About MACS

It's official! As of July 27, 2005, Missouri Placement Association (MPA) became Missouri Association for Career Services (MACS) at the Missouri ACTE House of Delegates meeting. The rationale for seeking a name change was that in the past students were “placed” by a career professional and considered passive participants. This approach did not serve the interests of the students and certainly did not empower students to learn how to manage their own careers, which became apparent at the first transition after placement.

Historically speaking, the placement model was abandoned in the 1980s, and in 1995, the College Placement Council (CPC) became the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and the “placement office” became something more comparable to the career centers now seen on college and university campuses across the nation.

Today, some parents still hold to the expectation that the school will hand their child a job and often get angry when this doesn't happen. What they must understand is how the contemporary career center works and that it is the student's responsibility to get a job. The career center is there only to help them do a good job of it.

The purpose of MACS is to promote the development of career services to students enrolled in Missouri's high schools, area technical schools, and colleges. To maintain and improve professional standards in the field of career services. To unite professionals engaged in career services activities.

MACS also encourages the development of creative career services activities; maintains and improves professional standards in the career services field; and unites professionals engaged in career services activities in the state of Missouri.