CAREER GUIDANCE HAPPENINGS IN

CANADA

Bridging the Chasm

Speaking from the Perspective:

career

counsello

r

•Students, adults

•Immigrants, school drop-outs

career

consultan

t

•Develop CG resources

•CG research reports

parent

•Writer for gov’t.

•School Librarian

Why this Talk Doesn’t Cover Everything

the themes involved in the CG policy and

practice developments

are more important

PERSISTENCE

PATIENCE

PARTNERSHIPS

Where we have come

from

Chasm between the career guidance community and the world of work.

In the Realm of the Unemployed: The bridge for connecting investment in CG

to sustainable job placements was invisible

In the Realm of Secondary Education: The bridge from CG to relevant academic

choices was undervalued

In the Realm of Post-Secondary Education and Training: The bridge to connect CG to better graduate

job choices was invisible

In the Realm of Career Guidance Professional Development:

Practitioners had no specialized training in Career Guidance

We needed more training and skills to help our clients

The bridge to connect professional standards & training to positive employment outcomes for clients was non-existent

Even for those who could see it

The bridge seemed too far & too risky

Canada Actually had Some Good Career Guidance Products

The Canadian government had developed quality career and labour market information products

OECD study found government products were not being used – they were “sitting on the shelf”

Our key message: use the products in a guidance context

And Some Persistent Heroes

Career Guidance Practitioners – had anecdotal experiences and a firm belief in the value of CG.

Government employees and policy makers – a few saw the broader context of job placement.

School counsellors & teachers – some had clear vision of the value of CG to motivate students.

BUT IT WAS

TOUGH TO DO

IT ALONE

Where we are now

Government has Played a Key Role in:

Delivery

Initiation

Funding

Government Support has Made a Difference

THE SUPPORT WAS SCATTERED

WE NEEDED INTEGRATION

Project

Project

Project Project

Integrated

Cohesive

Consultative

Policy

National/International Collaboration

Progress depends on policy makers

Career practitioners & policy makers needed to know where the communication was

We initiated Pan-Canadian and International Symposia

The policy makers told us they need: PROOF! to create policy and provide funding

The heroes didn’t give up and found creative ways around difficulties

Research Groups for Evidence-Based Practice & Policy

CANADIAN RESEARCH WORKING GROUP ON EVIDENCE-BASED

PRACTICE IN CAREER DEVELOPMENT

(CRWG)

THE CANADIAN MILLENNIUM SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION

(CMSF)

Created by a national Career Foundation and researchers from 6 Canadian universities

Is a Government funded foundation conducting long-term research studying what incentives work to keep students in school: Career Guidance, financial support, information

The Government has Begun to Connect Labour Market & CG

FORUM OF LABOUR MARKET MINISTERS

(FLMM)SECTOR COUNCILS

Actively partners with career guidance professionals to study LMI, CG & citizens’ needs and to fund projects to improve service.

Actively partners with career guidance professionals to develop relevant career information & strategies to recruit and retain skilled workers.

The Structures of Education & Employment are Connecting with Students’ Needs

Employers need staff with technical skills and practical experience

Students need mobility; education needs flexibility

Government policy makers, universities, colleges, high schools, employers, apprenticeship boards are working together

Students Shift Gears with Ease

Employment

Post-Secondary

Secondary

Developing Competencies

With Government support we worked hard to develop:

Standards and Guidelines for Career Guidance Practitioners: to provide consistent quality services

The Blueprint: a framework for CG learning outcomes for all citizens from children to the elderly

Professional Identity: our Commitment, our Credibility

Professional Designation: 1 province has it

Training & Certification: Provincial gov’ts have funded CG training programs

National CG Body: 30 associations across Canada agreed to form a Pan-Canadian Career Guidance Association

Summary of Areas of On-going Progress

CANADIAN CAREER GUIDANCE FIELD HAS: Started specialized

training & certification for practitioners

Excellent CG interventions for schools

Standards for quality of service

Started gathering research data to fill gaps in service

Started gathering research data to prove CG effectiveness

Some working partnerships between CG and policy makers

A connection made between CG and Labour Market Information

A National Body for all CG associations which is in its early stages

Our Wish List

All students will have more choice and more help choosing

All practitioners will have on-going professional training, pride and mobility

Career service managers will have practitioners who have standard competencies

Employers will recognize the link between CG and life-long learning

Public will have life-long access to CG services

Government will get longer lasting job-placement results for the unemployed

Policy makers will get evidence-based data for decisions

More Work to do

The national association is interim

More research is necessary to gather proof

Not all students receive equal guidance

We need to promote the use of the S&Gs to CG service managers

Our products need continuous promotion and regular updating

Most employers do not yet see the benefit of CG for their organization

Most teachers are not trained to incorporate career information into regular lessons

Take-home Lesson

Career Professionals & Policy Makers must learn to speak each other’s language before the bridge becomes a reality

SMALL SUCCESSES BIG SUCCESSES

What makes them possible?

PERSISTENCE

PATIENCE

PARTNERSHIPS