Dr Catherine Hughes

Grow Careers

West Launceston, TAS

Catherine Hughes has worked in the field of careers education and career development for 35 years, mostly as a career practitioner in schools. Currently Catherine is a Lecturer in the Graduate Certificate in Careers Education and Development delivered by RMIT University, Catherine is a specialist in careers education and development in schools. She has also provided career development services in tertiary education, outplacement, vocational rehabilitation and private practice. Catherine Hughes is the founder of the Grow Careers website for Australian school communities and author of books on careers work in schools and career library resources for schools. Examples of consulting projects have included: • Training post-graduate students to become qualified professional Career Development Practitioners in Australia and assessing student work. • Career Consultant supporting the Victorian My Career Insights program for Year 9 students. • Delivering professional development workshops to career practitioners and teachers of career education courses. • Writing school career library (physical or virtual) resources aligned with the career decision making cycle. • International Adviser supporting the development of a career guidance service in Sri Lanka (pro bono). • Content writing for a state Government school careers website. • Content writing for career newsletters/career magazines for schools. • Content writing and structural design of career information websites. • Writing online career development course content. • Member of the national writing team for Australian Curriculum: Work Studies. • Writing learning materials for a statewide career and life planning course. • Delivering workshops on locating, interpreting and effectively using Australian labour market information in career service delivery. Catherine’s educational background includes a doctorate in vocational psychology, involving a cross-cultural study of adolescent career development, as well as two other post-graduate qualifications in career development. Catherine’s careers work in schools and her research have been published in academic journals and career practitioner publications and presented at national and international conferences. Catherine is a Professional member of the Career Development Association of Australia and the Asia Pacific Career Development Association. Catherine has mentored career practitioners.