Volume 4, Issue 1, October 2004
The Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Development Practitioners initiative is co-ordinated by a volunteer, multi-jurisdictional steering committee. This newsletter will keep all interested stakeholders informed of the activities related to this project.
Phase 4 Approved!
The National Steering Committee received the wonderful news in August that Phase 4 of the project has been approved. The objectives for Phase 4 are to :
- provide ongoing technical and professional support in the use of the Standards and Guidelines;
- sustain an active communications strategy; and
- manage the transfer of the S&Gs to a long-term home.
Many thanks to HRSDC for funding this important initiative. The National Steering Committee will continue to issue newsletters to keep you informed and will continue to update the web site.
The major challenge for this Phase will be finding and managing the transfer of the Standards and Guidelines to a long-term home. As of the writing of this newsletter the Focus Study (which we had hoped would provide an answer) has been put on hold. HRSDC has indicated that they are reviewing their mandate and until they have a clear idea of their priorities they will not be funding this imitative.
One of the exciting outcomes of the National Symposium on Career Development that was held last fall, was the formation of a Research group which is looking at collecting information on Canadian research projects in career development. The project is also developing a repository of this information and determining how to keep it up-to-date.
Look for more exciting news on the project later in the fall. The Research Group will be soliciting help from the Stakeholder Groups to ensure that their outreach is as broad as possible.
News on Applications of the Standards and Guidelines!
The National Steering Committee decided that this newsletter would focus on stories and applications from across Canada about how people have implemented the Standards and Guidelines. A special thank you goes to those who submitted information for this issue of the newsletter and Clarence de Schiffart for organizing the collection of these articles.
From Western Canada…
Development of Career Practitioner Professional Development Tools and Programs
The BCCIP sub-committee on Standards and Guidelines has a broad mandate to promote the S&Gs throughout BC. The emphasis is on creating professional development centred on the S&G’s and to create a broader understanding and acceptance of the merits inherent in the Standard’s framework.
The committee has been concentrating on the research and design of career practitioner development instruments and programs. A number of instruments - both online and paper-based - in use across Canada have been investigated with the intention of creating a version for BC. The tools and training sessions that will be developed will enable practitioners to assess, evaluate, and develop their competencies in tandem with the Standards and Guidelines. Subcommittee members have introduced competency checklists that are in use throughout the province. BCCIP is offering a variety of Standards-based training sessions varying from short introductory presentations to all-day workshops.
The committee will continue to refine the developmental tools and programs and to pursue their widespread application throughout B.C. A specific application is to investigate the development of a Standards-driven professional development portfolio. This portfolio may include documentation of competencies, prior learning assessment outcomes, evidence of competency mastery, course certificates and transcripts, validated attendance forms--conferences and seminars, a list of individual training needs, and a training action plan.
Don Privett, B.A., M.Ad.Ed. works with Workwise Consulting, Comox, BC (workwise@island.net)
Warming up to the Guidelines
Career Link personnel were quite cautious about using the Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Development Practitioners when a colleague first introduced them in early 2003. When our colleague first asked us to do an online self-assessment, most staff shuddered. How would we measure up against the numerous competencies? To subdue people’s fears, she framed this exposure to the S&G’s as an opportunity to decide if and how the staff might use them. With shoulders relaxed the staff now realized they were in the evaluator’s chair.
Career Link has three teams: Resource, Facilitation and Counselling. After the first glimpse of the Standards and Guidelines, each team identified those competencies that applied to their respective roles. Next we met as a whole to discuss how we might use the Guidelines, would they change what we’re doing now, and who would ultimately benefit?
During the staff scrutiny of their professional competencies, the initial fears fell away. Staff discovered they were doing a fine job overall, what was being done well and discussed how improvements might be made. The result of this dialogue has been powerful. The process has spurred Career Link to create in-house workshops, seek out specific professional development, enhance communication systems, examine agency policy, and develop community initiatives. Currently, our staff members are working in their teams to ask:
This has led to the creation of annual team action plans, in addition to the full-team and individual action plans that were already in place.
Now when conversation rolls round to the Canadian Standards and Guidelines, staff members know they are in for a stimulating exchange of ideas. For Career Link staff, the Standards and Guidelines are an acknowledgement of achievement and a pathway to growth.
Kate Spanks works with Career Link’s 18 employees administering Employment Assistance Services, the Wage Subsidy Program, and additional provincial and federal contracts in Powell River, BC. For more information on Career Link and their use of the S&G’s contact Lyn Adamson at 604-485-7958 or email lyn@careerlinkbc.com
From Eastern Canada…
Taking Charge Assists Students in Assessing Professional Attributes!
Career Development 1210, The Nature of the Helping Relationship is a web-based course which was developed for Memorial University’s Career Development Certificate Program. As part of the course, students are directed to doing the self assessment through Taking Charge as a means of introducing them to practitioner competencies and to discover what they already knew and could do as "helpers" in the field. Feedback from seven students enrolled in the course this spring included the following: shows how importantone’s practical "hands on experience" reallyis,time consuming; confusing; informative; not-user friendly; flavour of the profession is missing; too abstract; useful as a measurementfor future comparisons.Only two of these students had worked specifically in the counselling field.
It was generally agreed by this group in the discussion forum that using theS & G's Taking Charge was indeed a worthwhile exercise which contributed to their own self-knowledge about themselves as helpers in any field. Integrating the S&G's into course offerings is one sure way of spreading the word about the breadth of professional competencies in this field and their worth in many contexts.
Patricia Roberts, B.A., M.Ed., R.S.W has taken advantage of using the S&Gsas a resource for helping studentslearn about the career development field inother courses will continue to follow that practice. She is a part time instructor at Memorial University in St. John’s Newfoundland. patroberts@nl.rogers.com
Practitioner Step by Step PLAR Guide Book
Once again the Nova Scotia Department of Community Services (DCS) and the Halifax PLA Centre have partnered on an exciting project to apply Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR) to the Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Practitioners (S&Gs). The goal, is to promote a minimum standard of demonstration of the core competencies, for DCS staff involved in the delivery of Career/Life Development Services.
Three years ago, in the first phase of this project 20 practitioners from DCS developed "challenge" portfolios. The results of this first phase were as follows:
- Confirmed that a PLAR approach to evidencing the S&Gs was indeed effective.
- Although most of the definitions and descriptions of the "core" competencies were good, there was a need to create more measurable outcome statements for some of the competencies.
- The use of local benchmarks for evidence would be helpful to practitioners using this approach. Specifically, analysis of specific training programs or common experiences might make the process less time consuming.
- The use of the learning taxonomy in the Blueprint for Life Work Design would be helpful as an indicator of the level of competency required.
- Practitioners who have not gone through a PLAR portfolio process might encounter notable challenges developing a PLAR Challenge Portfolio, without the appropriate training (e.g. 5 full sessions with a PLAR Practitioner). Although it is hoped that many staff will take this training, it would not be realistic, given a variety of factors, to expect that all staff would choose this route.
The second phase of the project will provide practitioners (both familiar and not familiar with PLAR) with a self directed step by step process in which they will reflect on relevant experiences, analyze the learning from those experiences, secure a strong foundation in developing effective evidence (based on the core competencies of the S&G’s) and develop a plan in relation to addressing any learning gaps. There will be some consultation and in class training, but this will not be to the degree as in the aforementioned PLAR portfolio program. This step by step guide can also be customized to include local benchmark evidence. Basically, this step by step guide will build on the learning from the first phase to create a product/process which will be user friendly. The process will be similar for all who participate; however, the final product might vary from a comprehensive PLAR Challenge portfolio (similar to the versions in the first phase) to an evidence package, which presents evidence in an organized fashion. It is anticipated the final product will be adaptable to the practitioner’s preference and creativity. Staff will be able to then use this to self assess their core competencies.
At present, the team is still engaged in the development stage of this product/process. It is hoped that a draft will be completed by late fall and that this will be piloted with DCS staff in the winter.
Alan Cuvelier works with the Department of Community Services and is a strong advocate of professional development connected to the S&G competency framework.
Phase 4 Activities
As reported in the October Newsletter, the objectives for Phase 4 of this project are to:
As indicated, the major challenge for this Phase will be finding and managing the transfer of the Standards and Guidelines to a long-term home. As of the writing of this newsletter the Focus Study (which we had hoped would provide an answer) has again been put on hold. Over the next few months we will have to make a decision on the strategy to use should the Focus Study not be approved. A "Plan B" will be discussed by the Steering Committee and communicated via the next edition of this newsletter.
News on Applications of the Standards and Guidelines!
From Eastern Canada…
New Brunswick Department of Training and Employment Development
In 2003, the New Brunswick Department of Training and Employment Development (TED) adopted the Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Development Practitioners as the standard for practitioners in the Department. This included (but was not exclusive to) Needs Assessment Officers and Employment Counsellors. The intention was to analyze training needs and develop a professional training strategy, based on current competencies, skill gaps, and Departmental requirements.
In 2004, TED contracted with Savie to develop a Group Profile tool (based on Taking Charge) to assist in the development of the training strategy. The premise was to be able to extract training needs of the Department based on a quantitative gap between the current level of competencies of staff and the competency level desired by the Department.
In 2005, practical work was begun to develop the strategy. A working group was formed, with membership including the two Provincial Employment Counselling Consultants, as well as Managers, Counsellors and Needs Assessment Officers from the field offices. The first task was to review the 109 competencies in the S & G’s to determine if they were relevant for the Department. Only four competencies were removed. All Core and Specialty areas were determined to be relevant, and any duplicate competencies were removed. This left 85 competencies to be used in the analysis. A "rating system" was developed to assist staff in assessing current competencies, as well as aiding in the setting of Departmental priorities. It was based on a percentage proficiency in the competency.
The next step will be to assign Departmental priorities to each competency. These skill proficiency levels will be reviewed by all staff and managers, and a recommendation will go to Regional Directors and Senior Management. Once adopted, staff will be asked to complete the Taking Charge questionnaire, and a profile of training needs and priorities will be extracted. Following this, a comprehensive training and professionalization strategy will be developed and implemented.
Jon Fairweather
From Western Canada…
ETHOS Career Management Group
We operate out of Central Vancouver Island, covering Duncan to Bowser and the local islands. We operate three EAS agreements, including an Employment Resource Centre, two programs, Re-Employment 45 and the Trades and Technology Toolbox Program and have another small contract with the provincial government. We have twenty-two employees including myself and my business partner, Theresa Mayoh.
We have incorporated the Standards and Guidelines into our job descriptions (for on-the-job), statement of qualifications (for hiring) and evaluations. We include this information with any proposals that we submit to government for funding. We are also going to be putting a reference to our use of S & G's on both our Resource Centre website and company website.
We have a new Human Resources Committee formed for our organization with representatives from all projects. They will be looking at other ways to incorporate the
S & G's into our Human Resources practices, as it is included in our company Strategic Plan. Our staff are encouraged to develop personal Learning Plans and about 75% of the staff have done so, using the S & G's as a resource.
Deborah Bromley-Anvelt
International
Michel Turcotte had the opportunity to present the Canadian Standards and Guidelines to a group of career counsellors in Jordan. This presentation was done in the context of a career development capacity evaluation project funded by the Canadian International Development Agency. One of the Michel's recommendations to the group from Jordan was to start using a system like the S&Gs to develop a career development component in the counselling education psychology university program. He also suggested that they evaluate the current needs of the career development practitioners using Taking Charge.
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING S&G’s MATERIALS
The funding for the S&G’s project has allowed us to provide materials free of charge. As of March 31, 2005, there will be a minimal charge for some materials to cover the production, handling and shipping costs. This will also allow us to continue to produce some of the materials. Effective April 1, 2005 there will be a $10.00 charge for the CD.
New Strides in Canadian Career Development Research
Editor Comments:
As funding for all forms of public services are subjected to increased scrutiny and accountability, career development service providers are facing increasing pressure to prove that their services are cost-effective and beneficial. One of the key criteria in defining a profession is the existence of a clear framework to regulate entry and progression pathways leading to clearly defined occupational roles. The Standards and Guidelines provide us with such a professional framework and are a hugely important contribution to our development as a profession. "Making the case" for our services remains a major challenge as very few studies have been done in Canada that actually measure and report on the effectiveness and impact of career development services. The Canadian Research Group for Evidence-Based Practice in Career Development (CRWG) whose work is described below is beginning to address this crucial area.
In the fall of 2004, a preliminary study to learn more about how Canadian providers of career services evaluate the impact of their services was launched by the newly formed Canadian Research Working Group for Evidence-Based Practice in Career Development (CRWG). It was funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.
CRWG was created in Ottawa in March, 2004, at a forum convened to discuss the creation of a comprehensive framework for the effective evaluation of career development services. The framework would serve as a guide for career development service providers, practitioners and policy developers in Canada. Researchers from across Canada shared their perspectives on the state of career efficacy research, and discussed what steps to take to provide evidence for the "what, how, why and for whom" of career development services in Canada.
The main goal of the CRWG research project is to explore the current state of practice in Canada, creating shared understandings of evaluation procedures and the desired outcomes for career development practices. Specifically, the study sets out to learn about:
To achieve these goals, the CRWG collected data, between September 2004 to January, 2005, through an online survey and interviews. A national group consultation was held at NATCON. This research is the first concrete step in a much more ambitious research and development agenda in Canada. With the preliminary data in hand, (results will be available in spring, 2005) the CRWG will be submitting a large-scale application for extended funding to continue the important work of creating an effective and accurate system for measuring the impact of career services.
The need for increasing the base of evidence pertaining to the efficacy of career development practice was highlighted in two symposia in Toronto in the fall, 2003, "Career Guidance and Public Policy: Bridging the Gap" and "Working Connections: A Pan-Canadian Symposium on Career Development, Lifelong Learning and Workforce Development." Discussants at both Symposia also indicated that data was needed to inform and influence public policy related to the provision of career services.
As we work to improve our ability to make the case for the value of career development services to the well being of individuals, the economy, and society, it is an exciting time to be a member of the career services community in Canada.
The participants at these Symposia echoed a growing call among researchers for more comprehensive efficacy assessment of career practice. Roest & Magnusson, 2004, stated that despite an increased awareness of the need to better understand how and why career services are effective, we still possess very little concrete evidence that career interventions actually work, and the evidence that we do have tends to reflect very specific interventions for specific populations. Hughes, 2004, stated that one of the challenges to efficacy research is the lack of common outcome measures in the field of career development. Other researchers have suggested the development of cost-benefit analyses to document the results of career services and the creation of national research databases to collect and distribute such information (Herr, 2003); and, increased efficacy research to link career practices to economic efficiency, social equity and sustainability (Watts, 2002; 2004).
Kris Magnusson, University of Lethbridge and Vivian Lalande, University of Calgary
(Refer to the CCDF website for article references and a list of the CRWG memberswww.ccdf.ca). Reprinted with permission from the Career Counsellor.)
To obtain copies of the documents developed by the Steering Committee, please contact:
The Steering Committee
Standards and Guidelines for Career Development Practitioners
P.O. Box 67007, Ottawa, Ontario, K2A 4E4
This project is funded 50% by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) and 50% by sector contribution.
