Making a Difference? Developing Career Education As a Socially Just Practice‪.‬

INTRODUCTION Freire (1999) reminds us that 'we are surrounded by a pragmatic discourse that would have us adapt to the [so-called] facts of reality' (p. 7). This is increasingly evident within the career literature where references are constantly made to the real world, the centrality of satisfying (paid) work, and the need for individuals to become their own entrepreneurs. Official career education policy in New Zealand recommends that everyone should be considered as having a career, which implies that participation in paid employment should not be the only marker of career engagement, however the primary focus remains on economic participation. Career educators are thus instructed to ensure that their students gain a range of career competencies, be productive citizens, develop their employability skills and respond positively to a fast-changing economic environment, particularly if they want to stay in employment (Ministry of Education, 2009).