CERIC 2025 Annual Report
Meeting the Moment
Career Development in a Disrupted World of Work
Leadership Message
From the Executive Director and Board Chair
ABOUT CERIC
Advancing career development in Canada
CERIC is a national charitable organization that advances career development in Canada through education, research and advocacy. We support the people and systems that help Canadians build skills, navigate change and create more fulfilling futures for themselves, their communities and the country.
In 2025, CERIC met the moment by making knowledge easier to use, mobilizing partners and helping the field speak with a stronger, shared voice amid AI, economic uncertainty, shifting employer expectations, youth anxiety and ongoing labour market disruption.
About this report
This annual report is organized around CERIC's two strategic mandates, showing both sides of the organization's work: making the case for career development as a public good, and equipping the people and systems that help Canadians navigate learning, work and transition.
Mandate 1
Promoting career development as a priority for the public good
Mandate 2
Building career development knowledge, mindsets and competencies
Impact
2025 impact at a glance
A selection of indicators shows CERIC's reach across advocacy, learning, research, convening and knowledge mobilization.
Together, these numbers show a year of reach and readiness across public messaging, professional learning, research funding, national convening and practical tools for the career development ecosystem.
Mandate 1:
Promoting career development as a priority for the public good
CERIC's public-good work in 2025 focused on helping more people and systems understand career development before crisis hits. This meant creating clearer language, reaching new audiences, supporting advocacy and funding work that connects career development to workforce resilience, youth readiness and organizational change.
Positioning career development as essential infrastructure
One of CERIC's central contributions in 2025 was to help the field speak more clearly about its value. Career development is still too often treated as something people seek only after a job loss, a stalled transition or a funding cut. CERIC continued to challenge that “fail-first” model by presenting career development as essential workforce and community infrastructure.
The resource Meet the Moment: The Essential Value of Career Development in Uncertain Times gave career professionals shared language for explaining their role amid economic uncertainty, AI-driven workplace change and cautious hiring. A related Career Resilience Roundtable on June 18 drew 374 registrants and created space for practitioners to connect the messaging to their own communities, funders, employers, educators and policy-makers.
What we heard
“Thank you for another fantastic session. It was great to connect with other professionals to brainstorm how we can raise awareness of the amazing and important work we do.”
— Yasmin Kanani, Career Guidance for Social Justice, Aga Khan Council for CanadaA shared language for advocacy
“CERIC has given us a powerful tool to unify our voice and sharpen our advocacy. I encourage you to download the Meet the Moment messaging guide and use it in conversations, funding proposals, local partnerships and discussions with elected officials.”
— Janet Morris-Reade, Chief Executive Officer, ASPECT BCGovernment and policy engagement
CERIC’s 2025 advocacy work deepened engagement with government and policy-facing networks on workforce resilience, youth readiness and labour market transition. This included discussions with Employment and Social Development Canada’s (ESDC) youth portfolio, renewed contact with the federal government’s Career Community of Practice, connections with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), continued relationship-building with ESDC contacts linked to Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) through Cannexus convenings, and engagement with the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) and military-connected networks through our updated Military 2 Civilian Employment guide.
In December, CERIC also contributed to ESDC’s Building Canada Strong – Youth in the Labour Market interestholder engagement process. The submission positioned youth unemployment as a systemic issue and called for stronger alignment across education, training, employment services, community organizations and employers. It urged that career development be treated as essential infrastructure, with sustained investment in paid work-integrated learning, employer-connected pathways, mentoring, structured onboarding and transition supports, particularly for rural youth and young people facing barriers.
Helping youth separate career fact from fiction
Career Myth Buster was one of CERIC's most visible public-good initiatives of the year. Developed with Vox Pop Labs and myBlueprint, and informed by Grade 9-12 students, educators and guidance counsellors across Canada, the quiz helps young people challenge persistent myths about career planning.
- The quiz – now available in both English and French – launched on November 3 during Career Month and had 800 completions in its first three days.
- It addresses myths such as the idea that one wrong choice can ruin a future, that top grades alone determine success or that university is the only path to a good career.
- Through myBlueprint, the quiz is slated to be embedded across more than 360 school districts and reach over one million students across Canada.
“Students today face immense pressure to have their entire future mapped out. At myBlueprint, our goal is to empower them, not overwhelm them. The Career Myth Buster quiz is a crucial tool to combat that anxiety by reassuring students that it’s okay not to have all the answers.”
— Gil Silberstein, President & Co-Founder, myBlueprintWhat we heard from students
- 37% believed a wrong career choice could ruin their future.
- 70% believed top marks dictate how far they will go.
- 49% said they need a university degree to build a rewarding career.
- 41% agreed they need a passion first to figure out a career direction.
- 46% felt only certain careers allow them to make a difference.
What the quiz is designed to do
- Normalize uncertainty and reduce pressure to get it right early.
- Show that careers are lifelong and rarely linear.
- Create space for classroom, counselling and family conversations.
- Point students toward reflection, exploration and next steps.
In their own words
“The results made sense. I thought I would have done better than I did, so I learned some new things. Knowing there is freedom to make mistakes, or that not knowing exactly what I want to do is okay, was very helpful.”
— Grade 11 student, ON“The quiz is a great start to a deeper conversation especially in a career class. It could also be the starting point in career advising meetings.”
— High school career centre advisor, ABAdvocacy, visibility and cross-sector partnerships
CERIC's advocacy work remained collaborative and practical. Building on the previous year’s Beyond Decent Work Playbook and the National Advocacy Campaign for Career Development, CERIC continued to convene sector leaders and partners around a shared belief: career development contributes to stronger people, stronger communities and a stronger Canada.
- CERIC partnered with the Canadian Career Development Foundation (CCDF) and the US-based National Career Development Association on a North American activation for Global Career Month – a virtual panel focused on advocacy in a disrupted world of work that drew more than 900 registrants.
- Media and thought leadership activity reached 49.8 million impressions in 2025, with coverage and commentary on AI, workforce transitions, youth readiness, military-to-civilian transitions, remote work, pay transparency and the future of work.
- CERIC presented, exhibited or sponsored at 26 conferences and events, both in person and virtually, from those held by the newly formed Western Canada Career Development Association and Upskill Canada to the Century Initiative’s Building Canada’s Workforce, the Asia Pacific Career Development Association and the Ontario Guidance Leaders Association, extending advocacy tools and new resources to career professionals, educators, policymakers and workforce audiences.
- Interestholder engagement included the Labour Market Information Council (LMIC), Magnet, the Future Skills Centre (FSC), True Patriot Love Foundation, RBC, the AI and Ethics Working Group, Canadian Association of Principals and other partners.
These relationships matter because career development does not sit in one system. It connects education, employment, workforce planning, mental health, immigration, reconciliation, equity and lifelong learning.
Opening access to new research and learning ideas
CERIC's redesigned project funding process was another significant public-good shift. In 2025, CERIC replaced its previous process with two open application windows each year. The change made timelines clearer, improved access and allowed staff, Advisory Committees and the Board to co-ordinate review and budgeting more predictably.
- The Winter/Spring call received 29 applications and resulted in one approved project.
- The Summer/Fall call received 24 applications and resulted in three approved projects.
- Together, the first year of the new process generated 53 applications, compared with 11 in 2024.
Funded projects moving forward
| Project | Lead partner | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Empowering Organizations Through Career Development | Challenge Factory and Canadian Assocation of Educators and Employers (CACEE) | Builds an employer blueprint for internal career centres. |
| Pathways to Possibility | Social Research and Demonstration Corporation | Identifies resources and practices to engage opportunity youth in career development. |
| Building the Job-Readiness Bridge | Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie / Workforce Synergy | Strengthens career coaching and job-readiness supports for youth facing labour market disruption. |
| Nurturing Models for Youth-Focused Internships | Future Black Female with Brock University | Co-designs an internship model grounded in belonging, well-being and inclusive supervision. |
These projects show CERIC moving from visibility to applied change: connecting research, learning, employers and practitioners to practical tools that can strengthen services, workplaces and transitions.
Mobilizing resources that connect to policy, systems and practice
Three major resources were brought into the field at the Cannexus25 conference and continued to be showcased throughout 2025, helping career professionals respond to complex transitions in work, learning and life.
- The second edition of Military 2 Civilian Employment: A Career Practitioner’s Guide – in partnership with the Canadian Armed Forces – supported practitioners working with veterans, transitioning military members and military families.
- The third edition of Computing Careers & Disciplines: A Quick Guide for Prospective Students and Career Advisors – developed by Mount Royal University – helped educators and advisors keep pace with fast-changing technology pathways, including shifts related to artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and data science.
- The English edition of Supporting the Integration of Refugees with Little Formal Education – originally a French-language project led by Laval University – expanded access to research-informed strategies for supporting refugees’ social and workforce integration.
These publications strengthened practice across areas where career development plays a vital role in helping people navigate change.
“SO impressive - I didn't think you could possibly improve on the last edition (of Computing Disciplines), but you certainly have. Kudos!”
— Paula Pothier, Student Services, Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC)“It’s a great resource for career services providers of all stripes and it will educate them about military language, culture, transition challenges and what they can do to help our transitioning military members or veterans.”
— Toronto Sun, Feb. 2025CERIC also released national findings from its latest Survey of Career Service Professionals, followed by regional and sectoral reports in the spring. More than 1,000 professionals contributed, offering a timely snapshot of the field’s pressures, professional development needs, public perceptions and demographic profile. With a special focus on artificial intelligence, the survey showed that AI adoption was emerging but uneven, with significant concerns around privacy, training, ethics and client impact. The findings helped inform CERIC’s research, learning and advocacy priorities for the year ahead.
Impact in action
The State of Career Development webinar, held June 13, brought 775 registrants together to explore what the national survey results meant for practice across regions and sectors.
“I appreciated how skillful, applicable and hope-filled this session was.”
— Amanda L. Paterson, Co-op and Career Services, Camosun College, BCMandate 2:
Building career development knowledge, mindsets and competencies
CERIC's second mandate is about equipping the people who support career development every day. In 2025, this work became more accessible, more flexible and more connected across formats: live learning, on-demand learning, publications, peer exchange, leadership development and national convening.
Launching new ways to learn
The most visible learning milestone was the November 10 launch of CERIC's Learning Hub. The new platform brought together on-demand webinars and self-paced online courses in one place. Learners can create an account, track their progress, retrieve certificates and access learning when it fits their schedule.
- The Learning Hub launched with CERIC's first self-paced course, Ignite Motivation: Empowering Clients to Achieve Career Success.
- The Hub also launched with 16 on-demand webinars on both evergreen and timely topics, including assessment, grief and regret, cultural competence, career engagement for older workers, and global perspectives on Indigenous knowledge.
- The platform creates a foundation for future bilingual learning, including further French learning resources to be added in 2026.
“My learning expectations were exceeded. (The presenter’s) approach gave me a broad, in-depth, and multidimensional way to understand and approach loss in context of career change for both clients myself.”
— Claire Winterton. Claire Winterton CounsellingLive learning also remained strong. Across 11 live webinars or webinar series, CERIC reached 4,727 registrations. Participant satisfaction was high, with 96% of participants reporting they were satisfied or very satisfied and an average score of 8.16 out of 10 on likelihood to use the learning in their work.
Learning that responds to the field in real time
CERIC's 2025 learning calendar was shaped by the emerging questions practitioners were facing. Topics included AI for career development, evolving recruitment trends, labour market resilience, foreign credential recognition, client self-sufficiency, and post-secondary career success.
“One of the most informative and important sessions (on AI) I have ever attended. This is cutting-edge!”
— Satchell Purcell, Career Education and Work-Integrated Learning, Crofton House School- Partnerships with the Labour Market Information Council (LMIC), Magnet, Prepr and others brought specialized labour market, technology, skills and workforce expertise to CERIC audiences.
- The Canadian Association for Supported Employment (CASE)-CERIC certificate program, An Intersectional Approach to Supporting Career Development, continued to offer deeper cohort-based learning that helps practitioners strengthen inclusive, equity-informed practice through reflection, peer exchange and applied learning.
- The Ordre des conseillers et conseillères d’orientation du Québec (OCCOQ) partnership, offering select French Cannexus sessions on demand, was renewed to December 2026 after strong registration and response.
“This (CASE) program empowered me with the tools and insights needed to advocate for equity and inclusivity in career development, enabling me to better support clients from various backgrounds.”
— Ruchika Garg, Diversity Consultant, Calgary Alternative Employment ServicesMedia relations as an advocacy and professional skill
CERIC also continued to offer its free Media Relations Training Program as an example of professional learning that strengthens both practice and public advocacy. Since its launch in 2023, it has helped career professionals build interdisciplinary skills that support visibility, confidence and public understanding of the field.
- 1,208 sign-ups since launch.
- Training led by Canadian public relations expert Keka DasGupta with case studies and practical materials designed to help career professionals share their expertise publicly.
- After completing the Media Relations Training Program, participants reported an 116% increase in knowledge of how to get media coverage, a 91% increase in confidence pitching media and an 89% increase in motivation to seek media profile.
“Thank you for this course. It not only helped me think about media connections but also my everyday outreach pitching co-op students to potential employers.”
— Jessica Gordon, Employer Liaison, Trent UniversityCannexus as a national learning and convening space
Cannexus continued to be one of CERIC's most important contributions to learning, connection and community. Cannexus25 brought 1,769 registrants together in Ottawa and virtually under the theme Together We Lead: Adapting to a New Era. The conference explored AI integration, labour market disruption, youth mental health, public funding pressures and inclusive pathways for neurodivergent, Indigenous and newcomer talent.
- 94.8% said they planned to share their learning with colleagues to broaden its impact.
- Keynote speakers Tina Varughese, Dr. Kevin Glavin and Niigaan Sinclair anchored the conference with presentations on unconscious bias, life design and AI, and reconciliation as a shared journey.
- A two-day National Convening of Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) program leaders created space for sharing barriers, successes and wise practices.
- A first military-connected stream helped practitioners better understand how to support veterans, military members and their families through transition.
The Cannexus experience
“It brought together the entire ecosystem, creating a true sense of community where, despite our differences, we all spoke the same language – sharing challenges, solutions and insights.”
— Sarah Dodeen, Executive Career CoachMuch of 2025 also prepared the ground for Cannexus26, held January 26-28, 2026, and marking 20 years of Cannexus. The milestone conference theme, Evolving Work, Expanding Impact: 20 Years of Cannexus, connected the changing world of work to the expanding role of career development.
“20 years WOW. I have been a participant, a presenter, a pre-conference workshop facilitator and this year, keynote speaker. Thank you, Cannexus, for supporting my professional development.”
— Sonny Wong, Psychotherapist, Toronto Metropolitan University- More than 140 sessions across virtual and in-person programs.
- Four keynotes: Sonny Wong, Spencer West, Farah Nasser and Susan Aglukark.
- New features including a Sector Leaders stream and shorter carousel sessions.
- An expanded Indigenous ISET National Gathering, 50 exhibitors, 40 supporting organizations and more than 22,000 participants reached over 20 years.
Publications, platforms and knowledge mobilization
CERIC's knowledge platforms kept the field connected to research and practice throughout 2025. CareerWise and OrientAction published themed issues on AI and career development, cost of living and careers, newcomer success, youth career readiness and other timely topics. The Canadian Journal of Career Development published two online issues featuring academic and practice-oriented work from Canada and internationally.
“This special edition on AI in Career Development is the perfect blend of innovation, nuance, direction and discussion.”
— Rhea McFarlane, Career Services, University of Regina- CERIC maintained 62 literature searches and updated nine in 2025.
- The Canadian Journal of Career Development published 14 articles from 35 authors in 2025, with authors from anglophone Canada, francophone Canada and international contexts.
- CERIC continued work toward a bilingual Learning Resource Library to improve access to the organization's many resources.
CareerWise readers’ top 10 blogs of 2025
In 2025, the most-read CareerWise blog was “A love note to post-secondary career professionals in uncertain times,” by Dr. Candy Ho, which offered care, perspective and practical wisdom for a sector navigating layoffs and uncertainty.
- A love note to post-secondary career professionals in uncertain times (Candy Ho)
- Working in career development without AI? That’s like giving directions with a folded map (Sarah Delicate and Angela Hoyt)
- Underemployment among graduates: Addressing a critical career issue (Lisa Higashi and Michael J. Stebleton)
- How to help jobseekers master the behavioural interview (Julie Labrie)
- Foreign credential recognition in Canada: What happens when newcomers’ skills go unrecognized? (Ken Chatoor)
- What online job postings can reveal about Canada’s labour market needs (Laura Adkins-Hackett and Gabrielle Larose)
- The unmet career needs of Canadian spouses posted overseas (Carlos Ruano)
- Is WFH right for your client? Evaluating remote work suitability (Mark Fitzsimmons)
- The Career Sailboat Model: A vital tool in uncharted waters (Selen Demirtaş-Zorbaz, Tansu Mutlu-Çaykuş and Fidan Korkut-Owen)
- Endings are a form of loss: A grief-informed approach to career conversations (Dr. Catherine Hajnal)
Knowledge mobilization also meant returning to existing resources when they could still serve the field. Past CERIC resources, including Guiding Principles of Career Development, Retain and Gain: Career Management for Small Business, Career Crafting the Decade After High School and Strengthening Mental Health Through Effective Career Development, continued to be shared and amplified by interestholders in 2025.
“What we do as career professionals doesn’t just affect employment outcomes, it plays a major role in supporting confidence, reducing stress, boosting self-esteem, shaping identity, instilling purpose... I’m currently halfway through reading ‘Strengthening Mental Health Through Effective Career Development’ by Dave E. Redekopp and Michael Huston, published by CERIC. I highly recommend it to anyone in the field…”
— David Driver, Career and Employment Services, MITTSupporting emerging leaders and new voices
CERIC continued to invest in the next generation of career development researchers and leaders. The Graduate Student Engagement Program received 56 applications for the 2025/26 cohort, including seven from francophone students, a 33% increase over the previous year. The program connects master's and doctoral students to CERIC's research, learning and knowledge mobilization initiatives.
- Three Cannexus26 GSEP Award winners were recognized for writing on issues, including how career development professionals can respond ethically to political polarization, the role of career education in disrupted post-secondary pathways, and systems for skills recognition and lifelong learning.
- Eight Young Professional Bursary recipients and six Marilyn Van Norman Bursary recipients were supported to participate in Cannexus26.
- The Wileman Award for Outstanding Achievement in Career Development continued to honour leadership and contribution to the field.
Honouring Outstanding Achievement
The Wileman Award for Outstanding Achievement in Career Development was presented at the Cannexus25 conference to Gillian Johnston and, posthumously, to Dr. Rob Shea.
Gillian Johnston was recognized for nearly five decades of leadership, including founding George Brown College’s Career and Work Counsellor Program and helping advance national competency and ethics standards for career development practitioners.
Dr. Rob Shea was honoured for his far-reaching legacy as CERIC’s founding Board Chair, Founding Editor of the Canadian Journal of Career Development, a leader in Career Integrated Learning and a dedicated advocate for military-to-civilian transitions.
Looking ahead
CERIC closed 2025 with a stronger platform for access, a clearer pathway for funding new work, deeper advocacy language, a new tool for youth, stronger partnerships and a milestone Cannexus. The year also clarified the work ahead.
- Develop CERIC's 2026-2030 Strategic Plan and define the organization's next phase of impact.
- Deepen engagement with governments, employers, educators and cross-sector partners to further position career development as a public good.
- Expand competency-based and accessible learning opportunities through the Learning Hub and related initiatives.
- Support the next generation of sector leadership and strengthen collaboration across the career development ecosystem.
- Continue translating research into practical action that supports career development professionals, organizations and Canadians navigating a rapidly changing world of work.
In 2025, CERIC met the moment by showing that career development is not peripheral to Canada’s future. It is part of the infrastructure people and systems need to adapt, participate, contribute and thrive.
Acknowledgements
CERIC's work in 2025 was made possible by the commitment of volunteers, staff and partners across Canada who contributed their time, expertise and care to advancing career development. Their leadership helped CERIC strengthen education, research and advocacy in the field of career development while supporting practical programs, resources, publications and events for the broader career development ecosystem.
Board of Directors
CERIC is directed by a pan-Canadian volunteer Board of Directors reflecting broad sectoral representation in the field.
Advisory Committees
CERIC's Advisory Committee members support the organization by advising on research priorities, content and learning opportunities, advocacy strategies, community engagement and ways to mobilize knowledge across the field.
Practical & Academic Research Committee
Content & Learning Committee
Advocacy & Community Engagement Committee
Staff
CERIC's staff team advances the organization's education, research and advocacy work day to day.
CERIC gratefully acknowledges staff members who served on the team during 2025: Eman Ali, Amélie Almonacil, Farzaneh Babazadeh Bedoustani, Lindsay Purchase and Elysia Vaccarino.
CERIC was also supported by interns Ola Animashaun, Tanisha Batra, Navi Gosal, Alyssa Heise, Elise Mayewoue, Ashley Pathmanathan and Asritha Swaminadhan.
With thanks
CERIC thanks the many partners, project collaborators, presenters, authors, reviewers, contributors, funders and interestholders who shared their expertise and helped extend the reach and impact of career development over the past year.
CERIC is funded by a grant awarded by The Counselling Foundation of Canada and is located at Foundation House in Toronto. Special thanks to Riz Ibrahim and Ben Liadsky of The Counselling Foundation of Canada as well as Angella Reid, Simran Gill and Neus Gilvonio of Foundation House.