Summer 2001

By Dianne Seed

Employers and apprenticeship candidates/apprentices can now link up via the internet on the website www.apprenticesearch.com. This free service was initially piloted in Halton Region, but after great success, expanded to nearby Peel and Dufferin, encompassing the larger cities of Brampton, Mississauga, Orangeville, Caledon plus the surrounding areas. Informational areas of the website such as About Trades, Corporate and Training Profiles, What’s New, Trade Talk, Leads on Jobs are open to anyone with an interest about finding out more about the skilled trades.

In Canada, 1 out of 7 people who work has a trade certificate.
Source: 1996 Census of Canada, Statistics Canada

According to recent trade grads: 93% are satisfied with their current jobs; 73% would make the same educational choice again.
Job Futures 2000, Human Resources Development Canada

Approximately 177,700 people were registered in trades apprenticeship training programs in 1998.
Statistics Canada, The Daily. September 19, 2000.
www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/000919/d000919b.htm

As of January 1, 2000 a total of 317,488 Red Seals have been issued to skilled workers across Canada. This averages out in excess of 11,600 Red Seals issued per year for the last five years.
CCDA newsletter November 2000

Newfoundland has 600-700 new apprentice positions per year.
The Apprenticeship System in Newfoundland and Labrador, pdf report,
www.edu.gov.nf.ca/division/ineducat/instined.htm

North West Territories apprenticeship training occurs at the rate of 19.5 apprentices per thousand within the active labour force, double the national average. Over the next 10 years, 14,000 jobs will become available in the construction sector alone in NWT
CCDA Newsletter, June 2001
www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/hrib/hrp-prh/redseal/english/ccda/ccdaJune01/news01_e.shtml – news011

The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF) is working to plan a National Apprenticeship Conference in 2002. This Conference will build on the momentum from the two previous apprenticeship conferences and will provide a venue and meeting place for the entire apprenticeship community. 613-235-4004
CCDA Newsletter, June 2001

With only 9% of Canada’s population, Alberta trains 19% of the country’s apprentices. Emerging occupations in Alberta are Steel Detailer and 29 new occupations in oilfield service, supply and manufacturing.
Update Apprenticeship News June 2001

There is a serious shortage of skilled workers in the Pulp and Paper industry. 49% of their trades people could retire within 3 years. There are currently only 123 apprentices. Report from The Communications Energy and Paperworkers Union and the Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers of Canada (CEP_PPWC) gives detailed info on how many apprentices and workers eligible to retire in various sectors.
http://ppwc.bc.ca

BC Ministry of Advanced Education Training and Technology has a target of creating 50,000 new apprenticeships in the next 4 years

In the next two decades, 40% of new jobs will be in the skilled trades and technologies. In 1998, that number was less than 20%.
Skills Canada

Many more people in the skilled trades are retiring than are entering the system. The hardest-hit industries will be manufacturing, construction, petroleum production and transportation.
Skills Canada

The Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association forecasts a 42% vacancy rate for skilled trades by 2007 — nearly 34,000 jobs but only 20,000 skilled workers will be available.
Skills Canada

Skilled tool and die makers in the Windsor area — with overtime factored in — can quite easily average $100,000 annually.
Canadian Machinery and Metalworking, June 2000

Tips:

Unions may have training programs as well. Check their website, newsletter or local office.

Women may be able to find information on apprenticeship through organizations for women in non-traditional trades.

Don’t forget apprenticeships in fine arts. These are not regulated, but have a long tradition. Some are formal, such as EQUITY and ACTRA for performing artists, and others are informal as in professional development arts grants for visual artists.

Need more info? Here are some contacts:

Under the terms of the Canadian Constitution, each province and territory has the responsibility for apprenticeship training. The legislation permits each jurisdiction to designate occupations for apprenticeship.

By Monika Simans, Arkimedes Pty Ltd, Brisbane, Australia

This is the first of three marketing articles. It will introduce you to the basic principles of marketing – namely what it is and where to start. The second marketing article will present the P’s of marketing and be directed to those in private practice and professionals wishing to marketing their services. The third article will be for those individuals wanting and needing to market themselves to source and secure work.

Marketing – an art and science

All too often when you mention marketing, it is automatically defined as selling. Marketing is NOT selling. Marketing is a precise set of activities that need to happen in order to gain a better understanding of your self, your product / services and your customer. The functions of marketing are to research, analyze, identify, develop, promote and support customers. Marketing is a science that requires a methodical gathering and review of information. The art of marketing is putting yourself into the shoes of the customer during this scientific analysis.

Marketing : Defined

According to Kotler & Armstrong, marketing is “developing a social and managerial relationship by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others.” The tangible reality of marketing is that it is both a scientific process and art form that identifies a potential customer base, their wants and their needs, then creates the appropriate strategies and level of preparedness for responding to those current and future needs and wants.

In contrast selling is an activity. The basic functions of selling are to research, analyze, promote, facilitate the movement of merchandise/services, reach targets, make a profit and support customers. Selling identifies the needs and wants of a customer, then by liaising with and promoting to them the relevant product/services, results in a mutually beneficial transaction and profitable gains.

Without marketing you run the risk of failure. Poor marketing management is the second most common reason for business closures. The five most common marketing errors are:

• failure for a product/service to add value
• poor knowledge of customer behaviour and attitudes
• failure to segment the market
• a selection of services and methods of operation at odds with the marketing strategy
• a tendency to view marketing as only advertising or sales.

Marketing is about intimately understanding how money can be made AND what you have TO DO to make money. Marketing is non-accidential, continuous and a very pro-active undertaking.

What Is The Purpose Of Marketing?

Simply, the purpose of marketing is to increase the number of customers and the profitability of a business. Marketing

• looks for opportunities that focus on the needs, wants, demands, products, exchanges, transactions, and markets of others
• determines problem areas
• gains an intimate knowledge and understanding of the customer
• confers an advantage on a customer and meets their individual wants and needs
• recommends a plan of action to achieve optimum performance and results
• helps to recession-proof a business by planning for better customer-relationship management.

Where To Start The Art And Science Of Marketing

To begin your marketing approach you will need to take some time and complete a systematic and objective marketing audit. This is a methodical evaluation of the current marketing landscape and is a comprehensive examination of what is already being provided and communicated. Your marketing audit should work through the following steps:

Step 1 – Analyze The Marketing Opportunities

This means determining what is already available, identifying potential customers and assessing similar service providers. Some of the questions you will need to answer are:

• how many people will buy my services?
• at what price?
• over what period of time?

The responses to these questions then need to be analyzed, looking closely for patterns, trends and product / service opportunities.

Step 2 – Define the Markets

To define the market potential for your services you will then have to assess:

• the potential interest to your product / services
• the income you desire
• the income of your potential customers
• their current accessibility to existing services.

It is important to determine what services already exist, the penetrated market and who already uses similar services, which in turn will allow you to determine your target markets.

Step 3 – Select The Target Markets

Selecting your target markets means:

• determining the geographical region where you want to provide your product/services
• setting the demographic parameters to indicate the age, sex and life cycle that you wish to service.

It is also important to consider the psycho-graphic details (social class, life style) and the behavioural details (such as knowledge/education, attitudes) of the target market. Always keep asking how many of the customers in that market will buy my product/services?

Step 4 – Develop The Marketing Mix

In reviewing the information you have gathered, especially on similar service providers, it is then essential to:

• determine your competitive advantage or your points of difference (to your competitors)
• how your product / services will add value (to the client)

This will enable you to identify and create value-adding strategies to respond to the needs and wants of the audience. This is the key to providing your customers with a comprehensive ‘total solution’ and will shape the range of products/services you provide.

Step 5 – Review, Reflect And Do Not Assume

Once you have completed the first four steps it is now prudent to review what you know and take some time to re-analyze and reflect. This will allow you the opportunity to catch any assumptions you have made and avoid making arbitrary decisions which can be disastrous. You may need to re-visit some of the steps you have taken along the way. That is all part of preparedness.

These five steps are the starting point for all marketing management activities. Remember that with marketing just having a product/service to offer is not enough! Marketing is about understanding the whole cycle of a product/service – how it develops from nothing to becoming something people want to buy on a regular basis.

If you have any comments or specific questions that you would like to see addressed in the next two articles, please contact the writer by fax on (61 7) 3298 6058 (Brisbane Australia) or email her at arkimedes@bigpond.com.

Monika Simans is in private practice as a Careers & Work Life Coach as well as a ‘People Strategist’. She has over 15 years experience in marketing, communication and human resources management within large specialist organizations. In addition to post graduate qualifications in business administration, communication and human resources management, Monika is a certified member of the Australian Association of Career Counsellors and an accredited practitioner in Neuro Linguistic Programming.

By Grace Betts

The Department of National Defence (DND) Spousal Employment Assistance Service is the responsibility of the Director Military Family Services at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa but is delivered locally by Employment Assistance Co-ordinators (cousellors) in Military Family Resource Centres (MFRCs). MFRCs have been established in all locations where a significant number of Canadian Forces (CF) families live.

By Barbara Williams

OPPORTUNITIES – A Dialogue on Career Development and Employment Preparation in Ontario

Ontario’s 3rd Annual Career Development Conference took place from April 4-6, 2001 in Toronto. This conference was presented by an alliance of government, non-government and community agencies that have an interest in career development and employment preparation in Ontario. OPPORTUNITIES is jointly funded by Human Resources Development Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

The planning committee chose four themes for this year’s conference:

• The Profession: Procedures, Practices and Guidelines
• Caring for Ourselves
• Respecting the Diversity of Individuals
• New Widgets for the Trade: Resources, Models and Technologies

Over 600 practitioners attended more than 50 workshops where they heard about new models, shared and compared perspectives and identified best practices in the career development and employment preparation field.

Keynote Speaker Toben Anderson shared her personal story of surviving and thriving in spite of the curves life throws at us. Norm Amundson, a highly respected researcher, writer, and counsellor educator gave the closing address. New to this year’s conference were a networking lounge – a place to share information informally and network with colleagues, and a websites for breakfast session – which featured an early morning look at several Canadian Internet resource sites.

Participants reflected a true cross-section of people who work in the field today. Delegates came from all parts of Ontario, with delegates from Toronto and the Greater Toronto area comprising the largest group. Education, private business, government and community sectors were all represented, with the largest percentage from the community non-profit sector.

A fourth conference is just around the corner. Think about presenting your best practices at this exciting venue next year!

Barbara Williams is the Project Manager at ONESTEP (Ontario Network for Employment Skills Training Projects).

By Lise Simard

RICHARD NELSON BOLLES on LIFE/WORK PLANNING
IACMP – MAY 11th 2001 – MONTREAL

An audience of one hundred and forty career counselors from Quebec’s outplacement and career management firms, college and university career centers and community non-profit organizations gathered at Montreal’s Inter-Continental Hotel in May for a workshop/conference with Richard N. Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute? – a book which has sold over six million copies in North America. Bolles, whose book has been published in eight other languages, is also the author of The Three Boxes of Life and co-author with Howard Figler of The Career Counselor’s Handbook.

The conference began with a reminder that we are “the wounded leading the wounded” and that “It is the compassionate heart that makes a good career counselor, not technique”. Each individual has a center around which his whole life revolves. Clients who come to see us are usually looking for a new center which gives a sense of purpose to their life and are in what Anton Boisen calls a “process of conversion”. Sometimes, they have failed at their attempt at conversion and lost their center, their horizons have contracted and they no longer have a strong sense of identity. They can be bewildered about change, in which case we need to help them find the thread of constancy in their life and to identify what transferable skills, knowledge and self-management traits they bring from one situation to another. To be effective counselors, we must however first and foremost believe that our clients are inherently capable of change, that they have more control over their lives than they think they have. Our main role is to train and teach them to do without us, to empower them for the future.

Bolles’ focus was mainly on life-changing experience but he also spoke of the overestimated use of internet in career counseling (which actually plays a role in only 4% to 8% of successful job hunts) and demonstrated a technique which can be particularly useful in helping clients prioritize interests, values or skills. Inviting participants to enroll for a short time in “Dream School”, he also led them through an exercise where they had to come up with subjects they’d dreamed of learning but which they hadn’t gotten around to yet, asking them to identify the subject, the teacher and the place they’d have chosen. An example would be studying psychology with Carl Jung in a country inn in Austria. The exercise was meant to illustrate that we rarely pursue our dreams as well as the fact that dreaming is an important part of the career development process.

Both the conference/workshop and the cocktail that followed offered participants a unique opportunity to experience Richard Bolle’s humour and wisdom, which are key characteristics of his speaking style. The event was hosted by the Montreal Chapter of the International Association of Career Management Professionals which has more than 2,000 members worldwide. It’s main objectives are to offer an environment that favours professional and personal development, to keep members informed on the profession, to ensure they benefit from a well-structured network and to offer them the possibility of contributing to the development of the profession. For more information on the IACMP, visit the web site at www.iacmp.org or call the Montreal Chapter at (514) 990-9257.

Lise Simard is a Guidance Counselor. She is currently setting up socio-professionnal networks in several programs at the “Université du Québec à Montréal” and is working on a web version of these career development associations for both students and graduates. She can be reached at lisimard@videotron.ca

CACEE CONFERENCE 2001
“A Tradition of Innovation”

The 55th Annual Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers (CACEE) conference was held in St. John’s, Newfoundland from June 4th – 6th, 2001. By all accounts the conference was a phenomenal success. Over 281 career educators and employers attended the conference which played host to delegates from Egypt, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States.

The conference program witnessed Rex Murphy’s witty and insightful keynote comments on the merits of an education and the dangers inherent in not paying tribute to the ability to think critically. The conference was complete with numerous sessions on the challenges associated with recruitment and selection and new techniques for assisting our students and employees with career planning. The conference program closed with our final keynote, Dr. Bob Richards. Dr. Richards spoke with clarity and humour on the role of communication in our lives and the challenges associated with effective communication strategies.

From scenic boat tours along the coast of Newfoundland to the delightful antics of musicians and a closing banquet with an 11 piece band, the social side of the conference captivated the hearts of the delegates and their partners. In all, it was a wonderful chance to embrace those traditions that are critical to our profession and discuss those innovations which keep us fresh in our thinking and our practice.

Robert Shea is Director of Career Development & Experiential Learning at Memorial University of Newfoundland. For over 18 years Rob has been involved in the many varied aspects of career development work. Mr. Shea is Founding Editor of the Canadian Journal of Career Development and member of the Board of Directors of Contact Point.

Toronto District School Board, 2000, three ring binder format
ISBN 1-55000-570-7

The Apprenticeship Toolkit is a resource for teachers, counsellors and students wishing to learn about apprenticeship in Ontario. Much of the information could also be used by residents of other provinces, as the majority of the trades featured are eligible for the Inter-provincial Red Seal program.

The Future of Success

By Robert B. Reich
Alfred A. Knopf, 2000, ISBN: 1-896324-34-7

Ten years ago, former US Secretary of Labour Robert Reich wrote The Work of Nations, one of the first books to take the concept of the new economy into the public eye. As he advocates that innovation and re-examination are critical in today’s workplace, he has given us more food for thought as he analyses the effect of globalized markets, technological advances, e-commerce and the unrelenting demand to produce better and faster.

For a politician (and economist), Reich is surprisingly accessible, outlining the history and development of the new economy through the last two centuries, and lacing the chapters with anecdotes from all social strata and age groups. He also points out misconceptions such as the popular belief that today’s innovators must be adept at using new information technology. Reich feels that the true value is in the creative process, which in itself is not technology dependant, although it may require technology for delivery or implementation. He defines creative workers as either “Geeks,” or “Shrinks.” The Geeks are the creative introverts, being absorbed by what can be done with a product or a concept. They play and create, idea people who expand the possibilities of a project or company. The Shrink is the people person (including counsellors), who know what people really want for the product or service. They are the heart of the product or service.

The core of Reich’s thesis is that technology is speeding and broadening access to “terrific deals.” This spurs worker mobility, free agent commerce, and the need for workers to constantly sell themselves or create their “brand”. It also contributes greatly to the decline of loyalty and the increased value on “stickiness” or qualities that entice one to return to or remain with a product, service or organization. It is great for the consumer, but continuous stress for the seller, with the steep price of “more frenzied lives, less security, more economic and social stratification, the loss of time and energy for family, friendship, community and self.”

There are three sections to the book, and three “discussions”. Part I, “The New Work” will have the most relevance for counsellors. Part II, “The New Life” delves into changes in gender roles and workload sharing, stability and dynamics of the family (although narrowly defined) and the “commercialization of community”. Personal attention is becoming a commodity, one with an increasing demand, although remuneration does not yet reflect that. Part III, “Choices” summarizes the choices for both individuals and society. Reich takes care to say that our choices are not simple, and that people need not feel additional pressure and guilt if not able to achieve “balance” easily as this really is a systemic problem. The global and societal choices we face are interesting, but few of the potential solutions put forth (such as “community insurance” to ensure that communities are economically healthy even if major industries close) are likely to see implementation.

Join our Resources Review Committee. Representatives from all sectors sought to give opinions on the current resource listings and to recommend additional resources. Decisions are made through an e-mail discussion list, so there are no meetings to attend. The revisions are expected to be completed by late fall of 2001. Interested? Write to admin@contactpoint.ca.