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From British Columbia

Don’t Miss the Internationally Trained Professionals (ITP) Conference

On June 11th, join ENET for the Internationally Trained Professionals (ITP) Conference in New Westminster, British Columbia.

Delegates will have the opportunity to:

• Share client success stories
• Discuss the challenges experienced by many internationally trained professionals
• Identify best practices for supporting these clients regarding settlement, credential recognition, developing Canadian job search skills, and skill upgrading
• Learn about changes in regulations that might help and/or hinder foreign workers

The Keynote Speaker for this year’s ITP conference is Naeem “Nick” Noorani who is the Founder and Publisher of the Canadian Immigrant Magazine and author of “Arrival Survival Canada”.

To find out more about the 2008 Internationally Trained Professionals Conference, visit www.enetsociety.com/itp_conference.cfm.

From Ontario

Job Fair at CNIB

by Carolyn MacDiarmid

Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work’s WESP employment program is holding its first annual job fair at CNIB in Toronto – 1929 Bayview Avenue, north of Eglinton. WESP (Workplace Essential Skills Partnership) is implemented in partnership with CNIB and is an employment program for job seekers with any type of disability living in the GTA. We are expecting over 20 employers at the event who are seeking to employ persons with disabilities (thus far 17 have confirmed). While we are targeting this stakeholder group, this event is open to the general working-age public. Have your clients join us on May 14 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. for job searching and fun. They will be eligible to win one of 12 fabulous door prizes!

Carolyn MacDiarmid has been employed with the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW) for 11 years. She has worked in various capacities, supporting the organization’s mission of promoting and supporting the meaningful and equitable employment of persons with disabilities. As a published author, she has written material that emphasizes the abilities and “employability” of job seekers with disabilities.

Are you interested in becoming a Regional Voice?
To learn more about volunteering as a representative in your area, please emailadmin@contactpoint.ca.

By Khaled A. Islaih

Technology is changing the way we live and learn. Over the last few years, technology has induced many drastic changes in family, workplace and community life. For example, the number of people hired, and even married, through electronic channels rose significantly over the last few years. In our daily life, checking e-mail has become an important habit for most of us. In education, computer assisted learning is now considered as a fundamental requirement for better learning outcomes. Unlike traditional instruction, technology facilitates collective learning, breaks cognitive barriers between learners and educators and opens new learning pathways. It allows educators and learners to explore new learning pathways.

By Marc Verhoeve

There has been a great deal written in the past few years about professional networking. Because of the physical and time demands of today’s workplace, it is increasingly difficult to nurture a Face-to-Face (F2F) community. Therefore, the effective use of the Internet has provided a powerful vehicle for creating a virtual professional community. This article is an examination of the electronic backbone to an effective professional community.

By Rob Straby

One of the fascinating things I have learned from both my observations of people and review of literature is the nature of social networks. Whether one considers a job search campaign, the development of a new business, the growth of a new political campaign or party, or a community initiative, social networks provide the foundations through which change does (or does not) happen! In order to understand how the Web2.0 is revolutionizing career management, we need to start by understanding the power of social networks.

By Tannis Goddard

In a recent interview (Fall 2007), Jennifer Browne, President of Contact Point, pointed to the growing potential for technology to help reach clients in non-traditional ways. e-Career Counselling is a new and emerging practice based on an integration of career counselling, adult learning and online instructional theories. By changing the space from an office or classroom to a secure virtual learning environment on the Web, new approaches are being developed that allow practitioners and clients to meet and work together across time and space to collaboratively address clients’ career needs.