Big changes on the way for ContactPoint

The way we find and interact with information online is changing. CERIC is committed to continuing to offer content for career professional communities but is evolving its digital platforms to meet learning needs with a modern and engaging approach, in time for Canada Career Month.

An exciting new CareerWise website – that builds on the popularity of our weekly CareerWise content curation newsletter – will launch on November 27 and will replace ContactPoint, a web pioneer since 1997.

The CareerWise site (“Your source for career development news and views”) will offer:

  • A curated selection of relevant and thought-provoking articles on education, skills, counselling, employment and the workforce from a variety of publications
  • Original perspectives and timely analysis from recognized experts and community voices, as well as round-ups of popular resources and events
  • An innovative and contemporary web design where users can easily access and digest the information and insights to apply to their work

A new web destination, CareerWise will support career development professionals to stay current and connected, and reflects CERIC’s priorities to advance knowledge and skills, build community and enhance the profile of the field.

ContactPoint’s French-language sister site, OrientAction is also being thoroughly reimagined to align with the new CareerWise platform but will retain its OrientAction name.

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Free webinar to help non-profits retain their staff and develop their careers

Learn what’s driving the Future of Work and the value of incorporating new career tools into how you address staffing challenges in the non-profit sector in a free webinar. Presented by workforce expert Lisa Taylor, No Time? No Budget? No Problem! Retain and Gain: Career Management for Non-Profits and Charities takes place on Monday, November 12

Drawing from CERIC’s recently published Retain and Gain Playbook, the webinar will feature new Canadian sector-specific research, resources and recommendations to help non-profits and charities to attract, engage, develop and retain employees.

What you will learn from this webinar:

  • Identify why leaders in non-profits and charities need to take an active role in shaping the Future of Work
  • Learn how career management can future-proof your relationships with employees
  • Debunk common myths about workforce trends and the perceived risks of starting career-focused activities in small organizations
  • Experience a few of the more than 40 activities outlined in the Playbook, which has a creative and engaging “travelgGuide” format

Taylor is founder and President of Challenge Factory and the Centre for Career Innovation. Her workforce and workplace perspectives have been featured in media outlets across North America including the Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, CBC and The Globe and Mail. She regularly speaks on the Future of Work, the intergenerational workforce and the changing nature of careers in today’s economy.

Learn more about this webinar and register today.

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2018

CERIC on the road this fall to introduce its programs, build local networks

CERIC will be travelling to locations across Canada starting this month for a series of free networking breakfast meetings. Attendees will be introduced to CERIC’s programs and services and connect with like-minded professional peers.

Roadshows are inclusive events, designed to allow conversations between all who have a stake in career development, including career practitioners, educators, employers, community agencies and government. The goal of the roadshows is to:

  • Discover new research, education and resources from CERIC that will provide insights to support and enhance your work;
  • Participate in a two-way dialogue around what career development needs/gaps exist and how CERIC can help in addressing these; and
  • Build your network of local individuals and organizations that are engaged in different facets of career development.

The following dates have been confirmed for the fall roadshow series:

  • St John’s, NL – Wednesday, October 24 (with Memorial University)
  • Oshawa, ON – Thursday, November 1 (with Durham Workforce Authority)
  • Vancouver, BC – Wednesday, November 7 (with Vancity Credit Union)
  • London, ON – Tuesday, November 13 (with Elgin, Middlesex, Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board)

CERIC wishes to thank the many local partners who are collaborating with us to host roadshows and share information with their members and networks.

If you are located in one of these cities and would like to attend a roadshow, or would like to partner with CERIC to host a future roadshow in your community, please contact Sharon Ferriss at sharon@ceric.ca.

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The Fall issue of Careering focuses on how to navigate mental health and disability

With one-third of Canadians experiencing a mental illness in their lifetime (Public Health Agency of Canada) and 3.6 million Canadians projected to be living with a physical disability by 2030 (Conference Board of Canada), professionals working in career development have an important role to play. In this Fall 2018 issue of CERIC’s Careering magazine, you will find thought-provoking articles on themes including resilience, shifting perspectives and support networks when advising students or clients living with disabilities or mental illness.

Articles in this issue:

Plus …

… and don’t miss these Online Exclusives:

Careering magazine 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 theme for the next issue of Careering magazine (Winter 2019) will be “STEM,” examining how to boost access to these fields for girls and marginalized youth, as well as tips and resources to help career practitioners counsel clients in these areas. If you are interested in submitting an article, please send a brief outline of your proposed topic. Please review our submission guidelines and send your article pitch to: lindsay@ceric.ca by October 22, 2018.

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New CERIC literature search focuses on youth employment

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” It is one of those questions that has been asked countless times since we were little. In today’s rapidly changing labour market, early career preparation and work-based learning experiences are essential in readying youth to enter the future world of work. CERIC’s latest literature search Youth and Career Development examines opportunities and barriers to youth employment and what it means to career practitioners.

Topics covered in the literature search include:

  • Career engagement in early years, high school and post-secondary
  • Navigating school-to-work transitions
  • Accessibility and accountability of youth career counselling services in Canada
  • Developing career competencies in NEET and barriered youth
  • Youth entrepreneurship and career success
  • Role of government, business and schools in supporting youth

There are 49 literature searches available, including Career Development Theory and Career Management Models, Economic Benefits of Career Guidance, Parental Involvement in Career Development, Labour Market Trends, 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.

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Learn digital marketing techniques to build your career brand in new webinar series

CERIC is partnering with the US-based National Career Development Association (NCDA) to offer a 3-part webinar series – Building a Digital Brand: How to Apply Digital Marketing Techniques to Your Personal Brand and Boost Credibility in Your Career with Ryan Rhoten starting November 21, 2018.

Today, potential clients and hiring managers carry your reputation with them in their back pockets. In our ever-increasing digital world, your online presence leaves a perception of who you are and how you add value. If not managed, your online profile can quite literally, cost you opportunities.

During this webinar series, you will learn how to craft your digital brand by building a brand message that resonates, focusing your message online, and finally, connecting with your audience the right way.

  • Webinar #1: Build Your Brand Message Wednesday, November 21, 2018 | 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET
  • Webinar #2: Focus Your Message Online Wednesday, November 28, 2018 | 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET
  • Webinar #3: Connect with Your Audience Wednesday, December 5, 2018 | 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET

Ryan Rhoten is the author of the book CareerKred, Four Simple Steps to Build Your Digital Brand and Boost Credibility in Your Career. He also hosts the popular podcasts, The BRAND New You Show and CareerTech where he explores how to leverage technology to build a Kredible Brand ™ that brings opportunities to you. Rhoten’s standing room-only session at the 2018 NCDA National Career Development Conference was one of the top-rated on the program.

The cost for the full series is $159. A discount is available for NCDA members.

CERIC partners with associations and organizations across Canada and beyond to present webinars that offer timely, convenient and affordable professional development. Previously, CERIC has worked with the New Brunswick Career Development AssociationCareer Development Association of AlbertaOntario Association for Career ManagementBC Career Development Association, Canadian Association of Career Educators & Employers, and Nova Scotia Career Development Association.

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CERIC launches Retain and Gain Playbook to grow careers in Canada’s non-profit sector

CERIC has published a new edition of its popular Retain and Gain Playbook that addresses the challenges faced by charities and non-profits in attracting, retaining and engaging staff. The bilingual publication enhances capacity building across the non-profit sector, which employs close to two million Canadians.

Written in an innovative “travel guide” format, the Retain and Gain: Career Management for Non-Profits and Charities Playbook is intended for executive directors and people managers to use as a practical career management tool with their employees. It applies to small grassroots non-profits as well as larger federated charities.

Workforce expert Lisa Taylor, President of Challenge Factory, authored the Playbook. In her research she found the following issues keep non-profit leaders awake at night:

  • 88% feel unprepared or unable to provide career development opportunities for employees
  • 63% worried about attracting talent
  • 50% are concerned about compensating and rewarding staff

The Playbook features strategies to engage staff in ways that advance, develop and support thriving careers within the sector. The concise publication includes:

  • 40+ practical, low-cost tips, activities and actions that can be implemented in as little as 10-minutes a day (worksheets and additional references included)
  • Several special sections exploring human resource issues of interest to non-profits, including precarious employment and gender-based career patterns
  • Research, facts and statistics that shed new light on Canada’s non-profit and charitable sector

“Non-profits and charities are challenged to attract, engage and retain scarce talent while being efficient with resources. This Playbook is filled with practical, high-value ideas and resources that enable mission-driven organizations to deliver meaningful career development experiences for their people and help them to grow, and not go.”
– John Nicholson, Vice-President, Talent and Culture, Plan International Canada

The first edition of the Playbook focused on small business and was released in early 2017. There was immediate interest from the non-profit sector to have a Playbook of its own that addressed the unique environment in which non-profits operate. At the same time, many non-profits and charities meet the criteria of being a small business with the same limited time, resources and opportunities for “traditional” linear career advancement.

The project has the support of multiple “Knowledge Champions,” including The Counselling Foundation of Canada, The Lawson Foundation, The Muttart Foundation, Imagine Canada and the Ontario Nonprofit Network.

The Playbook is available in both English and French and can be downloaded for free at ceric.ca/nonprofit now. It will also be available for sale via Amazon.ca and Chapters.Indigo.ca in print ($15.95) or ebook ($6.50) formats.

Lisa Taylor will present a free one-hour webinar on Monday, November 12, 2018 to share the career management strategies outlined in the Playbook. Watch ceric.ca/webinars for further details to be posted.

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2018

Cannexus19 preliminary programme now available online

The preliminary programme for the Cannexus19 National Career Development Conference is now available online. Canada’s largest bilingual career development conference, Cannexus19 takes place January 28-30, 2019 in Ottawa and is expected to bring together 1,000 professionals in the field.

There are more than 130 concurrent education sessions in the programme, exploring innovative approaches in career counselling and career development. Just a few of the highlights include:

  • Engaging the Online Generation by Gamifying Career Development
  • Our Career Practitioner Role in Mental Health Interventions
  • Indigenous Engagement & Economic Inclusion
  • When Career Development Meets Curriculum
  • Work-Integrated Learning: Exploring Challenges & Solutions
  • Innovative Approaches to Supporting Newcomer Jobseekers
  • Labour Market Trends and Employer Expectations

Cannexus also features three prominent keynote speakers, Mega sessions led by well-known thought leaders, Ted Talks-inspired Spark! talks, an Exhibitor Showcase, and multiple networking opportunities. Plus, delegates can extend their conference learning with optional pre-conference workshops.

Save on Cannexus by registering by the November 7, 2018 Early Bird deadline. You can also take advantage of an additional 10% savings if you are a member of one of our supporting organizations. Special rates are also available for students, groups and 1-day registrations.

Cannexus is presented by CERIC and supported by The Counselling Foundation of Canada and a broad network of supporting organizations and sponsors.

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New issue of CJCD: Skills for the 21st century, peer mentoring and more

The newest edition of Canadian Journal of Career Development (CJCD) has just been published, featuring a range of topics from mentorship as a career intervention to the use of technology in career services to international students in the workforce.

Articles include:

Canadian Journal of Career Development is a partnership project between CERIC and Memorial University of Newfoundland with the support of The Counselling Foundation of Canada. It is Canada’s only peer-reviewed publication of multi-sectoral career-related academic research and best practices from this country and around the world.

CJCD is published twice a year, once in digital format in the fall and then in both print and digital formats in the winter. It is free to subscribe to the digital editions and all issues of the journal dating back to 2002 are available to access online.

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Popular Spark! talks return with 4 inspiring presenters at Cannexus19

Featuring TED-style talks that “spark” us to think differently about our careers, CERIC is pleased to announce the Spark! presenters for the 2019 Cannexus National Career Development Conference:

  • Hannah Alper, Blogger, Activist, Author – Issue + Gift = Change
  • Hamoon Ekhtiari, Founder & CEO, Audacious Futures – Building the Google Maps for the Future of Work & Learning
  • Sekou Kaba, Olympian & Motivational Speaker – Say Yes to Hardships
  • Caitlin Tolley, Algonquin from Kitigan-Zibi & Ontario Lawyer Licensing Candidate – Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow

Canada’s largest bilingual career conference, Cannexus is expected to welcome 1,000 professionals from education, community, government and private sectors to explore innovative approaches in career counselling and development. The conference takes place January 28-30, 2019 in Ottawa.

There will be more than 130 education sessions to choose from and multiple networking opportunities. Delegates can also extend their conference learning by attending skill-building pre-conference workshops in addition to world-class keynotes, Mega sessions featuring well-known thought leaders, and an Exhibitor Showcase. Watch for the full preliminary programme to be posted by late September.

A variety of registrations packages are available at very competitive rates. Take advantage of the Early Bird rate by registering by November 7 for only $500. Special discounts are available for members of supporting organizations, students and groups of five or more.

The conference is presented by CERIC and supported by The Counselling Foundation of Canada and a broad network of supporting organizations.

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