2022

CERIC to publish new companion guide to popular Career Theories and Models at Work book

Building on the success of Career Theories and Models at Work: Ideas for Practice, CERIC has approved funding to develop a “companion” book that will provide career professionals with theory-informed principles for everyday application. This sequel project called “Career Theories and Models in Practice” will be led once again by Dr. Nancy Arthur, University of South Australia (formerly University of Calgary), Dr. Roberta Borgen (Neault), Life Strategies and Dr. Mary McMahon, the University of Queensland (Australia).  

The new project will see the authors conduct a qualitative research analysis of the practice points at the end of each of the 43 chapters of the original Career Theories and Models at Work book to organize them into guiding principles for theory-informed career practice. The new guide – slated for release in January 2024 at the Cannexus conference – is intended for both current practitioners and as well as those just entering the field. It will provide a practical primary resource to gain knowledge about foundational principles for career development. 

Filling a gap in the field, this will be the first book that addresses foundational career practice principles, ensuring that techniques used by practitioners are linked to actual theoretical underpinnings. Readers will have the opportunity to learn about foundations of the principles and follow their interests back to the practice points that are used as examples in the chapters. The project advances the effort to increase the theoretical and practical knowledge of career practitioners by emphasizing practice-to-theory connections.  

Specific goals for this project include:  

  1. To advance the field of career development by identifying practice principles that cut across multiple international theories and models; 
  2. To stimulate career practitioners’ interest in linking their practices to theoretically derived principles; 
  3. To update career practitioners about practice principles derived from contemporary theories and models of career development and career management; 
  4. To provide practitioners with a foundational resource they can use to build upon and enhance their approaches to career interventions; and 
  5. To provide career practitioners with an accessible resource to add to their toolkit. 

Published in 2019, the initial Career Theories and Models at Work: Ideas for Practice book features more than 60 authors from nine countries. The book has been translated into three languages so far (including the award-winning French edition published by CERIC last year) and resulted in a popular series of free webinars (recordings still available), each one drawing 1,000+ participants. Likewise, the follow-up manual is expected to have broad appeal nationally as well as internationally and will include podcasts. 

CERIC provides funding and other support to develop innovative career development resources. Individuals and organizations are welcome to submit project proposals for career counselling-related research or learning projects. This project aligns with one of CERIC’s four priority funding areas: New emerging career development theories and career service models. 

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2022

Professors honoured by OCCOQ for their revision of CERIC’s Career Theories and Models for the francophone professional community

The Order of Orientation Counsellors of Quebec (OCCOQ) presented the Order’s Professional Award 2022 to Louis Cournoyer (Quebec University at Montréal), along with Professors Patricia Dionne (Sherbrooke University) and Simon Viviers (Laval University), for their coordination of the translation, revision and adaptation of CERIC’s French-language reference book Career Theories and Models at Work: Ideas for Practice, otherwise known as Théories et modèles orientés sur la carrière : des idées pour la pratique in French.  

The popular international collection brings together contemporary and emerging theories and models of career development and is intended to serve as a reference document for the practice of career development among professionals around the world. In addition to being useful to both new and experienced career counsellors, the publication can be used as a reference book for undergraduate and graduate career counselling courses.    

In awarding this recognition on November 18, the members of the jury acknowledged the importance of the efforts invested and the complexity of coordinating the French translation work, while confirming the usefulness of the book Career Theories and Models at Work: Ideas for Practice for guidance and career development professionals in all sectors of activity, as well as for those in training in this field.   

The book, which includes contributions from 60 researchers and practitioners from nine countries, contains approximately 40 chapters on the theories and models that define contemporary career development practice. Key contributors include the researchers who developed the theories presented in the book, as well as practitioners who have used them in original ways to guide their career development practice. 

Presented in a reader-friendly format, each chapter includes a Case Vignette that illustrates how a theory or model can be applied in practice, and Practice Points that summarize key takeaways for career practitioners to implement with clients. 

The book, which has received rave reviews from the Francophonie globally, is available for purchase in print or as an ebook on Amazon or Indigo. Learn more at  ceric.ca/lestheories.
 

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2022

New research explores career-related learning in Canadian elementary schools

The first phase of a CERIC-funded research project has now produced three literature reviews that examine what is happening in elementary education across Canada related to introducing and building career-related foundational skills. These newly available documents include: a review of scholarly literature; a curriculum and policy review; and a review of business and industry partnerships. 

The project, Career Development in Children: Identifying Critical Success Conditions and Strategies, is being undertaken by an international team of academic researchers led by Dr. Lorraine Godden of Ironwood Consulting and Carleton University. The research seeks to understand how foundational concepts and skills that are introduced and developed by teachers in Grades 4 to 6 connect to career-related learning in Canadian classrooms. 

The reviews have found that across Canada, provinces and territories have implemented a variety of educational strategies, initiatives, policies and programs to help young people achieve productive and fulfilling lives. Ministries, school boards and schools have a range of proactive frameworks and policies. However, several challenges impact their successful implementation. For example, many elementary schools have limited resources beyond the classroom teacher to support students’ career and life planning, and many teachers are not aware they are developing critical career skills in their students. 

Supporting Career Development in Children: A Literature Review 

This document contains a review of literature which investigates the practices to support the development of career-related foundational skills in children aged 9-11 in Canadian elementary schools. The review explores the scholarly literature related to career development terminology, career development frameworks and theoretical understandings, and empirical work that examines the ways teachers introduce and develop foundational career skills (e.g., healthy habits of mind and being, social and emotional skills, self-confidence, self-efficacy). This literature review recognizes that career vocabulary and terminology are the building blocks on which all career interventions are built. 

The literature review includes: 

  • An extensive exploration of career-related terminology that educators might encounter in the career-related work in schools;  
  • An exploration of how work is linked to career development;  
  • A detailed overview of typical expected outcomes of career development;  
  • An overview of empirical career-related learning and career development theoretical frameworks;  
  • An outline of typical career-related learning outcomes seen in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom;  
  • An examination of what career-related learning looks like in elementary schools; and  
  • A summary of contemporary issues related to career.  

Supporting Career Development in Children: Curriculum and Policy Review 

This curriculum and policy review examines provincial and territorial policy, reporting and curriculum documents for career-related learning, including relevant social studies, health and wellness, and social and emotional learning documents. This pan-Canadian exploration provides insight into what is happening in career education in Grades 4, 5 and 6, showing differences across the country. This review has involved developing a greater understanding of the role that geographic context plays in influencing practice related to delivering career-related learning.  

Findings include: 

  • Some provinces and territories, such as Ontario, British Columbia and Yukon, have embraced a Kindergarten to Grade 12 approach to career education.  
  • In other areas of the country, career education begins to emerge in Grades 5 and 6 (e.g., Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Atlantic provinces).
  • Still other regions do not appear to have any formal career education currently in place at the elementary level (e.g., Nunavut). 

Supporting Career Development in Children: A Review of Business and Industry Partnerships 

This review examines partnerships between elementary schools and business and industry. It reports on industry perspectives regarding the importance of developing foundational skills and investigates formal partnerships between business/industry and schools or school districts. It also establishes where and how the wider business and industry community are providing services, programming, training, resources or partnerships to and with elementary schools across Canada. This exploration provides some important insights into these partnerships and confirmed that some elementary schools do partner with business and industry through various agreements and specialist councils. However, the research revealed partnerships to be more widespread for secondary schools. 

The review answers: 

  • Which provinces and territories have business and industry partnerships?   
  • What partnerships and programs currently exist between business and industry and elementary schools?   
  • Which provinces and territories have Industry Education Councils?   
  • What connections do Industry Education Councils have with elementary schools? 

 These three literature reviews are intended for and can benefit: 

  • Teachers – in elementary and secondary schools who are supporting their students with career-related learning;  
  • Guidance counsellors – who are delivering and managing career-related knowledge, information and services across their schools;   
  • School leaders and district school board administrators – who are determining the scope of career-related learning across their schools;   
  • Curriculum developers – who are looking for worthwhile practices to incorporate into career-related programming and development;  
  • Policymakers – who are directing courses of action across the policy life cycle, and are evaluating the role of different policy actors within career-related policy in schools;  
  • Government – who are making decisions as to what career-related learning should look like in schools; and   
  • Business and industry partners – who are making decisions to form or undertake strategies that support career-related learning in their local and broader community schools.   

Research for this project is ongoing with data being collected from educators, parents and Grade 4-6 students in public school settings across Canada. This has involved ensuring the inclusion of diverse perspectives: Indigenous communities, immigrant communities, francophone communities, special needs educators, and urban, rural and remote communities.  

The next phase of this project is focused on the development of a teacher’s toolkit, including strategies and interventions teachers can use to develop critical career-related foundational skills with students. On Monday, January 23 at Cannexus, Canada’s Career Development Conference, Dr. Godden and fellow researchers will be leading a virtual research circle entitled Teaching Careers to Grades 4-6? Pilot Our Toolkit! In this interactive community consultation, participants can review the evidence gathered to support toolkit development, sample different class-based activities and provide feedback to help shape the final toolkit. 

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2022

Career development the focus of The Globe’s Leadership Lab for November

Coinciding with Canada Career Month, CERIC published a series of four articles throughout the month of November exploring the value of career development in The Globe and Mail’s Leadership Lab. As the featured expert, CERIC Board Chair Dr. Candy Ho provided career advice and insights for employers as well as employees at all stages of life.   

How to recruit young millennial and Gen Z workers amid a talent shortage, Nov. 2: In this first article, Ho – who is also inaugural Assistant Professor for Integrative Career and Capstone Learning at the University of the Fraser Valley in BC – addresses the challenges that employers are having with recruiting early career talent at a time of historically low unemployment. Ho advises: “The first shift employers need to make to better engage young talent is to see an individual’s career as more than simply their job or their work.”  

Exit interviews are common, but to really help retention, firms should conduct stay interviews, Nov. 9: The second article in the series examines the opportunity for employer to inform recruitment and retention strategies by undertaking “stay interviews.” As Ho writes: “A stay interview is more than a simple check-in with loyal employees. It’s a career conversation between managers and staff that helps organizations understand their employees’ personal ‘why’: What is keeping them motivated at work and what their employers can do to keep them engaged.” 

Thinking about changing jobs? First, you should develop a career mindset, Nov. 16: In the third article in the series, Ho reflects on the pandemic disruptions of the past 2.5 years and how this had led many people to reflect on where they are, what they want, and what is possible. She counsels the development of a career mindset for individuals to be able to intentionally shape their futures. A career mindset includes: understanding your value, understanding your options, and understanding the winding path of life.  

The lines between professional and personal are blurring – and that can be a good thing, Nov. 23: The fourth and final article in the series argues that given current labour market issues – a skills shortage, an aging workforce and an anticipated recession in 2023 – executives can’t afford to ignore what employees need to thrive, both inside and outside their jobs. “Taking steps to understand what workers need to thrive enables organizations to exhibit empathy and address employees’ needs and challenges at the intersection of their work and life roles.” 

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Report cover page: National Business Survey2022

Analysis of CERIC National Business Survey now available by employer size, location and region

Has employee retention since the pandemic been more difficult for large employers or small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)? Is employee mental health more of a challenge for rural or urban employers? In which region of the country do employers put the most effort into recruiting from underrepresented groups? The answers can be found in newly released data from CERIC’s Career Development in the Canadian Workplace: National Business Survey.

On CERIC’s behalf, Environics surveyed 500 Canadian executives in more than 11 industries including service, retail, hospitality, construction and manufacturing. The survey explored Canadian organizations’ views on skills gaps in the labour market; hiring as part of equity, diversity and inclusion strategies; and investing in employee career development. The national findings were released earlier this year at the Cannexus conference. Further survey findings are now available by employer size, location and region.

Employer size

A shortage of skilled workers is being experienced more sharply by larger employers with 100% of employers with 50+ employees reporting a shortage. Meanwhile, a shortage is still cited as the biggest challenged faced by employers with <10 staff as well as those with 10-49 employees.

The survey showed that larger employers have a greater number of employees working from home or hybrid at 52% compared to 33% (<10) and 31% (10-49). Larger employers are also better equipped in terms of the career management and mental health support offered to employees working from home.

The struggle to recruit is felt by employers of all sizes. Larger employers are more likely to have experimented with new recruitment policies and practices in the past two years (50% vs. 21% <10, 37% 10-49). In particular, SMEs put less effort into reaching members of underrepresented groups.

The impact of the pandemic on the retention of employees has been more challenging for employers with 50+ employees. Among larger employers, 55% find it more difficult to retain employees compared with two years ago.

When it comes to career development for employees, 57% of the employers with 50+ employees offer career management programs, compared to 17% of the smallest employers with <10 employees and compared to 34% for employers with 10-49 employees.

View by Employer size.

Location

Among the top challenges facing business, employee mental health was cited by 50% of the employers surveyed who were located in major cities and outside major cities, compared to only 23% of rural employers.

Recruitment has been proving more difficult for rural employers (53% say it is very difficult) than the ones in major cities or outside major cities. A key factor cited is low/uncompetitive wages offered by employers in rural areas.

There are some differences in the importance allocated to soft skills by location: Only 7% of rural employers mentioned communication skills while, for the employers located in major cities or outside them, an employee’s communication skills are very important (26% and 24%).

Employers located in rural areas are also less concerned about investing in upskilling employees and then losing them to other organizations than their more urban counterparts.

View by Location.

Regional

Agreement among employers surveyed that a skills gap exists between the skills the organization needs and the skills that jobseekers possess is strongest in Ontario and lowest in Quebec: 41% Ontario, 35% Prairies, 34% BC, 28% Atlantic and 20% Quebec.

Conversely, targeted efforts to recruit among underrepresented groups is highest among employers in Quebec and lowest in Ontario: Quebec 27%, BC 20%, Prairies 17%, Atlantic and Ontario 14%.

Among the top challenges facing businesses, finding young employees was a concern for three out of four Quebec employers but fewer than half of employers on the Prairies: Quebec 75%, Ontario 72%, BC  67%, Atlantic 57% and Prairies 44%.

There was very strong agreement with the statement “Employers have a responsibility to provide career management programs for their employees” in Ontario and lowest agreement in Quebec: Ontario 48%, Prairies 40%, BC 25%, Atlantic 23% and Quebec 15%.

Awareness of CDPs was similarly low across all regions of the country. In Atlantic, BC and Quebec, 17% of employers indicated both knowing of and having worked with CDPs, with that number being 11% in the Prairies and 10% in Ontario.

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2022

North America career development organizations launch global Career Month campaign

Regional North American career development organizations CERIC (Canada), the Canadian Career Development Foundation (Canada) and the National Career Development Association (United States) are launching a Global Career Month social media campaign today called Career Development Changes Everything that runs throughout November 2022.  

Career Development Changes Everything is a hashtag campaign that invites everyone in the career development field and the public to post stories that amplify the value of career development.  Participants are asked to share their stories in video or written format on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram and using the hashtag #Amplifier2022.

Global Careers Month – North America : NCDA, CERIC, CCDF from Canada Career Month on Vimeo.

Participants looking to be an Amplifier for the Global Career Month celebration in North America can get started by making use of the prompts provided on the Career Development Changes Everything campaign website.

Social media posts that use the hashtag #Amplifier2022 will be entered into a giveaway with gifts from the Canadian Career Development Foundation, CERIC and the National Career Development Association.

Global Careers Month is a  collaboration with the Inter-Agency Working Group on Career Guidance (IAG WGCG), composed of Cedefop, the European Commission, ETF, ILO, OECD, UNESCO and World Bank during which the European and international organizations will promote a series of global and regional events.

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2022

Bursaries and scholarships awarded to attend Cannexus23 conference

A total of 41 career development professionals from Canada and across the Asia-Pacific will be attending the virtual edition of the Cannexus23 conference, courtesy of bursaries and scholarships administered by CERIC. The Marilyn Van Norman Bursary has been provided to 13 practitioners from community-based employment agencies, the Young Professionals Bursary granted to 13 early career professionals and the APCDA Cannexus Scholarship awarded to 15 career development practitioners from non-high-income countries.

Funded by The Counselling Foundation of Canada, the Marilyn Van Norman Bursary is given in the name of CERIC’s former Director of Research Initiatives and recognizes her more than 40 years of leadership in career development. Recipients of the Marilyn Van Norman Bursary this year represent the country from coast to coast to coast, including British Columbia, Northwest Territories and New Brunswick. Bursary winners are non-profit community-based career development and employment practitioners who work at military family resource centres, food banks, immigrant centres, mental health groups and associations for community living.

The Young Professionals Bursary is a partnership between CERIC and the Nova Scotia Career Development Association (NSCDA) designed to support emerging employment and career development practitioners. Bursaries are awarded to ensure the diverse voices of the new generation of employment and career practitioners are represented and that young professionals can benefit from the professional development and networking at the conference. Preference is given to applicants from equity-seeking groups. The young professionals – 30 years of age or younger – who are among the winners this year include those from Ontario, Quebec and Alberta. Many winners cited having started their roles during the pandemic and being eager to connect with colleagues. They also want to further develop their skills in order to better support their clients and make a lasting impact on their communities.

CERIC is partnering for the first time with the Asia Pacific Career Development Association to offer scholarships to APCDA members to attend the Cannexus23 conference. The scholarships are sponsored by the Marine Institute of Memorial University. Recipients are from Lebanon, the Philippines, Nepal, Vietnam, India and South Africa. They work for universities, departments of education and in high school guidance counselling. Many plan to use the information they gain at Cannexus to train counsellors and teachers in their home countries and to improve career education for students. The participation of APCDA members is expected to also enrich the conference experience for all attendees who can learn from their Asia Pacific counterparts.

Each bursary or scholarship provides a full registration for the virtual portion of the Cannexus conference. The Cannexus conference takes place January 23-25, 2023 both virtually and in Ottawa. Canada’s largest bilingual conference of its kind, Cannexus23 features 150+ sessions exploring innovative approaches in career and workforce development.

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2022

Canada’s leading organization advancing career development seeks a new Executive Director

CERIC is looking for a leader who has experience and knowledge of the national career counselling and career development field and offers a demonstrated ability to focus on equity, inclusion and diversity. Ideally, the individual chosen for this important role will have an excellent network of contacts throughout the sector and a sound understanding of the education and research environment within the post-secondary, secondary and/or greater community.

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Text: Fall 2022: Recovery, Reflection, Resilience. Bright pink background with geometric shapes + image of Careering magazine cover.2022

‘Recovery, Reflection, Resilience’: Fall 2022 issue of Careering magazine now available

CERIC’s Fall 2022 Careering theme of “Recovery, Reflection, Resilience” aims to hold space for the complex reality we find ourselves in after two-plus years of COVID-19. It recognizes that we’re recreating normal as we go – and it may not be what we had imagined. We asked contributors to consider, how can the career development field navigate what’s happening now and prepare for what’s to come?

Articles include:

Careering magazine is Canada’s Magazine for Career Development Professionals and is the official publication of CERIC. You can also access past issues for free online.  

Details for the Winter 2023 issue of Careering will be released soon. Check back on ceric.ca/careering-magazine or sign up for CERIC’s free CareerWise Weekly newsletter or subscribe to Careering to get the latest updates.

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2022

Graduate students win award to attend the Cannexus23 conference

CERIC has announced the recipients of this year’s Graduate Student Award, providing support for four graduate students to the attend the Cannexus23 Canada’s Career Development Conference, January 23-25, 2023. 

The recipients are: 

  • Hannah Celinski, PhD candidate, Education, Simon Fraser University
  • Omotade Owodunni, PhD candidate, Business, Royal Roads University
  • Viviane Poirier, MA candidate, Education, Université du Québec à Montréal
  • Mouhamadou Moustapha Sow, PhD candidate, Education, Université de Sherbrooke 

The award, presented annually to select full-time graduate students studying career counselling or career development, provides free registration to the virtual edition of Cannexus and $1,000. The Cannexus conference – which in 2023 is happening both virtually and in-person in Ottawa, Canada – promotes the exchange of information and explores innovative approaches in the areas of career counselling and career development. Student posters will be available for viewing during the virtual conference.   

Eligibility for the award is based on participation in CERIC’s Graduate Student Engagement Program (GSEP), which includes the submission of a one-page article on a career development topicRead the award-winning articles and all the thought-provoking submissions on CERIC’s GSEP Corner. 

GSEP encourages engagement of Canada’s full-time graduate students (Master or PhD level) whose academic research is in career development or a related field. The program will re-open to applications in 2023. Please check back again for updates!

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