Stanford Report, June 6, 2006

Pilot program allows staff to use STAP funds to visit private career counselors

The university's Training and Organizational Development office has launched a pilot program this week that will allow benefits-eligible staff to use up to $400 of their STAP (Staff Training Assistance Program) funds for visits with a private career counselor within a network established by T&OD. The network consists of 10 independent career counselors located in the East Bay, South Bay, San Francisco and on the Peninsula.

The aim of the Career Counselors Network is to increase staff retention and career mobility at Stanford by providing staff with the opportunity to receive confidential, one-on-one assistance from a specialist, said Kathleen Sexton, manager of the Career Management Program for Stanford Staff (COMPASS). Some counselors within the network offer weekend and evening hours.

The counselors have been given information on resources at Stanford that should help answer questions from staff about which job or area on campus might be the best fit for them, Sexton said. The goal is to provide individually tailored counseling about career options on campus or in the general workforce, Sexton said.

The annual STAP allotment for the current academic year is $800. The amount that can be spent on the new program was capped at $400 because participation does not require a supervisor's approval, Sexton said. The counselors' rates and locations and other information about the program are available at https://hrweb.stanford.edu/training/desktop/ccn/main.html.

The program will last through Nov. 30, and depending on the results of an evaluation, the service may be extended beyond that date and more counselors may be added, Sexton said.