Editor’s Note

By Lucie Morillon

This note comes to you during a period of tension following the US presidential election, a time when newcomers face new anxieties, when doubts persist about the very notion of diversity and when people everywhere are questioning and reassessing their common values.

With the one-year anniversary of the initial wave of Syrian refugees arriving on Canadian soil and as the Canadian government announced in November 2016 a target goal of 300,000 immigrants for 2017, this new issue of Careering, focusing on Cultural Perspectives on Work and Career, is very timely. It’s also very timely that this is my first issue as your new Editor of Careering. I too am a newer arrival to Canada, having recently moved here from France.

As career development professionals, you have probably already experienced a situation where it has been more difficult to help a newly established client in Canada because of additional barriers to career exploration and job search: how to get recognition for skills and diplomas, how to get Canadian work experience, or how to prepare clients for cultural differences in the workplace and society more broadly.

In this issue of Careering, we cover the transition of international students – at both high school and post-secondary levels, how to most effectively provide career counselling to refugees, and how to ensure newcomers successfully integrate into Canada. Plus, this issue also features two articles based on recent CERIC-funded research, one looking at career development among the Inuit and the other examining career transitions for older workers.

Canada is a culturally diverse country – Toronto is regularly listed as one of the most multicultural cities in the world – and will continue to evolve over the coming years. It is important to be prepared to welcome those who will participate in the evolution of this country through their contribution to the Canadian economy and labour market.