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Annual Report 2023
Kay Castelle, Executive Director
Candy Ho, Board Chair
Leadership Message
As we prepare the 2023 Annual Report of CERIC’s activities and take stock of all that we’ve accomplished throughout the year, we do so with great enthusiasm for the many exciting projects and initiatives. Like seeds planted in the soil of 2023, these projects are now ready to flower in 2024 to mark our 20th anniversary. We take pride in the bold and groundbreaking progress our team has made to prepare the field to be future-ready through research, learning and advocacy. We have a lot to celebrate.
Our strategic plan, which will remain in place until 2025, outlines two primary strategic mandates:
- Promoting career development as a priority for the public good
- Building career development knowledge, mindsets and competencies
These mandates guide our work and are centred around research and advocacy on the one hand and education and resource development on the other. We continue to do the tireless work of raising the profile of career professionals and career development. Our big tent approach invites engagement and collaboration from interestholders and partners nationally as well as globally.
CERIC’s 19th year saw increased media coverage of our work as well as high-profile international exposure with Board Chair Candy Ho presenting keynote talks in New Zealand and Austria. CERIC’s resources, while designed for and within the Canadian context, have strong interest and relevance on a far greater scale, reaching well beyond our borders. Candy’s unique journey to her current role as CERIC Board Chair has its root in her participation in CERIC’s Graduate Student Engagement Program (GSEP) when she was awarded the opportunity to attend the 2014 edition of Cannexus. For Candy, a clear indicator of CERIC’s impact is when career development professionals (CDPs) reach out to her to share how they’re using CERIC resources, which they do often.
The past year saw the first-ever fully hybrid Cannexus conference. Our team leveraged what we learned about hosting virtual events over the past few years with our existing knowledge of how to run world-class in-person conferences to develop a good working model for future hybrid Cannexus conferences. A pivotal moment for CERIC and the annual conference, Cannexus 2023 allowed us to increase and expand our reach to new attendees on a global scale. The hybrid nature of the event also made the conference more accessible and inclusive as attendees and presenters alike could join from anywhere.
Our research and advocacy initiatives to raise the profile of the field took on many forms in 2023, including the thought-provoking Career Development in 2040 report, which identifies and explores 10 megatrends that workers, employers – as well as those who advise them – need to understand in order to thrive in a labour market facing massive disruption. Development of a National Advocacy Campaign kicked-off in January 2023 and is ongoing, with important conversations taking place across the country to explore how we can best promote why our work matters. CERIC is at the forefront of this ambitious global movement to communicate the transformative potential of career development – as well as to solidify an evidence base for the field. Throughout the past year, this work was advanced through research that will for the first-time deliver a comprehensive picture of who is doing what career development work and where in Canada. The resulting report Hidden Sector, Hidden Talent: Mapping Canada’s Career Development Sector will provide rich insights to drive advocacy with policymakers.
It was an equally prolific year for us in terms of educational offerings as we held in-depth webinars on a range of topics, including Indigenous approaches to career development, trauma-informed practice, and neurodivergence in career development, to name just a few. The Exploring Possibilities! Journeying Through Career-Related Learning in Grades 4–6: A Teaching Toolkit, to be launched in early 2024, will shine a light on the value and many ways of undertaking career-related learning in elementary schools. Our resources are designed to be practical and immediately useful. By partnering with key interestholders and fellow experts in the field in the development of complementary educational offerings, resources and training opportunities like the highly successful Media Relations Training Program, we’re making progress toward reaching our strategic goals and CDPs all over the world are paying attention. Another example of this is the much-anticipated release in 2024 of Practice Principles: Career Theories and Models at Work, the follow-up to the original book that featured leading theorists from around the world.
Kay Castelle’s transition into the role of CERIC Executive Director in early 2023 was made seamless by the excellent condition in which Riz Ibrahim, now President and CEO of CERIC’s funder, The Counselling Foundation of Canada, left the organization. Board Chair Candy’s support and mentorship of Kay also helped make for a smooth transition of leadership. It’s a hopeful time with a lot of optimism for the future; the CERIC team is feeling empowered as we prepare for an even bigger year ahead.
2023 came to a close with our 20th anniversary on the horizon and many seeds planted for a fruitful anniversary year in 2024. Always on our radar is how to prepare the field to be future-ready through research, learning and advocacy. With a much-anticipated Cannexus 2024 and several new CERIC-developed open-source resources, reports and publications ready for release, we’re poised for another bold year of raising the profile of the important work that career development professionals do in Canada and globally.
A special thank you to the CERIC Board and Advisory Committee volunteers who continued to provide their support and guidance. And lastly, a huge thanks to Riz Ibrahim and Bruce Lawson and The Counselling Foundation of Canada for their long-standing commitment to the work of CERIC.
Kay Castelle, Executive Director
Candy Ho, Board Chair
2023 Impact-at-a-Glance
CERIC is a national charitable organization whose mission is to advance education, research and advocacy in career development in Canada. CERIC’s vision is that people in Canada have the capacity to use their skills and talents towards a more fulfilling future for all.
We fund projects to develop innovative resources that build the knowledge and skills of diverse career and employment professionals. CERIC also annually hosts Cannexus, Canada’s largest bilingual career development conference, publishes the country’s only peer-reviewed journal, Canadian Journal of Career Development, and runs the CareerWise / OrientAction websites, providing the top career development news and views.
CERIC’s activities are funded in large part by The Counselling Foundation of Canada, a family foundation that has actively supported career projects for more than 60 years.
Highlights
Promoting career development as a priority for the public good
This strategic mandate guides CERIC’s collaboration with diverse interestholders to raise the profile of career development. Advocating for career development among employers, policymakers and school leaders will enable CERIC to fulfill its mission of “Advancing career development in Canada.” This mandate is centred around advocacy and engagement efforts to elevate the work of career development professionals (CDPs).
Preparing the field to be future-ready through research, learning and advocacy was an emergent theme in 2023. The National Advocacy Campaign for career development in Canada, the Career Development in 2040 report on megatrends shaping work and careers, as well as the CERIC-funded Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Career Development project, which examines ways to help workers manage career shocks, all speak to our commitment to supporting CDPs to adapt and be better prepared for the future.
1. Conducting research and activities that demonstrate the value of career development
Report reveals 10 megatrends that will shape work and careers in 2040
A CERIC-funded report from Creative Futures Studio sheds light on 10 megatrends that will shape the future of work in Canada. Career Development in 2040 digs into what workers, employers – as well as those who advise them – need to understand to thrive in a labour market facing massive disruption.
Based on an extensive literature review and interviews with CDPs and the individuals they serve, the report – released in October 2023 – highlights 10 major trends, including work anywhere, AI and automation, and living with climate change.
Depending on how the 10 major changes in the report evolve over time, CDPs may need a range of new skills in the future, including increased digital skills that respond to emerging technologies, mental health interventions, coaching skills related to climate change, and many more.
A second phase of the project, which translates the megatrends into three possible future scenarios and engages CDPs in a deeper exploration of the possible implications of these changes, is slated for release at the Cannexus24 conference.
CERIC-funded project examines how to help workers manage career shocks
CERIC announced funding in early 2023 for a research project that aims to prepare career development professionals to help workers handle career shocks like the recent pandemic. The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Career Development project is led by researchers at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM).
The research examines how career concerns have evolved during the pandemic (exemplified by the “Great Resignation” and “quiet quitting”) with greater focus now on doing meaningful work that allows for more balance – and how career professionals can respond to these new concerns.
Career shocks are expected to become increasingly common (pandemics, climate change, technological advancements, etc.) and constitute one of the major challenges facing the career development field.
Results to date of the research were disseminated in the second half of 2023 with a final report expected in 2024.
2. Amplifying the value of career literacy and a career mindset for Canadians
2023 was a big year for media coverage of CERIC’s contributions to the field
CERIC had a strong result for media engagement with three campaigns: the first focused on career trends in the new year, another in late summer looked at shifts in the workforce with “back-to-school” around the corner, and the final campaign of the year shared our research on the 10 megatrends shaping the future of work.
Coverage included:
There was strong interest in topics ranging from career mindsets to decent work to the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs – and CERIC was well-placed to provide commentary. In total, CERIC achieved 36.1 million impressions, 40x the industry average.
Career Week North America: Career Development Changes Everything
In 2023, North American partners CERIC, Canadian Career Development Foundation (CCDF) and National Career Development Association (NCDA) collaborated once again after the success of the 2022 Global Career Month campaign. We celebrated and amplified the value of career services with our organic hashtag campaign “Career Development Changes Everything.”
For the first 10 days of November, the campaign encouraged sharing of stories of changes on social media share using the hashtag #Amplifier2023.
Several prompts were provided to choose from, including:
- Share your career development journey! How has it changed the way you approach learning/work?
- Imagine a North America where everyone has access to career development. What would it look like?
- What career development achievements have you or your organization made in the last year?
Content was collected on the campaign’s webpage, creating an ever-changing wall of inspiration, collaboration and community.
3. Engaging with stakeholders in the broader career development ecosystem
A National Advocacy Campaign for Career Development in Canada
To help unlock the transformative potential of career development, a group of interestholders representing a diverse cross-section of the field across Canada – with the support of CERIC and human-centred design firm Overlap Associates – is developing a National Advocacy Campaign.
The purpose of the campaign is to increase the visibility, profile and impact of career development in order to improve the working lives of everyone in Canada and build a more prosperous economy and equitable society.
This community-led initiative is being advanced through the collective leadership of individuals from a variety of career development organizations and institutions across Canada. In October 2023, the Steering Committee selected the “Beyond Decent” campaign idea, based on an analysis of community feedback. Work continues on campaign development with a launch anticipated in fall 2024.
Bringing interestholders together to elevate the field
CERIC was very fortunate to work with numerous interestholders in 2023 to promote career development as a public good, with an emphasis on growing our international and francophone engagement.
Examples of collaborations in 2023 include:
- RBC Future Launch signed on as CERIC’s first Learning Advancement Partner
- Future Skills Centre collaborated with us to present a special half day Future Skills @Cannexus event in January 2023
- CERIC presented at a Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA) conference on How Employers Can Partner with CDPs
- We co-developed a free webinar series on Indigenous Worldviews of career development with the Career Development Association of New Zealand (CDANZ)
- Partnering with the Canadian Career Development Foundation (CCDF) and National Career Development Association (NCDA) on Career Week North America
- Development of the National Advocacy Campaign allowed us to work with diverse interestholders, including People for Education and Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
- CERIC partnered with Jelly Academy to create the first ISET National Convening to bring together First Nations, Metis, Inuit skills, employment & training organizations, to be held at Cannexus24
- A partnership with the Canadian Association of Principals allowed us to publish Reflective Practice: A Principal’s Power about integrating career development into experiential learning, and showcasing our Wayfinder reflective practice resource website
- We presented in French for the first time at in-person conferences hosted by Ordre des conseillers et conseillères d’orientation du Québec (OCCOQ) and the New Brunswick Career Development Association (NBCDA), and co-hosted a virtual francophone meet-up at Cannexus23 with the Association québécoise des professionnels du développement de carrière (AQPDDC)
- The Estonian translation of Career Theories and Models at Work was published in partnership with the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund
- Our scholarship program with the Asia Pacific Career Development Association (APCDA) expanded, allowing 25 professionals from non-high-income countries to be able to attend the virtual component of Cannexus24
- CERIC Board Chair Candy Ho presented at international conferences including the Careers and Education Transition Association conference in New Zealand and at the ePortfolio and Identity (ePIC) Conference in Austria
Planting seeds for the year ahead –
2024 marks 20 years of advancing career development in Canada for CERIC
In 2024, CERIC will mark 20 years as a national charitable organization, advancing the field of career development in Canada. Throughout our 20 years in the field, we’ve worked tirelessly to support diverse communities of career and employment professionals through education, research and advocacy efforts. Leading up to and during the course of 2024, we’ll be highlighting our history, impact and future direction to achieve our vision of a Canada where people have the capacity to use their skills and talents towards a more fulfilling future for all. We’ll kick off our anniversary celebrations on Jan. 29, 2024, at the Cannexus conference.
Two seminal career development reports to be released in January 2024
Marking CERIC’s 20th anniversary, two high-profile reports emerging from earlier CERIC Request for Proposals, will be released at the 2024 Cannexus conference.
Hidden Sector, Hidden Talent: Mapping Canada’s Career Development Sector
This report, produced by Challenge Factory, will reveal for the first time, the full scope of the people and systems providing career services and supports to Canadians. This groundbreaking study, supported by CERIC and the Canadian Career Development Foundation (CCDF), provides the evidence base needed to unlock the potential of Canadian career service professionals.
To date, Canada’s career development sector has been largely invisible to Canadians, policymakers and employers. In producing an evidence base for Canada’s career development field, the Hidden Sector, Hidden Talent report will showcase the socioeconomic impact of career development and support advocacy for public awareness and recognition of the value of career development.
Career Development 2040: Preparing for Possible Scenarios of Work and Careers
The latest report from the Career Development in 2040 research project will identify how the career development sector, advocacy organizations and policymakers need to prepare for 2040 and beyond. The report by Creative Futures Studios aims to motivate action that ensures workers across Canada have the support they need to prepare and adjust to the futures of work.
This report will draw on potential future scenarios to explore how career development services may change and how the role of CDPs may evolve in future. The first report, published in October 2023, explores 10 major changes with the potential to impact career development in 2040.
Building career development knowledge, mindsets and competencies
This strategy centres on growing career development expertise and skills among career educators and employment practitioners, K-12 educators and senior network managers. The focus here is on CERIC’s contributions to the field in the form of training, resources, education and professional development.
The resounding theme for 2023: preparing the field to be future-ready through research and learning is evident in the wide range of webinar offerings on the state of career development in Canada, CERIC’s updated toolkit highlighting 10 ways employers can partner with career professionals to address talent needs, and our new Media Relations Training Program, which has received a lot of attention since launching in April 2023. Additionally, with three new publications launching in 2024 and an updated edition of our Military to Civilian Employment Guide to be created, CERIC will carry the future-ready theme forward into next year and beyond.
4. Mobilizing knowledge and developing training and resources that support career professionals
Webinars provide leading-edge knowledge and skills development to CDPs
CERIC, along with its partner associations, offered a variety of webinars in 2023 to support the career development community on a number of timely topics. These ranged from the impact of unconscious bias on job searches to trauma-informed practice, and neurodivergence and career development. The past year also reflected our largest slate of French webinars to date.
- Global Perspectives in Career Development: Empowering Your Inclusive Practice Through Indigenous Knowledge and Worldviews
- Unlocking Potential with the Change It Up Approach: A Holistic and Strengths-based Approach to Career Development
- Entrepreneurship as a Career Practitioner: Launching, Running, Sustaining and Making a Living from Private Practice (in French)
- Decent Work on a Changing Planet: Practical Strategies for Developing a More Equitable World for Our Clients
- Dismantling the Impact of Unconscious Bias on Job Searching, Mental Health and Career Services
- Integrate the ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Approach) Matrix to Mobilize and Support Your Clients in Achieving Their Life and Career Goals (in French)
- Supporting the Integration of Refugees with Low Levels of Education: A Cross-multicultural Perspective on Counselling (in French)
- The CDP’s Roadmap to Effectively Supporting Neurodiverse Clients
- Trauma-informed Career Development: How to Establish Trauma-Wise Spaces in Your Practice
- Antisemitism Uncovered: How to Support Career Development Practitioners to Have an Inclusive Practice
Among webinar attendees, 96% reported being satisfied to very satisfied and anticipate that our learning initiatives will positively impact their work, with an average rating of 8.5/10.
Recordings of free webinars remain online for viewing.
New media relations training program helps the sector to raise its profile
CERIC launched a free Media Relations Training Program in April 2023 to prepare and empower career development professionals in Canada to share their stories with the media and increase the visibility of the field. The free program is led by one of Canada’s foremost media authorities Keka DasGupta.
This program featured two components:
- A custom online “on-demand” training course including email pitch templates and examples of real-life pitches that have landed people in the news.
- Live bi-monthly “Office Hours” Q&A sessions in which participants can ask questions and practice what they’ve learned as part of a peer community.
CERIC offers this program to facilitate and advance conversations on career development across Canada in the news and editorial spaces.
In its first year, 731 participants registered for the course and rated their media relations knowledge as 1.8/5 before the training and 4.1/5 after.
Winter 2023 issue of Careering magazine marks 10th anniversary & final issue
The special 10th-anniversary issue of Careering magazine, on the theme of “Hindsight and Foresight,” welcomed back many past contributors to reflect on where the field has been and where it needs to go.
An important milestone calls for deep reflection; after two years of publishing Careering exclusively online, we were called to evolve to meet career professionals’ learning needs. With a sense of nostalgia and gratitude, CERIC decided to turn the page on this chapter of Careering. The Winter 2023 issue was the final issue of the magazine as we know it.
You can access a decade’s worth of past issues of Careering magazine for free online.
5. Fostering a cross-sectoral community of career development-minded professionals
Cannexus 2023: CERIC’s first-ever hybrid career development conference
More than 2,000 career development professionals from across Canada and around the world joined together for the first-ever hybrid Cannexus conference from Jan. 23-25, 2023. Whether attending in-person in Ottawa or virtually, delegates expanded their knowledge, built strong networks, and learned about emerging trends and issues. From transitioning to a net zero economy to trauma-informed counselling, the conference had much to offer attendees.
Among the many highlights were three exceptional keynotes:
- James Makokis spoke about two-spirit diversity, elevating Indigenous knowledge in equity and justice work, and thinking critically about systems of oppression
- Linda Nazareth discussed the megatrends redefining our careers, including climate change, the demographic shift of an aging population and industry 4.0
- Tareq Hadhad shared his journey to Canada and how he built his company, Peace by Chocolate, highlighting how immigrant talent enriches our country and drives economic growth
The hybrid conference featured both established and emerging career development leaders from across Canada and around the globe as presenters, including those from the US, UK, New Zealand, Pakistan and Taiwan. Across 150+ different education sessions, attendees examined current and emerging workforce realities and the best ways to support students and clients through unprecedented transitions. As part of a new collaboration with CERIC, the Future Skills Centre ran a dedicated half-day called Future Skills @Cannexus. It drew on FSC’s emerging research and pilot project insights to explore innovations in Canadian career development and employment services.
The Etta St. John Wileman Award winner Lynne Bezanson accepted her award in-person at the conference. Bezanson, who is the Executive Director Emeritus of the Canadian Career Development Foundation (CCDF), was recognized for strengthening the reach and impact of career development in Canada and internationally.
In the post-conference survey, 94% of delegates rated the experience as good to excellent and 80% indicated they plan to use what they learned right away to enhance their work.
CERIC’s toolkit updated: 10 ways employers can address talent needs
CERIC updated its popular toolkit highlighting 10 meaningful ways career development professionals (CDPs) can partner with employers to meet their recruitment, retention and training needs. The 2023 edition includes additional insights from CDPs across the country who work with employers every day within their communities.
At a time when job vacancies in Canada remain relatively high despite an ongoing threat of recession, the toolkit offers fresh and practical approaches to attracting and retaining talent in a shifting labour market.
This resource is the result of Virtual Community Roundtables with CDPs held in BC, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. CDPs can use the updated toolkit to identify new or enhanced ways to support employers or share directly with employers.
Download the free toolkit and a one-page infographic.
CareerWise / OrientAction websites serve as an online hub for the field
CERIC’s CareerWise website and its French language sister site OrientAction continue to be important sources of career development news and views, designed to meet the learning needs of Canada’s CDPs. In 2023, OrientAction – which is run in partnership with Quebec-based non-profit GRICS – marked its 20th anniversary.
The sites (careerwise.ceric.ca / orientaction.ceric.ca) bring together a curated collection of relevant and thought-provoking articles on education, skills, counselling, employment and the workforce from a variety of publications. Also included are original perspectives and timely analyses from recognized experts and community voices.
The site’s weekly newsletters, CareerWise Weekly and OrientAction en bref, produced their first themed issues in 2023: Indigenizing Career Development, Teen Career Decision-making, and AI and Career Development, allowing for an in-depth exploration of these critical issues.
2023 CareerWise / OrientAction highlights:
- Original blogs and listicles published: 207 on CareerWise and 190 on OrientAction
- Subscribers up 7% to 14,950 on CareerWise Weekly and up 3% to 4,208 on OrientAction en bref
- CareerWise hosted two successful virtual calls and a virtual Cannexus event for prospective writers, building a supportive community of contributors
Important changes to the Etta St. John Wileman Award
Initiated in 2007, the Etta St. John Wileman Award now recognizes and celebrates individuals who have made an outstanding impact in enhancing the field of career development at any stage of their careers.
CERIC’s flagship award evolved over the past year to become more inclusive and accessible. The changes seek to ensure that the award honours those making a significant impact within the wide-ranging field of career development, regardless of role or position within an organization.
CERIC’s Award Selection Committee has been working to adapt the award, beginning with expanding the committee membership to include more diverse voices and better reflect all career development professionals as well as the people they support.
Here are some of the important changes to the award:
- Shift in focus to “outstanding achievement” from “lifetime achievement”
- Expanded definition of “leadership”
- New criteria related to justice, equity, diversity & inclusion
In 2023, CERIC received multiple nominations for the award, underscoring the substantial depth of exceptionally talented and innovative individuals in the field who are making a significant impact across Canada. The next recipient will be announced during an awards ceremony at the Cannexus24 conference.
6. Advancing the pipeline of future sector leaders and growing sector capabilities
Revamping CERIC’s graduate student program to develop next-gen researchers
CERIC re-opened applications in 2023 for its Graduate Student Engagement Program (GSEP) after retooling it to better identify and expose graduate student researchers to opportunities in career development. The GSEP is designed to empower participants with the expertise required to excel in their master’s or PhD studies while positively impacting the field.
Open to full-time graduate students enrolled in a Canadian university, participants can engage in interactive learning experiences, gain insights from experts, and build a strong network of like-minded peers. They can take advantage of opportunities to compete for the GSEP Award, present at Cannexus and write for our publications.
The GSEP Award provided support for five graduate students to attend the Cannexus24 conference virtually as well as $1,000 each. Recipients are:
- Jihène Hichri, PhD candidate, Education, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)
- Joel Murphy, PhD candidate, Education, Mount Saint Vincent University
- Amanda Assi, MA student, Counselling Psychology, Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary
- Daniel Trudel, MA student, École de Counseling et d’orientation, Université de Laval
- Annie Gourde, PhD candidate, École de Counseling et d’orientation, Université de Laval
7. Enabling academic and community-based research that enhances career development practice
- Number of subscribers up 6.4% to 16,549
- Most viewed article: Addressing Compassion Fatigue Using Career Engagement and the Hope-Centered Model for Career Development
- Most downloaded article: Fostering Graduate Student Engagement for the Future of Career Development
The journal, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2022, is a peer-reviewed publication of multi-sectoral career-related academic research and best practices from Canada and around the world. It is published twice a year by CERIC in partnership with Memorial University, each January and September, in a digital format. In 2023, CJCD also received continued funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
CERIC to relaunch database of Canadian Career Development Researchers
A new version of CERIC’s Canadian Career Development Researcher Database will be available in early 2024, answering the question: “Who is doing what research in Canada”? The database will bring this information together in one easy-to-use searchable online resource.
There will be over 200 anglophone and francophone researchers in the database, which is updated on a rolling basis. The database can be filtered by institution, location or 50+ areas of interest, from gender to vocational psychology, and from Indigenous career development to social justice.
Consistent with CERIC’s strategic priorities, by documenting researchers in Canada, we can continue to advance knowledge in career development theory and practice, champion collaboration among diverse interestholders and facilitate conversations between career practitioners and researchers, as well as among educators, employers and policymakers.
Anyone applying for CERIC project funding will find the database helpful to assess how to proceed in building on existing research, and whether there is potential for collaboration with other researchers.
8. Building capacity to extend our reach and impact
CERIC welcomes new leadership
Kay Castelle joined CERIC as its new Executive Director in early 2023. “Kay is a strategic thinker and doer who co-creates with community, empowers teams and champions positive change,” said Candy Ho, Chair of the CERIC Board.
Kay joins CERIC from Food Banks Canada where she was the Director of Learning & Knowledge Exchange. She was also the part-time Executive Director at Hand Up From Hunger Toronto, Executive Board Member at the New Beginnings Support Program, and a volunteer Career Mentor at Times Change Women’s Employment Service.
She believes the career development ecosystem in Canada is well positioned to continue shaping public good. “With advances in career development theories, models and evidence-based strategies and tools, it is a time to innovate, expand career services, renew our attention to groups most vulnerable to career disruptions and respond to labour market and employment needs.”
CERIC founding Executive Director Riz Ibrahim left the role to take on the position of President & CEO of The Counselling Foundation of Canada. The Foundation established CERIC and is its primary funder.
Planting seeds for the year ahead –
First online certificate program focused on intersectional career development
In 2023, CERIC and the Canadian Association for Supported Employment (CASE) worked towards the launch of their first joint online course, An Intersectional Approach to Supporting Career Development, moving to achieve greater equity and empowerment for clients.
Canada’s workforce thrives on its diversity. Understanding diversity is crucial for career and employment professionals, especially when addressing the needs of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour communities who experience disability (BIPOC-D). An intersectional approach is vital for employment professionals to effectively support jobseekers.
Crafted with a keen understanding of the nuanced challenges faced by BIPOC-D communities, this 6-week certificate program will enable career professionals to develop the awareness, tools and insights needed to navigate the complexities of intersectionality in career development as well as to support and assist clients to advance in their chosen careers.
Cannexus 2024: Four incredible keynotes to headline conference
During the course of 2023 planning was well underway for the next Cannexus to take place January 29-31, 2024, both online and in-person in Ottawa. This will mark our second hybrid Cannexus conference.
The largest bilingual conference in the country focused on innovative approaches in career and workforce development, the conference programming will include over 100 sessions to empower change and collectively build a brighter future. Delegates were set to explore current and emerging issues such as: artificial intelligence, neurodiversity, Indigenous learners, funding of employment services, intergenerational workplaces and mental health.
The 2024 conference will be a launch pad for several new CERIC-developed resources to be released as we celebrate our 20th anniversary, including new reports, resources and publications.
CERIC prepares to release 3 exciting new publications in 2024
As CERIC gets ready to celebrate 20 years of advancing career development in Canada, we’ve been laying the groundwork for the 2024 release of three exciting new publications for career development professionals.
Practice Principles: Career Theories and Models at Work
This new book from authors Dr. Nancy Arthur, Dr. Roberta Borgen and Dr. Mary McMahon will be an essential companion to CERIC’s globally popular Career Theories and Models at Work: Ideas for Practice. Practice Principles will serve as a go-to guide for career professionals, providing theory-informed principles for effective career interventions.
The book fills a gap in the field and addresses essential career practice principles, ensuring that techniques used by practitioners are underpinned by actual theory. Career practitioners need to be equipped and up to date with the latest contemporary theories and models in the field – and make informed choices about the approaches and strategies they use in practice.
Exploring Possibilities! Journeying Through Career-Related Learning in Grades 4–6
Career development is a lifelong process that begins in the early years. Young children are already developing skills and engaging in experiences that build their capacity for successful learning and positive career and life outcomes. However, many elementary school teachers may not be fully aware of how their day-to-day teaching activities connect to their important role in developing these critical career-related skills and attributes with their students.
This teaching toolkit from Dr. Lorraine Godden and her research team will help to shine a light on the value and many ways of undertaking career-related learning in elementary schools. Underpinned by research and data collected from educators, parents, students and industry partners, Exploring Possibilities! will help educators in Grades 4-6 understand how their teaching practices develop foundational career-related skills.
Supporting the Integration of Refugees with Low Levels of Education
In proportion to the size of its population, Canada is among the countries that welcome the most immigrants in the world. To adapt to the reality of a new country and settle, immigrants in general and refugees in particular, need to overcome multiple challenges. After being forcibly displaced, they must now develop a plan that lays the groundwork for a decent life.
This research-driven publication makes recommendations for strategies for career and guidance counsellors to help refugees – especially those with low levels of education – integrate into society and the working world. Authored in French by Dr. Marcelline Bengaly of Université Laval and colleagues, this book puts an emphasis on respect for cultural differences and collaboration with employers and public institutions.
An English edition of the book will be available later in 2024.
Updated edition of military to civilian employment book in progress
Efforts are underway to update CERIC’s Military to Civilian Employment: A Career Practitioner’s Guide for publication in January 2025. The new edition will reflect substantive changes within the Canadian military ecosystem and ensure that Canadian career professionals have an up-to-date resource to help ex- military clients smoothly transition from military roles into the civilian workforce.
First released in 2016, more than 16,000 copies of the original guide have been distributed. As with the first edition, the follow up will also be available both for sale as well as free download in English and French. This second edition of the book will once again be authored by Canadian careers expert Yvonne Rodney, in collaboration with the Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group, Veterans Affairs Canada, Military Family Services as well as the Chief of Reserves and Employer Support.
The demand for support with employment transition for veterans remains high. Each year in Canada, approximately 8,000 military members are released from service (up from 5,000 a year when the original book was published) and increasingly at a younger age.
Financial Statements
Statement of Operations
Year ended December 31, 2023
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to all those who help us fulfill our mission of advancing career development in Canada: our Board of Directors; our Advisory Committees; CERIC staff; our funder, The Counselling Foundation of Canada; and the many organizations that support Cannexus, our webinars and our various projects.
Board of Directors
Candy Ho (Chair)
Faculty Member, Education Studies
Kwantlen Polytechnic University, BC
Darlene Hnatchuk
Director, Career Planning Service
McGill University, QC
Meghan Lavallee (Vice-Chair)
Director, Pathway Programs
Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, MB
Valérie Roy
Executive Director
AXTRA, l’Alliance des centres-conseils en emploi, QC
André Raymond (Past Chair)
Director, Service du développement professionnel
Université Laval, QC
Rob Shea
Associate Professor, Faculty of Education
Memorial University of Newfoundland, NL
Sue Watts (Secretary/Treasurer)
Executive Director
Employment + Education Centre (EEC), ON
Lisa Taylor
President
Challenge Factory, ON
Tony Botelho
Managing Director, Career Centre
The University of British Columbia, BC
Donald G. Lawson (Honourary Director – Ex-officio)
The Counselling Foundation of Canada, ON
Keka DasGupta
Principal
Precision Marketing Group, ON
Riz Ibrahim (Executive Officer – Ex-officio)
The Counselling Foundation of Canada, ON
Dinuka Gunaratne
Director of Career Development and Experiential Learning
Northeastern University, BC
Practical & Academic Research Committee
Tony Botelho (Co-Chair)
Managing Director, Career Centre
The University of British Columbia, BC
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
Wilfrid Laurier University, ON
Economist
Labour Markets and Workforce Development, ON
Roxy Merkand
Senior Research Science Analyst
McKinsey & Company, ON
Noor Al-Zanoon
Senior Business Partner
Alberta Innovates, AB
Magdalena Mot
Work-Integrated Learning Co-ordinator, Melville School of Business
Kwantlen Polytechnic University, BC
Lorena Camargo
Principal Researcher
Labour Market Information Council, ON
Vera Ziwei Wu
Career Consultant, BC
Tannis Goddard
CEO
Mixtmode Consulting, BC
Aziz Mimoudi (GSEP)
PhD Candidate, Education
Université de Sherbrooke, QC
Jeff Landine
Associate Professor, Faculty of Education
University of New Brunswick, NB
Mouhamadou Moustapha Sow (GSEP)
MA Candidate, Education
Université de Sherbrooke, QC
Content & Learning Committee
Dinuka Gunaratne (Co-Chair)
Director, Career Development and Experiential Learning
Northeastern University, BC
Annika Gilgen
Labour Market Development Officer
Government of Yukon, YK
Holly Linkert (Co-Chair)
Co-operative Education Teacher
Eastwood Collegiate Institute, Waterloo Region District School Board, ON
Jenny Lee Northey
Graduate Co-ordinator
Queen’s University, ON
Akshay Arora
Career Services Advisor
Yorkville University, BC
Romalie Manalang
Co-ordinator, Responsive Career Pathways
Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, MB
Shereen Ashman
Co-founder
CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals, ON
Medina Puskar
Manager of Career Services
Manitoba Start, MB
Nordia Bogle
NKB Consulting & Professional Solutions, ON
Michael Ford
International Co-op Coordinator
Simon Fraser University, BC
Advocacy and Community Engagement Committee
Akosua Alagaratnam (Co-Chair)
Executive Director
First Work, ON
Adriano Magnifico
Career Development Specialist
Louis Riel School Division, MB
Valérie Roy (Co-Chair)
Executive Director
AXTRA, l’Alliance des centres-conseils en emploi QC
Candace Stewart-Smith
Director, Centre for Experiential and Career Education
University of the Fraser Valley, BC
Yvanne Caballero
Co-operative Education Co-ordinator, Aspen School of Business
University of Manitoba, MB
Rhonda Taylor
Chief Executive Officer
Career Trek, MB
Keka DasGupta
Principal
Precision Marketing Group, ON
Sophie Turner
Career Management and Executive Coach, MBA Programs, Smith School of Business
Queen’s University, ON
Trevor Lehmann
Career Counsellor
University of Manitoba, MB
Joel Murphy (GSEP)
PhD Candidate, Educational Studies
Mount Saint Vincent University, NS
Alastair MacFadden
Assistant Deputy Minister
Prairies Economic Development Canada, SK
Staff
Amélie Almonacil
Specialist, Stakeholder Outreach, Marketing and Communications (Bilingual)
Riz Ibrahim
Executive Director (outgoing)
Farzaneh Babazadeh Bedoustani
Manager, Events, Learning and Development (incoming)
Alexandra Manoliu
Manager, Research Initiatives (Bilingual)
Diana Castano
Executive Assistant and Office Administrator
Lindsay Purchase
Lead, Content, Learning and Development
Kay Castelle
Executive Director (incoming)
Sandra Francescon
Manager, Events, Learning and Development (outgoing)
Heba ElHalees
Conference Planning Co-ordinator (incoming)
Rachel So
Senior Specialist, Digital, Marketing and Communications
Sharon Ferriss
Senior Director, Marketing and Communications
Norman Valdez
Director, Technology and Design, Marketing and Communications
Cyrielle Filias
Lead, Programs, Learning and Development (Bilingual)
During 2023, CERIC was also supported by intern Eman Ali.
CERIC also wishes to thank Ben Liadsky of The Counselling Foundation of Canada as well as Ruth Cortez and Simran Gill of Foundation House.
Partners and Supporting Organizations
