2022

Project to map Canada’s career services landscape awarded to Challenge Factory and CCDF

September 6, 2022By

CERIC has selected Challenge Factory in partnership with the Canadian Career Development Foundation (CCDF) to take on a project that will scope out who is providing career services where across Canada, producing insights that can influence the future of the field. This project will demonstrate the breadth and depth of support that Canadians receive from this sometimes-hidden sector as we all navigate a changing labour market. The career development sector can be critical leaders over the next 10 years, shaping the future of work, employment, education, purpose and community. 

Canada currently lacks basic comprehensive data on the overall size, scope and composition of its career development sector. Having this valid and credible information is necessary to inform the field itself as well as policymakers – and Canadians broadly – as to the makeup of this varied group of professionals. Scoping the career development landscape will increase the core intelligence available to the sector to address a range of work related to determining the socio-economic impact of career development, understanding career professionals’ learning needs, and advocating for public awareness and recognition of the value of career development. 

Challenge Factory and CCDF bring deep expertise in research and the Canadian career development sector to this Scoping the Canadian Career Development Landscape project. Challenge Factory is a workforce development research agency and consultancy that helps purpose-driven organizations and communities shape the future of work, bringing transformative change to their people and workplaces. CCDF is a non-profit centre of excellence and innovation committed to ensuring every Canadian can be successful in their learning, work and career transitions, and to that end, conducts rigorous research to strengthen the evidence base.  

This project emerged from a Request for Proposal (RFP) that CERIC issued earlier in the year to undertake first-of-its-kind market research about the field. The purpose is to make the field more visible by answering fundamental questions around how many professionals are practising career development in some form in the country. As part of gaining a full picture of the career development landscape, the project will also seek to identify select high-level outcome measures that flow from the delivery of career services. Additionally, the research will consider the state of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigeneity (EDII) among career professionals in Canada and whether those providing career development services reflect learners and clients they serve.  

To date, research about the landscape of career development in Canada has been patchwork in nature and not produced reliable baseline date. This new mapping effort will create an up-to-date snapshot of the field by consolidating and leveraging information sources that already exist, then filling in the gaps using targeted primary data collection. Stakeholder engagement and collaboration throughout the project is planned to ensure incorporation of a diversity of sector-wide perspectives, knowledge and expertise.  

A key output of this project will be the development and testing of a “Scoping Model” that will provide a foundational evidence base about the structure of the pan-Canadian field. It will include insights and recommendations that will be of use to professional associations, educational institutions and employers who provide leadership and support to the field, and government policymakers who work on related policies, programs and funding. 

The findings of the project will be known by the beginning of 2024.

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2022

Survey reveals learning preferences of Canada’s career development professionals

July 28, 2022By

As career professionals juggle full workloads and pandemic-related challenges, a majority say cost and time are major factors driving their decisions about what type of professional development they engage in.  

This was among the results of CERIC’s 2022 Content & Learning Survey of Career Development Professionals*, which surveyed 644 people working in the career development field about their learning needs, preferences and behaviours in May 2022.  

The survey found 44% of career development professionals (CDPs) spend between 1 and 3 hours monthly on formal and informal professional development. Nearly one-third (28%) of respondents have less than $500 to spend on professional development annually (including money provided by their employer as well as personal spending), while 19% have no budget for learning.  

While the lifting of pandemic restrictions has enabled people to gather in person more easily, career professionals aren’t ready to walk away from the accessibility of online learning. The survey results show over half of CDPs plan to maintain their level of participation in virtual conferences, workshops and webinars. However, 46% plan to increase their attendance at in-person conferences over the next two years, suggesting that offering learning in a variety of formats will be key to meeting learner needs.  

Among the other findings: 

  • 51% of respondents say they would be most likely to use Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) as a source of learning, compared with micro-credentials (37%) and paid, formal courses (13%) 
  • 22% use online learning platforms such as LinkedIn Learning, Udemy and Coursera most frequently as a source of learning 
  • The top 3 issues, topics or themes CDPs want to learn about to support their work are: labour market information, counselling/coaching practices and mental health. Many also identified topics connected to equity, diversity and inclusion.  

Visit the Content & Learning Survey page for a PowerPoint with detailed results on professional development and respondent demographics, as well as an infographic highlighting key results.   

*The 2022 Content & Learning Survey of Career Development Professionals was open online from May 11-25, 2022. 

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2022

Experience the Cannexus23 conference your way with registration now open

July 20, 2022By

The 2023 Cannexus Career Development Conference – to be held as a hybrid event for the first time – is now open for registration. This dual format for the 17th annual conference will offer the best of both worlds, providing an accessible, content-rich and value-packed opportunity for Canada’s career development communities to convene, share and learn. Canada’s largest bilingual career development conference, Cannexus23 will take place Jan. 23-25, 2023, both virtually and in Ottawa, Canada. 

Cannexus brings together professionals across the career and workforce development ecosystem to explore research, policy and practice. The conference will examine the big-picture impact of career development on education, the economy and social justice as well as offer skills-building content. Participants will share innovative approaches and exchange information with peers. In the past, in-person Cannexus conferences have drawn more than 1,200 delegates and virtual conferences more than 2,300 attendees.   

The Cannexus schedule for both the in-person and virtual portions is available with the full program to be posted by the end of September. Programming will cover current and emerging hot topics in career development, including: the future of work and workplaces, building mental health and resilience, and post-COVID labour market trends. Whether part of the in-person version or the virtual conference, delegates will be able to access:  

  • 150+ sessions both live and on-demand 
  • Presenters from across Canada and around the globe 
  • Networking opportunities 
  • Partners showcasing their products and services 
  • Recordings that are available for six months 

This instalment of Cannexus will again offer special Gratitude rates plus deep discounts for groups, students and members of supporting organizations. There are also bursaries available to support individuals in attending the virtual portion of the conference. The Marilyn Van Norman Bursary will be awarded to 13 applicants from community-based organizations. Additionally, the Young Professionals Bursary will support 12 emerging practitioners to attend, with preference given to those from equity-seeking groups. Application deadlines are September 30, 2022. For the first time this year, the Asia Pacific Career Development Association will also be offering scholarships to participate at Cannexus23. 

Cannexus is presented by CERIC and supported by The Counselling Foundation of Canada and a broad network of partners. For more information on the conference and to register by the Sept. 9 Gratitude deadline, visit cannexus.ceric.ca.  

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2022

New APCDA Scholarship supports practitioners, students to attend Cannexus conference

July 14, 2022By

CERIC is partnering for the first time with the Asia Pacific Career Development Association to offer scholarships to APCDA members to attend the virtual portion of the 2023 hybrid Cannexus conference. Announced during a keynote from CERIC Executive Director Riz Ibrahim at the APCDA/IAEVG 2022 international conference, the scholarships will allow 15 career development practitioners or students from non-high-income countries to participate. 

“Scholarships are such a wonderful way to spark surprising new developments in our field,” said Marilyn Maze, Executive Director of APCDA. “The energy of these enthusiastic winners added to the insights they gain from the experience helps to propel new career development activities in parts of the world that are in greatest need. APCDA is grateful for the scholarships CERIC has offered to Cannexus.” 

The APCDA Cannexus Scholarship includes free registration to the virtual conference – to be held January 23-25, 2023 both online and in-person in Ottawa, Canada – as well as access to 150 session recordings for up to six months. APCDA will accept the scholarship applications and determine the recipients.  

“This scholarship serves to further extend access to the world-class education and networking at Cannexus across the globe to current and aspiring professionals who might not otherwise be able to attend,” said Ibrahim. “The participation of more APCDA members will also enrich the conference experience for all attendees who can learn from their Asia Pacific counterparts.” 

Scholarships are available to: 

  1. Students earning a degree in counselling or related field, or students in a certification program in the career development field, or former students who graduated from such programs within the last five years 
  2. Career practitioners engaged in professional development 

Applicants must also meet these requirements: 

  1. Live in a “Not High-income Country*” 
  2. Plan to attend the entire conference 
  3. Your employer will not pay for you to attend 
  4. Can explain how this conference will help you to provide better career services in your home country 

The deadline for applications is October 1, 2022. 

Cannexus is Canada’s Career Development Conference. The largest conference of its kind in the country, Cannexus has attracted more than 1,200 participants in-person and 2,300 virtually. Cannexus23 will welcome career development professionals and related stakeholders from Canada and around the world to exchange information and explore innovative approaches in the areas of career and workforce development. 

* Examples of countries classified as High-income by the World Bank include Australia, Canada, Hong Kong SAR of China, Japan, Korea, Macao SAR of China, New Zealand, Singapore, United States and Taiwan. Residents of High-income countries are not eligible for this scholarship. 

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2021 printed on road going through forest2022

Resilience and Reimagining: CERIC releases 2021 Annual Report

July 4, 2022By

The 2021 CERIC Annual Report, with a theme of “Resilience and Reimagining,” reflects on a year that brought a sense of renewed hope that the colossal global disruptions caused by the pandemic were in some ways behind us. While it sometimes felt like we were taking two steps forward and one step back, it was the feeling that we were moving forward nonetheless that defined the year.

We started 2021 by hosting our first-ever virtual Cannexus conference, which drew an incredible response. As Board Chair André Raymond and Executive Director Riz Ibrahim outline in their Leadership Message, if there was any time that we could embrace the idea of a virtual community, this was it. The economic uncertainties that underpinned the year prior still remained and we continued to offer compelling rates to encourage more participation from groups and students. We also continued to leverage some of our new international partners to offer a set of globally focused sessions at the conference.

As we progressed through the year, there was a sense that the tide had turned and we could consider in-person events. In the end, our commitment to maintaining a high-calibre and broadly accessible conference led us to forego an in-person gathering in favour of planning a second virtual conference in 2022.

It was important to have a feeling of continuity amid these changes: we continued to develop a survey of Canadian businesses, offer webinars, publish books and fund projects. We translated one of our resources into multiple languages, reflecting an internationalization of interest in our work.

Internally, we started to define the organizational values we felt were needed to guide us toward the fulfilment of our dual mandates of “Promoting career development as a priority for the public good” and “Building career development knowledge, mindsets and competencies.” We also started to do work around defining and developing our equity, diversity and inclusion priorities.

Highlights for CERIC that promote career development for public good:

  • Published a new edition of our popular Playbook, Retain and Gain: Career Management for the Public Sector, to support public sector employers in developing an inclusive, agile and equipped workforce
  • Launched a Careers and Canadians discussion series, starting with guest former Saskatchewan Deputy Minister Alastair MacFadden, to explore the value of connecting careers thinking to the development, delivery and measurement of public goods and services
  • Surveyed 501 Canadian employers with Environics Research Institute to update and expand understanding of the state of career development in the Canadian workplace
  • Published the “Career Pivots” issue of CERIC’s Careering magazine, which highlighted how, with the support of career education and career professionals, Canadians can develop the change-ready mindset needed to thrive
  • Updated CERIC’s funding priorities to include career mindsets as a new key funding priority area
  • Worked with the media to raise the profile of career development, including articles published in Policy Options and Canadian HR Reporter and an interview on CBC Radio
  • Engaged with many organizations around shared advocacy goals, systems change and joint learning, including Future Skills Centre, the Institute of Public Administration of Canada, the Century Initiative, the Labour Market Information Council and the OECD

Key achievements for CERIC that build career development knowledge:

In addition to these highlights, as well as inclusion of financial statements, the CERIC 2021 Annual Report also includes an acknowledgement of CERIC staff this past year as well as a special thank you to the CERIC Board and Advisory Committee volunteers who helped us navigate these challenging times and to our funder, The Counselling Foundation of Canada, for its unwavering support.

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Image of Careering magazine cover on yellow background with text: Spring-Summer 2022 The Great Careers Disconnect2022

Spring-Summer issue of Careering dives into ‘The Great Careers Disconnect’

June 15, 2022By

For “The Great Careers Disconnect” issue of Careering magazine, we asked people working in all areas of career development to reflect on the question: What gaps are you seeing in career services, career education, the labour market and the workplace – and what are your ideas to address them?

Articles include:

Careering magazine is Canada’s Magazine for Career Development Professionals and is the official publication of CERIC. It is published three times a year and includes select content in French. Subscribe to receive your free copy. You can also access past issues for free online.  

The theme for the Fall 2022 issue of Careering magazine will be released soon. Check back on ceric.ca/careering for the call for article proposals or sign up for CERIC’s free CareerWise Weekly newsletter to get the latest updates.

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2022

CERIC and partners to host Virtual Community Roundtables on Employer Engagement

May 16, 2022By

CERIC invites career development professionals to share their experiences and ideas around employer engagement at free live Virtual Community Roundtables in June. The first roundtable will be held in Ontario in partnership with OACM (Ontario Association of Career Management) and another in British Columbia with ASPECT BC (Association of Service Providers for Employability & Career Training). The roundtables will focus on the findings of CERIC’s National Business Survey.

CERIC surveyed 500 employers to examine the state of Career Development in the Canadian Workplace. Canada’s employers have told us about their challenges with recruitment and retention, about skills and talent gaps in the labour market and about the kinds of career management supports they provide for employees.

Now, with the roundtables, career development professionals from all sectors – non-profit agencies, secondary school, post-secondary education, government, corporate, private practice – who engage regularly with employers will have the opportunity to share their perspectives:

  • What’s worked when it comes to engaging successfully with employers?
  • What do we need to do to demonstrate the value of career development and career development professionals?

By contributing to cross-sector, peer-to-peer learning, CERIC aims to positively influence employer awareness of the career services field. Participants will walk away with concrete and practicable strategies as well as shareable resources to be developed based on the discussion.

These are provincially-focused, participatory, cameras-on events:

  • Virtual Community Roundtable in British Columbia | Tuesday, June 7, 2022 | 11:00 am – 12.30 pm PT
  • Virtual Community Roundtable in Ontario | Wednesday, June 8, 2022 | 11:00 am – 12.30 pm ET

Any career development professional working with employers in these provinces who wants to contribute is welcome to register. Both interactive roundtables are free but limited to 100 spots to ensure the opportunity for everyone to participate.

These events follow the release of the detailed survey findings (as well as an infographic and executive summary) which can be found at www.ceric.ca/nbs2021. Recordings of a two-part webinar series with employers and career development professionals around collaboration to address common workforce needs are also available.

If your organization is interested in partnering with CERIC on a Community Roundtable in your province or region, please contact CERIC’s bilingual Learning and Development Specialist Cyrielle Filias at cyrielle@ceric.ca.

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2022

Complete the CERIC Content & Learning Survey of Career Development Professionals!

May 12, 2022By

As an organization with a strategic mandate of building career development knowledge, mindsets and competencies, CERIC is committed to understanding the varied learning needs, preferences and behaviours of people doing careers-connected work. Our 2022 Content & Learning Survey of Career Development Professionals is now open, and we want to hear from you!  

The survey will take approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete and will be open until Wednesday, May 25, 2022.  

Complete Survey Now  

While the survey has sections focused on CERIC’s learning initiatives, our intent is also to gather vital intelligence around the learning needs, preferences and behaviours of people working in career development. A selection of the results will be shared with the broad career development community and other stakeholders in early summer. By participating, you will be helping CERIC and other organizations in the field that develop learning opportunities to support your professional development.   

Plus, get a chance to win 1 of 2 free registrations to CERIC’s Cannexus23 conference ($375 value) or 1 of 3 free CERIC webinar registrations ($159 value)! 

You do not need to be familiar with CERIC’s learning initiatives to complete this survey. A French version of the survey is available. 

Your participation in this survey is greatly appreciated!  

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2022

Call for Presenters for Cannexus23 Career Development Conference now open

April 25, 2022By

Planning for the next Cannexus, Canada’s Career Development Conference – to be held January 23-25, 2023 – is now underway. Cannexus23 is expected to be a hybrid conference with a live in-person portion in Ottawa and a virtual portion. CERIC invites individuals or organizations with an interest in presenting at the 17th annual Cannexus to submit a brief session outline for consideration using the Proposal Form. The deadline for proposals is Friday, June 17, 2022. 

Presenting at Cannexus, the largest bilingual conference of its kind, provides an unmatched opportunity to exchange information and explore innovative approaches in career and workforce development. Presenters gain recognition as experts and leaders in the field at the conference and beyond. We expect participants from across Canada and internationally. In the past, our conferences have drawn more than 1,000 delegates each year.  

Cannexus presenters are researchers and practitioners from universities, schools, community agencies, governments, private practices and corporations. They are professionals in career and workforce development and related fields who are forward-thinkers with fresh and impactful ideas and projects to convey. As the organizer of Cannexus, CERIC is committed to principles of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. We are actively prioritizing the participation of individuals from equity-deserving groups, such as Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+ and persons with disability. 

CERIC has identified areas of interest to assist presenters in targeting the content of their sessions:  

  • Adult Education and Career Development  
  • Advocacy & Social Justice  
  • Application of Current Research, Theory & Methodology   
  • Building the Profile and Sustainability of the Career Development Sector   
  • Career Development for Youth Outside of School   
  • Career Education K-12 Students   
  • Career Education Post-Secondary  
  • Change Management & Resilience  
  • Client Mental Health   
  • Effective Career Counselling/Coaching Techniques   
  • Employee Recruitment & Engagement   
  • Employment/Training Programs (Community, Government, Industry)   
  • Entrepreneurship & Self-Employment   
  • Experiential/Work-Integrated Learning   
  • Future of Work and the Workplace 
  • Global Perspectives on Career Development Research & Practice   
  • Indigenous Career Development   
  • Job Search Strategies   
  • Justice, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 
  • Labour Market Information   
  • Leadership Development   
  • Management & HR Issues for Career/Employment Centre Directors   
  • Mature Worker Career Development   
  • New Technology & Tools for Career Professionals   
  • Online Career Service Delivery/Remote Learning Approaches   
  • Rural Career & Community Economic Development   
  • Self-Care for Career Professionals   
  • Supporting Clients with Disabilities   
  • Workforce Planning & Development   
  • Working with Newcomer and Refugee Communities   

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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2022

Announcing free webinars May-June: Employer-CDP collaboration + Evidence-informed practice

April 20, 2022By

CERIC will be offering two free webinar series in the next few months that each explore critical and timely issues in career development. The first series will highlight the realities of 500 Canadian employers captured by CERIC’s new National Business Survey and compare them with the challenges faced by career and employment professionals. The second series will introduce strategies to effectively navigate the world of research, evidence and information in ways that help to do career development work better.  

  • Building a Bridge: How Employers and CDPs Can Collaborate to Address Workforce Needs | Tuesday, May 10, 2022 & Thursday, May 12, 2022 | Moderated by Candy Ho, CERIC’s Vice-Chair and Assistant Professor, Career and Capstone Learning, University of the Fraser Valley
    • Webinar #1 panellists: 
      • Leah Nord, Senior Director, Workforce Strategies & Inclusive Growth, Canadian Chamber of Commerce 
      • Jim Stanford, Economist and Director, Centre for Future Work 
      • Andrew Bieler, Director of Partnerships & Experiential Learning, The Business + Higher Education Roundtable (BHER) 
      • Brien Convery, Director, Talent Acquisition and Employee Experience, Aecon Group Inc.
    • Webinar #2 panellists:  
      • Tim Lang, President of YES (Youth Employment Agency) and HRPA Board Member 
      • Jake Hirsch-Allen, Director, Canadian Council for Youth Prosperity and North America Workforce Development & Higher Ed System Lead at LinkedIn 
      • Surranna Sandy, CEO, Skills for Change 
      • Deirdre Pickerell, Program Director, Canadian Career Development Foundation

Both webinar series are free. Registered participants will receive a video recording of each session. Individual certificates of attendance will be provided to all registered participants who attend the webinars live.  

In addition to offering its own free webinars, CERIC partners with associations and organizations across Canada and beyond to present webinars that offer affordable professional development. Previously, CERIC has also worked with the Association of Service Providers for Employability and Career Training BC, Association québécoise des professionnels du développement de carrière, BC Career Development Association, Canadian Association for Supported Employment, Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association,  Career Development Association of Alberta, Career Professionals of Canada, Experiential and Work-Integrated Learning Ontario, Labour Market Information Council , New Brunswick Career Development Association, Nova Scotia Career Development Association, Ontario Association of Career Management, Ontario School Counsellors’ Association, Ordre des conseillers et conseillères d’orientation du Québec,  Vocational Rehabilitation Association (Canada), and the US-based National Career Development Association.  

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