CERIC has updated its popular toolkit that highlights 10 ways career development professionals (CDPs) can partner with employers to meet their recruitment, retention and training needs. The 2023 edition includes additional insights from more CDPs across the country who work with employers every day within their communities. At a time when job vacancies in Canada remain at an all-time high despite an ongoing threat of recession, the toolkit offers fresh and practical approaches to attract and maintain talent in what continues to be a tight labour market.

The toolkit is a compilation that now reflects input from almost 200 CDPs with advice for helping to mobilize local labour markets. This resource is the result of Virtual Community Roundtables with career development professionals held throughout the second half of 2022. Organized by CERIC, the roundtables were hosted in partnership with four provincial career development associations, Career Development Association of Alberta, Ordre des conseillers et conseillères d’orientation du Québec (OCCOQ), ASPECT BC and the Ontario Association of Career Management.

Download the free toolkit and a one-page infographic summary:

During these roundtables, CDPs discussed with their peers the results of CERIC’s Environics National Business Survey of 500 Canadian employers released last year. Discussions focused on five themes: Challenges for Canadian Businesses, Recruitment, Skills Gap, Soft Skills and Professional / Career Development. The recurring message was that today new approaches as well as flexibility are required to find and grow talent given shifting jobseeker and employee expectations.

The toolkit that emerged from these roundtables is intended to be a concise resource that conveys the most impactful approaches for CDPs to work with employers. Some of the 10 ways to partner range from #4 Find Untapped Talent Through Non-Traditional Hiring to #9 Focus on Employee Retention, Engagement and Wellness. CDPs can use this document to identify new or enhanced ways to support employers or can share it directly with employers.

The goal is to provide ideas and a tool to raise employer awareness of the value of career development and the role and services of career development professionals. The National Business Survey showed that while 53% of employers are aware of CDPs, only 12% have worked with one in the past.

Recognizing that the role and services vary by type of CDP, organization and sector (e.g., post-secondary institution vs. community agency vs. private practice), this document aims to be as inclusive and flexible as possible. Anyone is welcome to use or modify the content as part of their communications materials.

Building on this work, CERIC partners will be presenting at a virtual HRPA micro-conference on April 13. This presentation to human resources professionals will feature the toolkit and will further the important conversation on employer engagement and the contribution of CDPs to workforce and workplace strategies.