Otis Grayson, Butler County/Lowndes County career coach, has successfully completed the Career Development Facilitator training program that is approved by the Center for Credentialing and Education.

As a career development facilitator (CDF), Grayson will be able to perform specific tasks to help individuals learn about themselves, jobs, career choices and career plans. After helping these individuals decide on a career path, Grayson is then able to help them carry out their plans.

Grayson saw the need for more education on career readiness when he realized that many of the students graduating were not prepared for real world situations, but they were still being sent out into the world.

“I served a year and a half as a job coach and saw that students were not developed enough to interpret what an employer was actually looking for, yet we were sending them on and not preparing them,” said Grayson.

Grayson received his graduate degree in professional counseling from South University in Montgomery with a concentration in career counseling, which focused on adolescents. After completing this graduate program, he knew that the job as a CDF is where he could make the most impact. As a CDF, it is his job to put together creative ways to prepare students to meet the demands of business and industry.

Grayson’s motto for this program is, “We can’t expect students to do things that we never have taught them to do.” With this in mind, he strives to make sure that students are more than prepared for whatever vocation they choose to pursue. His work now will consist of educating students on the business and industry available to them right here in Butler County.

“We need to invite future business in Butler County by developing a skilled workforce that has solid skills and training, so we can not only sustain the workforces here but then invite more workforce to come in,” said Grayson.

The National Career Development Association has partnered with the Center for Credentialing and Education to offer participants the opportunity to obtain a global career development facilitator credential. Along with becoming a certified CDF, Grayson has also submitted his application for a GCDF credential.

He has already completed the tasks required to become globally certified, which are completing 75 hours of professional growth activity hours and earning a master’s degree. By becoming globally certified, Grayson hopes to stretch the relationship between education and the business world.

“I thank the State of Alabama for giving us the opportunity to take the course, go through the course and to be able to come back into our schools and business industries,” said Grayson.