bridging the chasm. career counsellor students, adults immigrants, school drop-outs career...
TRANSCRIPT
Speaking from the Perspective:
career
counsello
r
•Students, adults
•Immigrants, school drop-outs
career
consultan
t
•Develop CG resources
•CG research reports
parent
•Writer for gov’t.
•School Librarian
Why this Talk Doesn’t Cover Everything
the themes involved in the CG policy and
practice developments
are more important
PERSISTENCE
PATIENCE
PARTNERSHIPS
In the Realm of the Unemployed: The bridge for connecting investment in CG
to sustainable job placements was invisible
In the Realm of Secondary Education: The bridge from CG to relevant academic
choices was undervalued
In the Realm of Post-Secondary Education and Training: The bridge to connect CG to better graduate
job choices was invisible
In the Realm of Career Guidance Professional Development:
Practitioners had no specialized training in Career Guidance
We needed more training and skills to help our clients
The bridge to connect professional standards & training to positive employment outcomes for clients was non-existent
Canada Actually had Some Good Career Guidance Products
The Canadian government had developed quality career and labour market information products
OECD study found government products were not being used – they were “sitting on the shelf”
Our key message: use the products in a guidance context
And Some Persistent Heroes
Career Guidance Practitioners – had anecdotal experiences and a firm belief in the value of CG.
Government employees and policy makers – a few saw the broader context of job placement.
School counsellors & teachers – some had clear vision of the value of CG to motivate students.
Government Support has Made a Difference
THE SUPPORT WAS SCATTERED
WE NEEDED INTEGRATION
Project
Project
Project Project
Integrated
Cohesive
Consultative
Policy
National/International Collaboration
Progress depends on policy makers
Career practitioners & policy makers needed to know where the communication was
We initiated Pan-Canadian and International Symposia
The policy makers told us they need: PROOF! to create policy and provide funding
Research Groups for Evidence-Based Practice & Policy
CANADIAN RESEARCH WORKING GROUP ON EVIDENCE-BASED
PRACTICE IN CAREER DEVELOPMENT
(CRWG)
THE CANADIAN MILLENNIUM SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION
(CMSF)
Created by a national Career Foundation and researchers from 6 Canadian universities
Is a Government funded foundation conducting long-term research studying what incentives work to keep students in school: Career Guidance, financial support, information
The Government has Begun to Connect Labour Market & CG
FORUM OF LABOUR MARKET MINISTERS
(FLMM)SECTOR COUNCILS
Actively partners with career guidance professionals to study LMI, CG & citizens’ needs and to fund projects to improve service.
Actively partners with career guidance professionals to develop relevant career information & strategies to recruit and retain skilled workers.
The Structures of Education & Employment are Connecting with Students’ Needs
Employers need staff with technical skills and practical experience
Students need mobility; education needs flexibility
Government policy makers, universities, colleges, high schools, employers, apprenticeship boards are working together
Developing Competencies
With Government support we worked hard to develop:
Standards and Guidelines for Career Guidance Practitioners: to provide consistent quality services
The Blueprint: a framework for CG learning outcomes for all citizens from children to the elderly
Professional Identity: our Commitment, our Credibility
Professional Designation: 1 province has it
Training & Certification: Provincial gov’ts have funded CG training programs
National CG Body: 30 associations across Canada agreed to form a Pan-Canadian Career Guidance Association
Summary of Areas of On-going Progress
CANADIAN CAREER GUIDANCE FIELD HAS: Started specialized
training & certification for practitioners
Excellent CG interventions for schools
Standards for quality of service
Started gathering research data to fill gaps in service
Started gathering research data to prove CG effectiveness
Some working partnerships between CG and policy makers
A connection made between CG and Labour Market Information
A National Body for all CG associations which is in its early stages
Our Wish List
All students will have more choice and more help choosing
All practitioners will have on-going professional training, pride and mobility
Career service managers will have practitioners who have standard competencies
Employers will recognize the link between CG and life-long learning
Public will have life-long access to CG services
Government will get longer lasting job-placement results for the unemployed
Policy makers will get evidence-based data for decisions
More Work to do
The national association is interim
More research is necessary to gather proof
Not all students receive equal guidance
We need to promote the use of the S&Gs to CG service managers
Our products need continuous promotion and regular updating
Most employers do not yet see the benefit of CG for their organization
Most teachers are not trained to incorporate career information into regular lessons
Take-home Lesson
Career Professionals & Policy Makers must learn to speak each other’s language before the bridge becomes a reality