2017 Excellence in Career Development Practice (Individual) Winner - Airlie Bell

For Airlie Bell, the winner of CDAA’s 2017 Excellence in Career Development Practice (Individual) award, being “curious” is what contributed to her becoming an excellent practitioner.

Over the past 18 years, Airlie has successfully designed and delivered a range of career education and development programs.

She works as a private practitioner, teaches the Graduate Certificate in Career Development at the University of New England (UNE), provides expertise for government projects and is a contractor for Hudson.

During her time as a career practitioner, Airlie said she is most proud of seeing career development recognised as “an essential component in multi-disciplinary interventions to address education, employment and social disadvantage”.

“As career professionals, we have the potential to make a significant contribution to the social and economic challenges that society is facing,” Ms Bell said.

“But to be heard, we need to establish a credible reputation for excellence in this space.”

Some of the programs Airlie has worked on include ‘Career Transition’ for UNE’s MBA students and ‘Schools and University Connect’ for disadvantaged students on the NSW north coast and north-west region.

In addition, she developed ‘Aspiration Building in the Community’ for practitioners working with clients that are unemployed, homeless and victims of domestic violence.

She said the biggest challenge as a practitioner has been working on ‘wicked problems’, issues highly resistant to resolution.

“It has been a challenge having to deal with structural barriers where people and processes have not adapted to reflect the new realities,” Ms Bell said.

“I didn’t always manage to overcome these challenges and often we have to keep fighting the same battles over again.

“Each breakthrough achievement is recognised for the ripple effect that has in the longer term.”

To achieve these breakthroughs, Airlie said it is essential to ask “why” and “what if” and be curious about how clients think, feel and do.

“This is essential for my capacity to connect people and ideas. The other habit is generosity – being generous with my time and talent has rewarded me many times over,” she said.

But without the support of amazing individuals who have ‘got it’, Airlie wouldn’t have been so successful.

“I have found champions across academic disciplines, in government departments and in community agencies, who have been willing to take a risk by promoting a careers course or project.”

Airlie was presented her trophy at the CDAA 2017 Excellence Awards Dinner at the Pullman Hotel Brisbane on May 18.