Exciting News!

The Responsive Career Pathways Initiative identified a deep need for stronger supports for the career and employment services sector. This resulted in a Spring 2022 study to explore the feasibility of establishing a national Career Development Professional Institute. The feasibility study engaged frontline practitioners, supervisors, managers, practitioner educators, professional associations, and sector leaders from coast-to-coast-to-coast, representing a vast array of client groups.

Overall, close to 450 attended one of 47 engagement sessions, over 550 completed the online survey, and 30 stakeholders participated in interviews. Across all study activities, Canadian Career Development Professionals spoke loudly and clearly, giving almost unanimous support for the establishment of a Career Development Professional Institute.

In the coming months, the newly branded Career Development Professional Centre, will emerge as a virtual space that builds excellence and innovation within career and workforce development.

The Centre will: 

• Provide a ‘home’ for the Competency Framework, National Profile, Code of Ethics, and associated resources; 

• Ensure CDPs have access basic, foundational training on a newly developed career development process, at no to low cost; 

• Create and nurture a virtual professional community, where CDPs can exchange and grow with respect to their practice, application of learning, and further development needs; 

• Establish a central hub as a “one stop” for CDPs to discover the full range of existing training available; 

• Promote advocacy and a stronger evidence base for our sector; and 

• Build a library of research and resources that demonstrate how quality career services equip Canadians to thrive in their learning and work across the lifespan. 

The Centre will help build capacity and cohesion across the career development ecosystem to ensure that every individual – employed, unemployed, underemployed, or at risk of disruption – and all employers are prepared to effectively navigate learning and work and thrive in the emergent labour market.

The Centre has gotten this far because of the continued collaborative efforts many individuals and organizations throughout our network. We thank everyone for their contributions and look forward to our work together over the coming months (and years!).