Relating the content of this paper, describe the benefits and challenges of the development and provision of proposed career development service for the recipients:Career Guidance and Planning for Music Students in University: A four-year program in China
Nowadays, employment issues are a hot topic of common concern to university students, and the employment difficulties among graduates have received global attention. In higher education, since students often lack a clear expectations about future lives and struggle with the career planning strategies and goals setting. It is important and necessary to provide students with effective career guidance in university (Buchman, 1998). Otherwise, the implementation of a career planning program can not only contribute to students’ learning achievement but also motivate students get improvement in social practice (Bradly et al., 2008). Nevertheless, a large number of university students did not receive enough career development training, and the career guidance and planning program showed a considerably low involvement in the university course setting. Therefore, this paper provides a rationale of a 4-year career guidance and planning program at a certain university in China. The program aims to guide students with clear career development paths and help students with the ability to navigate and develop a lifelong career planning blueprint to face the challenging job market.
Background
In the 21st century, with the development of the economy and the improvement of the education system, the proportion of individuals pursuing higher education has significantly increased worldwide. However, the number of graduates each year far exceeds the capacity and demand for job opportunities which make the employment situation become more competitively. As a result, graduates generally reflect that it is difficult to find an ideal job after graduation. As Barthorpe & Hall (2000) mentioned, increasing number of graduates are facing employment challenges such as strict selection, high competition, unrealistic requirements, or even discrimination. In fact, rather than graduates, even first-year university students are concerned about the employment situation (Lairio& Penttinen, 2006). Sun & Yuen (2010) argue that although graduates’ employment issues are impacted by the employment environment, but is mainly due to personal reasons. These include the lack of long-term career planning and personal goal-setting strategies; the insufficient awareness of the knowledge and skills required for certain jobs; the mismatch between career aspirations and the actual job pictures. In addition, according to the theory of Vocational Choice by Holland (1959), personal career choices are also influenced by family and society. Likewise, family as one of the most considerable factor contribute to impact student’s career development since early-childhood (Schulenberg et al., 1984). In response to these challenges, while career development is a continuous life-long process with dynamic changes under Super’s career development theory (1980). Refers to Huang (2022), career guidance service is one of the most important part for university students education. It takes career planning as the core to help graduates establish the correct career choice concepts and develop employment abilities throughout university life. As a result, this paper will develop a 4-year career planning program instead of a short term training for music students in a certain university in China to equip them with specific knowledge and skills to face the workforce environment. This project may be created by school counselors and the key components include: knowing your status, building confidence, understanding job situations and widen choices. Furthermore, the stakeholders will be considered and involved in this program, including alums, professors and parents. Through the training of this program, students will equip with employment awareness and ability, and release employment anxiety to find an ideal job after graduation successfully.
Career Development Needs of client group
Background
Ling Nan Normal University is located in the southern China with a century-old history. 
This university dedicated to cultivate local primary and secondary school teachers and people working in the educational industries. In Ling Nan Normal University, music students totally have a four-year learning objectives, including a compulsory placement organized by university in the last year. Furthermore, music major students as the targeting object in the program of career guidance and planning are looking forward to work in K-12 school settings and music institutions after graduation. 
Existing Problems and Students Need
In Ling Nan Normal University, music students are facing two main problems in career planning and development. One is the vague connection in the chosen profession, and the other one is the need for adequate internship preparation and support.
The subjects students choose to study during university is closely related with the future career path, and it can generate significant influences to individuals employment situation (Hao et al., 2015). However, in the higher education in China, some students base their study choice on the result of the university entrance examination, which is known as “Gao Kao”. For instance, students with higher scores have a tendency to prefer rewarded subjects such as economy, management, medication or computer science. By contrast, the other counterparts with relatively uncompetitive results may choose less popular subjects. In addition, a significant number of students rely on the recommendation by teachers, friends or parents when they make their study choices. Nevertheless, for students who enrolled university without personal preferences but totally depend on the external impacts. They struggle to relate their study with actual employment needs. For example, there are two main courses aligned to music subject in Ling Nan Normal University. One is music teaching (job orientation to music teachers) and the other one is music performance (job orientation to instrument tutor). Generally, university candidates with higher scores tend to study in music teaching, and music performance usually occupied by students have lower score. A music graduate reflect that she want to work as a piano tutor in music institution after graduation, but she has chosen music teaching as major in university. Therefore, she spent an extra year for the piano tutor training. As a result, the implement of career guidance and planning program is needed to help students to create a clear career development direction. Furthermore, for students who studied in the current courses without interest and purpose, they will lack motivation and ability in effective learning. In this case, school counselors should provide feasible advice and guidance for students who choose the wrong learning path, and give them options to change theirs’ major in the first year to minimize the waste of time and ego-depletion. 
Furthermore, while graduates are pessimistic about the employment environment, they believe that it is almost impossible to find an ideal job successfully after graduation. Particularly for university students who enrolled in music, the low employment rates and limited occupational choices let music major students with a negative view of the labour market in Ling Nan Normal University. Additionally, although music students are offered a good opportunity to have an one year internship in the local K-12 schools, most students are unprepared and showed insufficient ability in the internship. As a result, only a handful students with enough preparation and excellent performance took the chance to get the job or receive recommendation through the internship. In this manner, students also need help from school to quip them with enough competence before internship.
In conclude, a effective career guidance and counselor training program is needed to reconstructive students self-recognition, build confidence, provide clear vision of the relationship with major and career paths, and better prepare students in the internship and job market.
Rationale
The Role of School Counselors
In the context of China, counselors have a prominent advantages in students employment guidance (Kumar et al., 2020). For example, counselors have multiple identities in university, including moral educator and professional mentor. They also undertake duties of students’ physical healthy, affairs by student and alums, and patriotic education beyond career guidance. Moreover, a large number of school counselors are young adults or graduates in the similar ages with university students who experienced what students are going through. For instance, these advantages of school counselors can positively reduce the gap and distance between teachers and students, and let counselors be a mentor as well as friend with students. As a result, when school counselors work with students on a daily basis, they have more opportunities to communicate with students and get familiar of them. However, the complexity roles counselor acted may reduce the time for wide-range individuals career guidance. For instance, the career guidance and planning program may implement in workshop for students in groups.
The Overview of Rationale
Two examples collected by Yu (2008) illustrate the potential approaches to career guidance and planning programs. Firstly, at Beijing Normal University, a comprehensive career planning model provides preliminary guidance on "how to succeed" for first-year students, extensive development education for sophomore students, career choice guidance for junior students, and employment policy and guidance for senior students. Secondly, Anhui University of Technology operates a three-way education model. This model includes professional career orientated education upon students university entrance, situational awareness education during students’ learning journey, and career choice education when students graduate. So far, the results and implementation of these new models seem to be positive in university in China. And the following rationale for career guidance and planning program in Ling Nan Normal University may follow the prototype of these two career programs and make adjustment based on students specific needs. The four-year program is divided into two parts, each lasting for two years. The first part is designed for first year and second year students with theoretical knowledge and self-reflective activities. Moreover, the second part is prepared for third year and senior students with practical training and guidance. In the second part of career guidance and planning program, school counselors and professors will facilitate more opportunities of socialize and offer sufficient supports for students in securing the last year internship. As the program processes, it is hoped that students can develop a deeper understanding of themselves including individual strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, they will also have more chances to explore their lifelong goals and lifespan careers. In addition, through the activities in the program, students can get familiar of the labour market, broaden their employment possibilities, improve their skills, and seize the opportunity for internship. Throughout the four-year training program, the career guidance and planning program can help students to become a competitive graduates and be welcomed in the workforce market.
Program in the First Year and Second Year (Self-exploring and Career Timeline)
There is an activity designed for music students in their first two years. According to Taylor & Savickas (2016), individuals can benefit from the process of reflecting on their career development stories. Through the activity, students can have a clear vision of their self-concept and set career paths.
Activity: Write your career development timeline 
Career choices are based on people’s personalities and backgrounds (Holland, 1959). In addition, career development is a lifelong journey and individuals in each age stage may develop different occupational paths. Besides, career choices are shaped by both internal and external factors. Therefore, by reviewing the career development timeline, students can gain a deeper understanding of their status, interests, values, skills, and strengths (Hartung et al., 2005). Moreover, presenting career development in a timeline can contribute to students future career planning and job adaptation. In the first year of university, students are asked to present a timeline with the following questions:
1.What was your first ideal job? 
2.What jobs did you want to do from childhood to adolescence?
3.Have you ever had a job (paid or unpaid)?
4.Is there a relationship between your ideal job and the subject (or course) you have chosen? 
5.What do you want to do after graduation (pursue postgraduate studies or go straight to work)?
6.What are the most important influences on your career development (e.g. people, events, media, literature, etc.)?
Through the process of reflecting on career development timeline, students can review their original purposes and hopefully have a deeper understanding of their values and status.
In the second year, school counselors can develop theme seminars or workshops for students to work in groups to analyse the career timeline. For students with specific or private questions, counselors can arrange individual counselling sessions.
Program in the Third Year (Involve Stakeholders into Career training Program)
In the third year of university, students need more preparation before the last year internship. Therefore, the career guidance and planning program should include situational opportunities for students to become familiar with the labour market. Based on the study by Grebert et al. (2014), bridging the gap between academic knowledge and practical implementation is becoming increasingly important, especially for students in approaching to their final year. Additionally, linking alum resources with students’ career development is valuable. On one hand, alums are potential employers. Hao et al. (2015) suggest that, in most of the outstanding universities in China, the alums more prefer to work with graduates from the same background. Consequently, for those alums who own their business or act as important roles in the companies, they have a tendency to provide or introduce job opportunities to the graduates from their alma mater. Therefore, it is necessary for counselors to make good use of alums resources to promote students employment in the career guidance and planning program at Ling Nan University. An effective approach is to invite excellent alums who have established their own music studios or played important roles in music institutions back to the university to host a career fair. The internal recruitment fair provided by alums can relatively minimize the employment competition, provide reliable work opportunities, and broaden students’ career choices. Moreover, in order to better prepare students for internship and job searches, the career guidance and planning program should invite alums who work as qualified teachers in the local K-12 schools or the former graduates with successful job hunting experiences to share their experiences and strategies. Through these activities, which involve alums participation in both jobs providing and experience sharing. Students can be inspired and motivated to improve their specific skills and set clear career goals. 
Program in the Senior Year (Involve Other Stakeholders Like Parents and Teachers Into the Program)
Students’ career choices are influenced by people around them including teachers and parents. However, the impact of family factors is more significant (Super, 1980). Similarly, the most prominent assistance for students in developing their career choices is the active advice from parents (Han, 2022). If parents understand the need of students and contribute to motivate and give positive encouragement instead of stress and pressure. Students can be more successful in exploring career paths. As a result, it is important for school counselors to communicate with parents regularly. For example, counselors can organize seasonal conferences to share employment data and provide information on students’ employment situations to help prospective graduates’ parents understand students’ employment process and the current state of the labour market.
In the final year of university, Ling Nan Normal University will provide music students with internship opportunity in local primary schools, junior high schools and high schools. In the university setting, students receive academic information and life-experience resources from subject teachers. Therefore, teachers can be seen as active facilitators with the ability to support students’ self-efficacy and ultimately influence their career planning and decision-making (Wong et al., 2020). To better prepare students with the ability to work as a teacher, school counselors can collaborate with subject teachers to give students with specific vocational training. For example, subject teachers can organize seminars to illustrate the process and content of teaching, including various pedagogy and different strategies. In addition, teachers can provide opportunities for students to observe real teaching in local K-12 schools and have students reflect on this in the seminars. By combining the academic knowledge with practical experience, students can be well-prepared and have more confidence in their upcoming internship and adapt to working life in advance.