New reference guide for career development counsellors working with Inuit clients

A reference guide – Pinasuutitsaq – ᐱᓇᓲᑎᑦᓴᖅ – which aims to improve career development interventions with Inuit clients, in urban and northern settings, is now available for free download. The guide was developed by Regroupement québécois des organismes pour le développement de l’employabilité (RQuODE) with project funding support from CERIC and the Kativik Regional Government. It is published in both English and French.

The goal of the guide is to equip counsellors working in Inuit communities or with Inuit clients to be able to identify culturally specific features in their interventions, while improving their understanding of the major issues encountered by Inuit seeking employment.

The guide offers strategies that highlight good practices and pitfalls which should be avoided and is divided into four chapters:

• Contextualization: A brief summary of the Inuit context, major employment challenges, and culture
• Issues: Targeted courses of action related to 12 common issues
• Strategies: 50 effective strategies for interventions with an Inuit clientele organized according to 11 themes
• Resources: References and other resources to further explore various themes or subjects

RQuODE developed this reference guide in the context of its management of two Ivirtivik Centres that offer employability and pre-employability services to Inuit living in Montreal and Inukjuak (Nunavik). While this resource is designed for counsellors (Inuit or non-Inuit) who work with Inuit clients going through a career development process, it is also for those working in other areas, such as social workers or teachers.

This new resource fills a gap with almost no targeted measures previously existing to foster the integration and ongoing employment of Inuit clients. Given the magnitude of differences between Inuit and Euro-centric cultures, firmly anchoring career development services in current Inuit reality is seen as essential. By equipping career development professionals with the right kind of intervention techniques and tools to support this young and growing clientele, the overarching goal is to improve the economic and social welfare of Inuit communities across Canada.

CERIC provides funding and other support to develop innovative career development resources. Individuals and organizations are encouraged to submit project proposals for career counselling-related research or learning projects.