Career counselor Lynn Downie was recently nominated to the board of National Employment Counseling Association. NECA (pronounced Neh-kah) is a nationally recognized program which certifies members for career counseling from K-12 to university and beyond. To attain certification, Downie was required to take classes and show hours of experience plus her background in this field.

NECA is a broad network of institutions which help provide counseling on a wide range of career development like job force, unemployment, and aiding veterans in finding jobs. It is also a subsidiary of the American Counseling Association.

“After taking the classes last year the instructor emailed me and asked if I would consider being nominated to be on the board,” Downie said. She enthusiastically agreed and last week she went to the American Counseling Association conference where she experienced the inner workings of this community first hand. Aside from the aforementioned duties, NECA also publishes a magazine with APA style articles. Downie will be officially installed this summer.

There are two main career counseling groups, NECA and NCDA or National Career Development Association. NCDA is more geared to higher education specifically while NECA is broader in scope. Presbyterian College is affiliated with both associations to better aid students in finding jobs after they graduate.

Some colleges limit their services to just students, but here at PC we go a step further. Downie explained, “We are available to help alumni with resumes, job search, or if they are changing careers. Heather’s membership is with NCDA and mine is with NECA.”

Looking ahead, Downie is eager to help plan NECA’s big 50th anniversary celebration and learn new ways to better assist the campus at the summer retreat.