지속가능한 경력 진단도구 개발 및 타당화: 중장년 근로자를 대상으로 = Development and Validation of a Diagnostic Tool for Sustainable Careers among Mid-Career Workers

국문 초록 (Abstract)

이 연구는 인공지능과 자동화 시대에 중장년 근로자가 직면한 경력의 불확실성에 주목하여, 전통적 조직 내부 경력 연속성이 아닌 노동시장에서의 경력 확장 가능성에 초점을 맞추었다. ‘지속가능한 경력 인식’이란 개인이 사회적･환경적 변화에 대응하여 다양한 형태의 역량과 스킬을 총체적으로 인지하고, 이를 노동시장에서 경력의 확장성과 전환 가능성과 연계하여 주체적으로 개발･활용하려는 태도와 능동적 실천을 의미한다. 이를 진단하는 경력 인식 진단도구(Sustainable Career Diagnostic Scale, SCDS)를 개발･검증했다 이러한 이론적 토대 위에서 개발한 SCDS의 구조적 타당성과 신뢰도를 중장년 근로자를 대상으로 검증하였다. SCDS는 직업전문성, 고용자신감, 노동시장 인식이라는 세 가지 하위요인으로 구성됐으며, 324명의 중장년 재직자･구직자 데이터를 바탕으로 확인적 요인분석(CFA), 신뢰도 및 타당도 검증을 실시한 결과, 세 요인 구조가 단일요인 모형보다 우수한 적합도를 보였으며(CFI=0.974, TLI=0.965 등), AVE, CR, Cronbach’s α 모두 높은 수준으로 나타났다. 또한연령, 고용상태, 지역에 따라 지속가능한 경력 인식에 차이가 있음을 확인하였다. 결론적으로 본 연구는 경력지속가능성을 단순한 조직 내 성장가능성이나 내부 태도에 국한하지 않고, 스킬 총합･외부 고용가능성･노동시장인식 등 실천적 구조로 다층적으로 접근하였다. 특히 중장년 경력의 핵심 장애요인인 연령, 고용상태 및 지역이SCDS 점수 간 부적 관계를 실증적으로 확인함으로써 실무적 개입의 필요성을 제언한다. 아울러 경력이개인･조직･사회 간 상호작용 속에서 끊임없이 재구성되는 비선형적이고 역동적인 과정임을 강조하고, 변화하는노동환경에 대응하는 전략적 자원 활용과 실천감각 스킬의 중요성을 심도 있게 논의한다.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study examines the career uncertainties faced by mid-career workers in the era of artificial intelligence and automation, focusing on career sustainability beyond traditional organizational continuity.
Sustainable career perception is defined as individuals’ proactive attitudes and actions to recognize and develop a comprehensive set of skills in response to social and environmental changes, thereby enabling career expansion and transition within the labor market. To assess this, the Sustainable Career Diagnostic Scale (SCDS) was developed and validated. The structural validity and reliability of the SCDS were empirically tested among mid-career workers, confirming its effectiveness as a diagnostic tool for evaluating sustainable career perception in this population. Based on this theoretical foundation, the Sustainable Career Diagnostic Scale (SCDS) was developed and its structural validity and reliability were tested among mid-ca reer workers. The SCDS comprises three subfactors: job expertise, employment confidence, and labor market awareness. Data were collected from 324 mid-career employees and job seekers, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), convergent and discriminant validity, and reliability analyses were conducted. The analysis demonstrated that the three-factor model had a substantially better fit compared to the single-factor model (CFI=0.974, TLI=0.965, etc.), and all AVE, CR, and Cronbach’s α indices indicated high measurement stability and validity of the scale.
To investigate demographic influences, the relationships between age, employment status, gender, education, region, and the SCDS were analyzed. The results showed that sustainable career awareness differs significantly according to age, employment status, and region. In conclusion, this study approaches career sustainability not as internal growth potential or individual attitude within the organization, but as a multiimensional, practice-oriented structure grounded in the total sum of skills, external employability, and labor market awareness. Notably, it empirically identifies the negative impacts of core barriers—such as age, employment status, and region—on SCDS scores for mid-career adults, highlighting the need for practical interventions. The SCDS can be used in diverse areas including career counseling, transition support, and lifelong education, offering new pathways for career growth among adults experiencing career transitions.
Furthermore, this study emphasizes that careers are continuously reconstructed through nonlinear and dynamic processes involving interaction between individuals, organizations, and society, and discusses in depth the importance of strategic resource mobilization and practical skills in responding to rapidly evolving labor environments.