SCDA Course
Become the Person Students Turn To for Real Career Direction
You care about helping students succeed, but most professionals are never formally trained to guide career pathways.
The School Career Development Advisor certification gives you the tools, structure, and confidence to do this work with clarity and impact.
You’re Doing Meaningful Work… But Something Is Missing
You support students every day.
You listen, guide, and encourage.
But when it comes to career direction…
You may feel like you’re piecing it together.
- You weren’t formally trained in career development
- You want to offer more than basic advice
- You know students need clearer pathways, but you’re not sure how to build them
So you do your best with what you have.
And still wonder if it’s enough.
This Is Where Things Start to Change
The School Career Development Advisor certification is designed to bridge that gap.
It gives you a clear framework to help students:
- Explore who they are
- Understand real career options
- Build a path from school to meaningful work
Not just conversations.
A system you can actually use.
Who You Become Through This Work
This is more than a certification.
It’s a shift in how you show up.
You become someone who:
- Guides students with clarity, not guesswork
- Connects education to real-world opportunity
- Builds programs that schools and communities value
- Helps students move forward with confidence
You stop wondering if you’re helping.
You know you are.
What Is the School Career Development Advisor (SCDA)?
The SCDA is a nationally recognized certification designed for professionals working with students in schools and community settings.
It prepares you to:
- Deliver structured career development programming
- Teach employability and life skills
- Build partnerships with businesses and organizations
- Support students in making informed career decisions
This is the missing link between education and the workforce.
Why I Teach This Work
I’ve spent years working directly with students, educators, and career professionals.
I’ve seen what happens when students are supported well.
And I’ve seen what happens when they’re not.
Most professionals are doing their best without the right tools.
This program was built to change that.
Not theory.
Real-world application you can use immediately.
What You’ll Learn and Apply
Through this program, you will learn how to:
- Help students identify strengths, interests, and direction
- Design and deliver career-focused workshops and lessons
- Build partnerships with local employers and organizations
- Teach job readiness, communication, and workplace skills
- Support students in making confident career decisions
Everything is designed to be used in real settings, not just understood.
What Others Are Saying
“Before this training, I cared deeply about helping students, but I didn’t have a clear structure for career conversations. I was relying on instinct. After completing the SCDA, I now have a framework I use with every student. I’ve implemented career exploration sessions in our school, and students are starting to make more confident, informed decisions about their futures.”
— Jennifer Morales, School Counselor
“This course completely changed how I approach career programming. I went from offering occasional workshops to building a structured, school-wide career development plan. We now have partnerships with local businesses, and students are getting exposure to real-world opportunities they didn’t have before.”
— David Thompson, Career Services Coordinator
How the Program Works
Live virtual sessions with guided instruction
- Interactive activities and real-world application
- Support between sessions
- Clear structure so you can stay on track
The 48-hour course consists of 5 weekly modules, with live online or in-person meetings over a period of five weeks. It is designed to prepare you for success in the growing field of career development based in a school. This course combines face-to-face video training with online learning to give you the skills you need to work in a school setting.
You’ll spend five online Zoom classes interacting with your instructor and peers. The remainder of the class is a combination of engaging online learning, discussions, and classwork.
SCDA Courses Are Held Every September, January, and May!
Or this course can be taught to a group anytime your organization needs additional training.
COST: $1,150.00 SCDA Student Manual is included.
College credit is an additional fee ($435.00)
SCDA CLASS: May 4 to Jun 7, 2026
FACE-TO-FACE DATES: May 7, 12, 20, 27, June 3 – 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm EST
SCDA MODULES
Course Introduction, Learning, and Helping Skills for the School Career Development Advisor (SCDA). During this week, you will learn about the SCDA course works, the assignments, and the projects required to complete the course to be successful. You will receive an overview of how to access and use the Learning Management System to complete assignments and access each week’s learning information. This week you will learn about the key skills that will help you build trust and rapport with your clients. You will define the helping skills (including attending, listening, reflecting, and encouraging).
Construct open and closed-ended questions and ways to use them appropriately.
Ethics and the School Career Development Advisor (SCDA) professional. This week you will learn how to describe the importance of a professional code of ethics and determine which codes apply to SCDAs and ways to make an ethical decision. You will also
learn about the roles and responsibilities of an SCDA and how to create a culture of career development in the school and community. Developing and maintaining partnerships with businesses and your local community also a key skill you will learn. You’ll be shown how to develop, plan and run an advisory board, job shadowing, career fair, and internships.
Educational Focus K-12. You will work with K-12 students to learn how to describe key service delivery strategies for the application of helping skills, career guidance, and activities focused on the transition to post-secondary education. Review best practices for K-12 career assessment and recommendations for identifying potential barriers to the student’s career development process.
You will also learn about program management and how to design and conduct workshops and conduct groups.
Business Services and Networks. During this week, you will learn how workforce development and economic development are interdependent, and an essential part of business services.
Determine how to take a dual customer approach to address both job seeker and business needs.
Develop and deliver a business pitch in connecting with local community businesses.
You will determine how to take a dual customer approach to address both job seeker and business needs and explain strategies for responding to a demand-driven system.
You will learn and understand the value of developing business relations and networks for your program.
Employability and Labor Market Information. During this week, you will Identify components of the job search process.
Review and learn about the various labor market and career sites to help their students and themselves learn about their local community resources and jobs.
Describe the portfolio method for organizing self-knowledge for a job search. Explain the importance of a business/employer perspective for job seekers.
Describe the hidden job market and how to access it and how to deliver key power/essential skills needed by the students.
This Program Is For You If…
- You work with students and want to offer deeper career guidance
- You feel undertrained in career development
- You want practical tools you can use right away
- You care about helping students build meaningful futures
Take the Next Step
You don’t need to have everything figured out.
You just need a starting point.
This program will give you the structure, tools, and confidence to do this work in a way that truly makes a difference.
Why Choose Mark Danaher as Your Instructor?
Mark has been empowering students and connecting educators with business for over 30 years. His experience as a School Career Development Advisor (SCDA) before it was called an SCDA makes him a true pioneer in this field. As a Master Trainer and Instructor for the National Career Development Association’s (NCDA) SCDA program, Mark has been instrumental in shaping the curriculum and bringing it to the next level.
Mark’s passion for empowering students and bridging the gap between education and business is evident in his extensive career. He has served as a Career & Transition Coordinator, Internship Teacher, Career Counselor, and Career Services Coordinator in various high schools, where he has successfully integrated career programs, established strategic partnerships with community businesses, and guided countless students toward meaningful careers.
As an instructor for the SCDA course, Mark brings his wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience to the training. Through his engaging 5 week course, which includes 10 hours of face-to-face time on Zoom, participants will comprehensively understand the SCDA objectives and teachings. Mark’s course covers essential topics such as Foundational Skills of the SCDA, Educational Collaborations and Best Practices, K-12 Career Development Programming and Assessment, Business Collaborations and Networks, Employability, and Credentialing Prep.
What truly distinguishes Mark’s course is his sharing many of his resources and lessons that he has successfully implemented in his own classroom teachings and workshops as an SCDA. Participants will gain from his 30-plus years of expertise in connecting business and educators, ensuring they receive practical, real-world insights that will boost their confidence and preparedness.
By enrolling in Mark’s SCDA course, professionals will enhance their skills in guiding students toward successful careers and gain eligibility to apply for the prestigious NCDA Certified School Career Development Advisor (CSCDA) credential. This industry-recognized certification demonstrates a commitment to excellence in the field of career development, fueling your ambition and professional growth.
Seize the unique opportunity to learn from one of the most experienced and respected SCDAs in the industry, Mark Danaher. Join his transformative SCDA course and become a catalyst for change in your students’ lives.