Transcript Working Connections: Reporting on Canada’s First National

Working Connections:
Reporting on Canada’s First PanCanadian Symposium
A Forum For Policy Developers, Career Development Leaders
and
Workplace Representatives
Lynne Bezanson
Executive Director of the Canadian Career Development Foundation
and
Michel Turcotte
Président de l’Ordre des conseillers d’orientation et des psychoéducateurs du Québec, consultant à
Développement des ressources humaines Canada
and
Roberta Neault (BC), Linda Willis (Alta), Conrad Pura, (Sask), and LauraLee Noonan (PEI)
Provincial Team Members
Agenda
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The Vision
What and Where
Why, Background and Drivers
Pre-Symposium activities
Symposium
Post-Symposium
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The Vision
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The Symposium will not be:
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an “event” – success will be determined by
pre-work and follow-up action
a “conference” – but a working session
attended by individuals or individual
organizations – but by self-organized
“teams”
an isolated event – but connected to the
international guidance movement
A “one-off”- but a beginning of a panCanadian career development, lifelong
learning and workforce development
strategy
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Working Connections
What and Where
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Gathering of Career Development
specialists, policy makers and workplace
representatives (employers and labour)
whose research, work, policies, hiring and
training practices influence the career
aspirations, directions and labour force
participation of the learner-worker
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Bank of Montreal Learning Institute, Toronto:
November 17-18, 2003
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Why now? Background and
Drivers
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Part of an International movement to
connect Career Development with
Public Policy
A response to specific
recommendations from the Innovation
and Learning Forums to:
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Strengthen our Learning Culture and
Build an Inclusive and Skilled Workforce
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International Perspective
OECD 14 country Guidance Policy
Thematic Review
“Never before have such powerful
organisations, simultaneously, had the current
intense interest in guidance policy and its links
with practice. This is not by accident:
Guidance is a pivotal part of lifelong and
lifewide learning.” (OECD Newsletter)
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Why such international interest?
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Lifelong learning is at the centre of public
policy in many countries
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Active labour market policies are being
tested in many countries to encourage fuller
workforce participation
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Many countries are facing skill shortages in
critical areas
A productive “learning and working force” is
essential to economic growth and progress.
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What had happened already in Canada?
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International Symposia, 1999 and 2001
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Alberta Symposia, 2002 and 2003
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OECD Guidance Policy Review, 2002 and
2003- Canada Country Note
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Innovations Strategy Forums, 2002 and
2003
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Career Development and Public Policy:
Bridging the Gap – Canada/OECD
Conference, 2003
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Nova Scotia Symposium, 2003
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Participants
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Provincial and Territorial Teams (N=3-14) consisting
of:
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policy makers with responsibility and influence in
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career development leaders with responsibility
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workplace representatives including industries
education, employment and/or social policy
and influence in research, training, practice and/or
professional associations
organized into Sector Councils, small to medium size
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employer representatives, and Labour
Participants (cont.)
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A team of selected representatives from key national
policy, career and employer organizations, for
example: FLMM, CMEC, CLBC, CLC, CPRN, TASC,
CCC, CCIP, NLWC, CCDF
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A team of selected national and international experts
from the OECD Thematic Review on Career Policies
and/or Research Institutes
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An HRDC Team of representatives from selected
branches whose mandates include career
development, lifelong learning and workforce
development
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Desired Symposium Outcomes
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Effective use of career development
services
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Increased knowledge by employers and
labour about practical and cost effective
ways to use career development services
to achieve specific human resource
planning and workforce goals;
Increased knowledge by policy
developers of the economic and social
impacts of career development services
and the role of policy in supporting service
provision
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Desired Symposium Outcomes (cont.)
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Increased responsiveness of career
development services
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An action agenda for career development
leaders and researchers which includes
responding directly to workforce priorities
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Desired Symposium Outcomes (cont.)
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Active ongoing partnerships
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Sustained mechanisms in each province/
territory whereby policy developers, career
development leaders, employer and labour
stakeholders continue collaboration on lifelong
learning and workforce issues; and
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A permanent pan-Canadian mechanism to
share career development research findings
and innovations for use by all provinces/
territories, as well as pan-Canadian and
international partners
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Pre-Symposium Activities
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Provincial Roundtables
Formation of Teams
Provincial/Territorial/National Organization
Pre-Symposium Papers:
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« the largest set of data ever collected on
career development in Canada »
Food for Thought Papers
Newsletters
Website: http://crccanada.org/symposium
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Pan Canadian Synthesis
Based on:
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A Review of all pre-Symposium papers
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Identification of similar issues across papers
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“Naming” the issue: Grouping the Focus
themes within each issue
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Assembling the excerpts from the papers
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Presenting them randomly
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#1 - A Coherent Strategy For
Service Delivery
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Comprehensive vision of career
development services across the lifespan
does not exist
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Current model of service delivery is
targeted and crisis based; more program
based than user need based
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Many are missed; employed and
underemployed are ignored
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#4 - Applied Research
Access and Relevance
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Workplace issues not well understood
i.e. motivation; work satisfaction;
absenteeism; retention
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Effectiveness of career development
interventions not tested or demonstrated
Research agenda with Stakeholder input
not developed
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# 7 - Lifelong Learning and
Career Development Culture
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Long Term Comprehensive Strategy
needed to:
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connect learning and career and life
goals for individuals
build career services into a continuum of
services which support learners in
making “good” choices
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#9 - Skills for Employers and
the Workplace
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Win-win strategies to meet employer
and practitioner needs are not well
developed
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worker productivity (employers)
meaningful motivating work
(practitioners)
Small employers have few resources
to support career development for
employees
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#11 - Mechanisms for Stakeholder
partnership
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Mechanisms for Stakeholder
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collaboration
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sharing of research and knowledge
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problem-solving and
supporting innovation …… not well developed
Mechanisms for consumer and worker
voices
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… not well developed
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#12 - Mechanism to support
and share Research
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Research exists but is hidden
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Promising practices are abundant but
not shared
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International research and promising
practices are abundant but not known
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#13 - Career Development in Social,
Economic and Community contexts
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Career Development goals include social
inclusion and equality of access and
opportunity
In many communities, career, community
and economic development are
inseparable
Implications for roles, training and
delivery models are significant
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Establishing Priorities
ISSUES
#1 – A Coherent Strategy for
Policy
Career Workplace Total
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30
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85
16
24
20
60
#9 – Skills for Employers and the
Workplace
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3
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#11 – Mechanisms for
Stakeholder Partnership
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12
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Service Delivery
#7 – Lifelong Learning and
Career Development Culture
#13 – Career Development in
Social, Economic and
Community Contexts
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Priority Issues For Action
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ISSUE # 1 and 7 : all stakeholders
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Coherent strategy to move lifelong learning,
career development and community development
forward
ISSUE # 11 and 13: two stakeholders
Mechanisms for Stakeholder partnership,
 Career, community,economic development
strategies
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ISSUE # 9: one stakeholder
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Skills for Employers and the Workplace
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Coherent Strategy – “Continuum
of Services” – define a vision:
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Workforce development approach;
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Individual (not program) based;
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Action agenda, critical path, accountability
measures;
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Economic model;
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Employers and parents as “customers”;
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“Inventory” of career providers and planners
needed
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Strategic Leadership
– Find mechanisms:
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Secretariat function – to communicate
actions and results; share
implementation models
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National Clearinghouse/International
Centre – good practices, applied
research, evidence-based practice
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Periodic working symposia.
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Strategic Instruments – use
them as service builders
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Standards and Guidelines for Career
Development Practitioners-what is
missing?
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Blueprint for LifeWork Designs-for
employers?
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Organization Quality Standards (U.K.)
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Common language “glossary”
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Research Panel
CRIEVAT; UBC; CPRN; CLBC; AHRSC
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Translate/share between English and
French and regions
Get career research on radar screens
of service providers
Advance the evidence base-What
should we be measuring?
Clearinghouse function which
manages, locates, sorts by
stakeholder, disseminates
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Provincial/Territorial/National
Organization Action Plans
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Working Connections: Issue No. 3
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...........and the day after.............
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The BC Team’s Goal
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To address skill shortage issues and
contribute to workforce development goals
by strengthening the role of career
development services for individuals and
employers in BC
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BC Team Objectives
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Raise awareness of the role and contributions of
career development
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Create more effective and extensive partnerships
between career practitioners, employers and
policy makers
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Improve quality and relevance of career
development services to BC’s changing economy
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Build greater accountability for results of career
development services, and build the capacity to
show improvements to the “bottom line” for
businesses and government
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Intended Outcomes for BC
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More individuals actively implementing a
meaningful future plan
More skilled and connected individuals
Increased awareness among individuals,
employers and policy makers about the
benefits of career development services
A labour market that functions efficiently
(measured by reductions in the number of
skills shortages, as well as reductions in
skills surpluses)
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What we’re doing in BC…
Follow-up teleconferences
 Roundtable on February 6
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BC Chamber / BC Career Info Partnerships
 Increase understanding of demographic shifts
 Exchange info on skill shortages
 Identify effective career development practices
 Build relationships / Explore partnerships
 Develop recommendations
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And the cost?
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Realistic action planning for BC must
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Be within existing funding
Leverage current resources and programs
Connect effectively to other initiatives
“We really can make something happen without
sea changes in policy, new programs or new
money.” - Jim Howie, BC WorkInfoNet
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Post-Symposium Activities
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Symposium Proceedings – (on-line
and published), will include all
provincial/ territorial papers, synthesis
papers and contributions from
Roundtables as well as the
proceedings themselves
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www.crccanada.org/symposium will be the ongoing resource
database for profiling and sharing
post-symposium work at provincial/
territorial/national levels.
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Post-Symposium Activities
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Follow-up recommendations
actioned and momentum sustained:
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Pan-Canadian vision – collaboration
among national organizations,
provinces and territories
Secretariat Function – track
Symposium results and spin-off
activities
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Post-Symposium Activities
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Follow-up recommendations
actioned and momentum sustained:
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National Clearinghouse with
international connections: Research,
Policy Models; Models of good practice
Periodic working Symposia
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Post-Symposium Activities (cont.)
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Outcomes reported at follow-up
Innovations Summit 2004
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International cooperation and knowledge
sharing continues:
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3rd International Symposium Canada Team
participation-Australia, 2005-06
International Centre for Career Development
and Public Policy, Canada a founding
partner.
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Post-Symposium Activities
-getting connected
Get informed:
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OECD Canada Note
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Guidance studies in 36 countries
www.oecd.org/els/education/careerguidance
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Post-Symposium Activities
-getting connected
Get informed:
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Provincial/Territorial Papers
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Symposium Proceedings
www.crccanada.org/symposium
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Post-Symposium Activities
-getting connected
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Bring results to your
organization/association
Host meetings/roundtables on
Food for Thought articles
Contribute a food for Thought
article
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Post-Symposium Activities
-getting connected
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Make contact with members of
your provincial/territorial team
and roundtable participants
Become a contributor to the
follow-up action plan
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WORKING CONNECTIONS
…….TO BE CONTINUED
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