As part of the third collaborative edition between CERIC and the National Career Development Association (NCDA), the Spring-Summer 2020 issue of Careering magazine highlights “Rural Workforce Development.”
You will find articles from both sides of the border exploring creative solutions to labour shortages, the challenges of unequal broadband access, how to ensure the viability of the agriculture industry, trends in rural workforce development and much more. Several articles also analyze the impacts of COVID-19.
Articles in this issue:
…and much more, including:
Careering is Canada’s Magazine for Career Development Professionals and is the official publication of CERIC. It is published three times a year both in print and as an emagazine, including select content in French. Subscribe to receive your free copy. You can also access past issues for free online.
The Fall 2020 issue of Careering will be on the theme of “Career Superpowers.” Please send a brief description of your idea to Editor Lindsay Purchase, lindsay@ceric.ca, no later than June 30. Article deadlines will be set for this summer in conjunction with writers.
CERIC’s Career Development in Children: Identifying Critical Success Conditions and Strategies project has been awarded to an international team of academic researchers led by Dr Lorraine Godden, Ironwood Consulting and Carleton University; Nicki Moore, University of Derby, and Dr Heather Nesbitt and Dr Stefan Merchant, Queen’s University. This project will examine how foundational concepts and skills that are introduced and developed by classroom teachers connect to career-related learning in Canadian elementary schools.
The project stems from a Request for Proposals that CERIC released last fall to identify the foundational elements that students in grades 4-6 need to thrive in all phases of life and career planning. It is clear that introducing career concepts within the early years, whether formally through designed programs or informally through play-based learning, can have a long lasting and impactful presence. But in the absence of the formal infusion of career into curricula, what options are available within the education structure to ensure that children can sustainably develop the tools they will need to navigate a world of work we cannot yet imagine?
The starting point for the research is that teachers are the linchpin, engaging with students at every age and stage. Teachers guide various learning and play activities that foster foundational skills (eg, healthy habits, social and emotional skills, self-confidence, empathy, team work, critical thinking, self-awareness, emotional regulation) but these are not usually undertaken from a career development perspective. Yet, in later grades, both teacher and student are expected to connect the dots to help students make sound educational, career and life-planning choices.
CERIC’s interest in this project is three-fold:
Researchers will gather data from educators, parents and grade 4-6 students in public school settings across Canada. Diverse perspectives (including Indigenous communities, immigrant communities, francophone communities, special needs educators, and urban, rural and remote communities) will be included to deepen understanding of individual and collective beliefs, perceptions and interpretations concerning career-related education.
This project builds on earlier CERIC-supported research from Memorial University that investigated the career development process of children, aged 3 to 8 (pre-K to grade 3). It produced two guides – one for Educators and one for Parents – to empower them to support young children during this critical period of play, fun and fantasy.
It is undeniable that the COVID-19 pandemic has had unprecedented health and economic impacts. Simultaneously, the world is facing new realities in the labour market. CERIC’s latest literature search, Career Development During COVID-19 and Beyond, explores challenges that career professionals and their clients face and how to cope with uncertainty during these difficult times.
This new literature search marks CERIC’s 60th, with others focused on Career Counselling Competencies, Ethical Issues in Career Development, Future of Work, Job Satisfaction and Career Development, Economic Benefits of Career Guidance, Generational Conflict in the Workplace, Mental Health Issues in the Workplace, and more.
Featuring comprehensive listings of key research and articles in career development, literature searches highlight critical points of current knowledge. As a student, academic or practitioner in the field, literature searches are helpful if you are researching the latest thinking or proven best practices. They are also valuable if you are considering a submission to CERIC for project partnership funding in order to gain an overview of major work already done in your area of interest.
CERIC is seeking input on the actual and anticipated impact of COVID-19 on career services across Canada as we move into a recovery period. Professionals in the field are asked to take a moment to complete this 4-minute CERIC Career and Employment Services Recovery Pulse Survey by Friday, June 12, 2020.
The last few months have brought unprecedented change to every aspect of our economy and society – and career services is no exception. We want to know the implications of this new reality for career service professionals.
This survey is intended to gather vital intelligence around shifting conditions and provide a snapshot of the emergent state of the career development field in Canada and, importantly, how career services are being re-imagined.
Results will be shared with the broad career development community and other stakeholders. Survey participants will be helping to tell the story of the public good that career and employment professionals offer in this period of massive workforce upheaval.
Recognizing that the ground continues to shift, we plan to repeat this pulse survey again at the end of the summer and during the fall to track changes over time.
CERIC is offering two new free webinars in June to support career professionals and their clients.
Navigating Computing Career Pathways in 2020: What Advisors Need to Know, presented by with Janet Miller, Randy Connolly & Faith-Michael Uzoka | Wednesday, June 17, 2020, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET
Responding to a strong demand for computing graduates in Canada and a changing technology landscape, Randy Connolly, Janet Miller and Faith-Michael Uzoka of Mount Royal University, have released the second edition of the CERIC guide Computing Careers & Disciplines: A Quick Guide for Prospective Students and Career Advisors. This 2nd edition is developed to meet an evolving need among career advisors who support students interested in technology at both the secondary and post-secondary levels. It aims to address the questions of why student should consider computing when choosing a career, and what kind of education and career pathways they can expect when they do.
Prof Randy Connolly has been teaching at Mount Royal University since 1997 and holds the rank of Full Professor (Computing). He is the author of three textbooks, the most recent of which is used by thousands of students at over 100 universities worldwide. Dr Janet Miller is a counselling psychologist with expertise in mental health, leadership, and post-secondary student success. Dr Faith-Michael Uzoka has taught Computer Science and Information Systems at various universities since 1992. He is a Full Professor (Computing) and Research Development Officer at Mount Royal University.
Job Search and Career Exploration During COVID-19 Recovery: Providing Guidance to Newcomers, presented by Yilmaz E. Dinc | Thursday, June 18, 2020, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET
Building on recent data and insights on the impact of the pandemic on the labour market, and adopting a newcomer inclusion lens, this free webinar will address how career development professionals can provide evidence-based guidance and tips to newcomers on effectively searching for jobs and pursuing career development and advancement opportunities. These insights and practical strategies will help career professionals to support newcomers in their career journeys during a time of economic uncertainty.
Dr Yilmaz E. Dinc is the Research and Evaluation Manager at TRIEC. He specializes in research and cross-country project management with a focus on immigration and international development, including workforce participation of underrepresented groups and immigrant inclusion.
“Design thinking is an innovation methodology – a series of steps for generating options, testing strategies, and getting feedback.” (Fast Company). In CERIC’s new literature search, Design Thinking for Career Development, we explore important research and practices on how career professionals can apply design thinking to better support their clients.
Topics covered in the literature search include:
There are now 59 literature searches available, including Career Counselling Competencies, Ethical Issues in Career Development, Future of Work, Job Satisfaction and Career Development, Economic Benefits of Career Guidance, Generational Conflict in the Workplace, Mental Health Issues in the Workplace, and more.
Featuring comprehensive listings of key research and articles in career development, literature searches highlight critical points of current knowledge. As a student, academic or practitioner in the field, literature searches are helpful if you are researching the latest thinking or proven best practices. They are also valuable if you are considering a submission to CERIC for project partnership funding in order to gain an overview of major work already done in your area of interest.
The need to effectively bridge the gap between the classroom and the world of work has ignited interest in experiential learning. CERIC is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) to invite interested resource developers to submit a detailed proposal on the linkages between experiential learning and career development. In particular, CERIC’s interest in this project is to develop an easily accessible resource that supports building reflective practice for career development into an experiential learning program for anyone currently delivering or considering delivering such a program.
There is growing optimism that experiential opportunities will introduce learners to the notions of work and the workplace, and in turn expose them to a variety of skills development opportunities. Yet, with a recent proliferation of experiential learning opportunities available at all levels of education as well as outside formal education, it is not clear how programs are connecting experiences to career management skills, specifically combining direct experience with focused reflection. Understanding what elements of reflective practice are beneficial to career development success may be valuable to learner, education at all levels, employers and community alike.
The purpose of this national initiative is to:
Deadlines for this RFP are as follows:
To learn more about the Scope of Work, Target Audience, Deliverables, Budget and Duration, and Eligibility Requirements, please download the RFP. For any inquiries, please contact CERIC Executive Director Riz Ibrahim at riz@ceric.ca.
Current times come with a lot of uncertainty, including for many students who might feel unclear on when and how they will return to their educational paths. CERIC is offering two upcoming free webinars on May 13 and May 15 with expert presenters who will explore what options students have and how career practitioners can support them.
Going Remote with Experiential Learning and Work-Integrated Learning: A Practical Outcome-Based Approach, presented by Lorraine Godden & Carolyn Hoessler | Wednesday, May 13, 2020, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET
What is work-integrated learning (WIL) when workplaces are remote? What is front-line experience when locations are essential staff only? How to host a placement student in these times? These are the questions we are facing. This practical session is about getting to “this is a possible option” by identifying priority outcomes, the design options that remain, and assessment/feedback and activities that could align.
Lorraine Godden of Carleton University specializes in understanding how career and life planning, work-integrated-learning, and other educational multidisciplinary and public policies are interpreted and enacted into educational programming and public policy interventions. Carolyn Hoessler specializes in designing relevant experiences, assessments and evaluation, and untangling key influencing factors to inform clear paths forward. As founder of Higher Education & Beyond, she works with teams (re)designing learning in higher education and professional development locally and nationally.
Gap Years as an Answer to Educational Disruption: Tools and Ideas for Professionals and Parents, presented by Michelle Dittmer | Friday, May 15, 2020, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET
Gap years have always been a tool for promoting mental health, closing financial barriers to post-secondary, and providing clarity for life’s next steps. Whether you are a parent or a career practitioner working with students, in this webinar you will equip yourself with up-to-date data, ideas and tools for supporting your clients and families through deciding if a gap year is the right fit, its benefits and disadvantages in current times.
Michelle Dittmer, founder of the Canadian Gap Year Association, is an educator and youth advocate. She has taught elementary through college, developed international service learning programs, nurtured educational partnerships, and developed youth policy. She founded the Canadian Gap Year Association to raise the profile of the gap year as a solution to mental health, lack of clarity and the skills gap.
An initial report prepared by the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC) as part of a CERIC-supported research project – which aims to clarify when, where and how youth initiate and craft their career aspirations – is now available. The report, “The role of career education on students’ education choices and postsecondary outcomes: Theoretical and evidence base preparation” consists of an extensive literature review drawn heavily from a previously unpublished report funded by Employment and Social Development Canada. SRDC has updated the earlier work to inform the analysis it is undertaking as part of the CERIC research project, an empirical exploration of the long-term effects of career education interventions involving 7,000 Canadian youth in three provinces.
To ensure the construction of the most appropriate analytical models reflecting the latest evidence on successful career development strategies for youth, SRDC has examined the existing literature to consider (a) the stages of youth decision making and the key influences at each stage, (b) the role of career education in supporting post-secondary decisions, and (c) the kinds of career education resources available, taking into account the strengths and weaknesses of these sources.
The report has four parts:
The impetus for the project is that while Canada is an international leader on many indicators of K-12 education performance (OECD, 2019) and has among the highest rates of post-secondary education (PSE) attainment of all OECD countries, it still has a significant proportion of youth who leave the formal education system ill-equipped for their transition to the world of work. Transition “derailment” can take many forms from students leaving high school before graduating to PSE graduates who struggle to demonstrate the skills required by employers.
The project explores the key reason behind this: that Canadian students typically exit education with insufficient career education and first-hand experience of the labour market. If students leave high school without a basic idea of who they want to become and are under- or mis-informed about the relevant opportunities open to them, they will not plan appropriately and find themselves making poor choices. The chances of ending up in precarious employment or unemployment can increase. The situation can become chronic if they cycle through periods of work, poorly focused re-training and unemployment.
To tackle such problems, educators as well as policy and program decision-makers are likely to want to develop measures to target youth at different stages of their educational and early labour market careers. Well-designed supports to career decision making would ideally be delivered in ways that help youth grow into discerning consumers of education, who know when and how they should invest in their futures for optimal impact on their later lives. Such refinement and customization of career education need to be founded on the best evidence concerning how such interventions fit into youth’s decision making, which is where this project is intended to make a contribution.
This project will utilize new data to examine how the piloted early career education interventions in SRDC’s BC Advancement Via Individual Determination (BC AVID) and Future to Discover (FTD) programs affect the evolution of high school students’ career decision making. This project makes use of two rich longitudinal data sources created through the linkage of education records to surveys of youth and parents to examine the career expectations and decisions of students for five years since Grade 10.
From the literature review, SRDC researchers conclude that the research on youth career decision making is still in its infancy. There is limited evidence on the effects of youth career education on the long-term evolution of their career decisions. Also missing from the evidence is how career education helps especially vulnerable youth facing multiple barriers in their transition to the labour market.
The report summarizes the implications of this review for the project:
SRDC is a non-profit research organization, created specifically to develop, field test and rigorously evaluate new programs. SRDC’s two-part mission is to help policymakers and practitioners identify policies and programs that improve the well-being of all Canadians.
The final report is expected to be ready in the coming months.
