roth, Director
Nebraska Career Information System
PO Box 880552
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln NE 68588-0552
ncis2@unl.edu
http://ncis.unl.edu