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
Evolution to
Working Connections

….small beginnings

…….OECD Study

……….International shift

…………..Pan-Canadian shift?
2
Objectives

Provide the evolutionary context and
perspective – the bigger picture;

Situate Canada’s response – pan-Canadian
and in the bigger picture;

Present questions and challenges about
where to from here including role of FLMM.
3
Issues in Common

Lifelong learning is at the centre of public
policy in many countries

Lifelong learning is essential to economic
growth and progress.
Active labour market policies are being
tested in many countries to encourage fuller
workforce participation
Many countries are facing skill shortages in
critical areas


4
Issues in Common

Contributions of career development
increasingly evident in producing:




Effective learners
Effective employees
Reductions in social exclusion
Effective skill development and
learning system foundation
5
Issues in common

Labour Markets are increasingly complex
and dynamic and require a strong skills
development and learning system

Strategic contributions of career
development services to such a system are
underutilized and/or untested
6
Among 1999 & 2001
Recommendations:



OECD invite participation of member
countries in a review of Career Guidance
Policies
Nations undertake parallel national
Symposia with same objective to bridge
policy and practice
International collaboration continue and
periodic Symposia (3-5 yrs) occur, each to
dig deeper on specific issues in common
7
In the end:


Canada joined the study
 Federally and
 Provinces of B.C., Saskatchewan,
Québec, P.E.I.
Aim of Study….
 to look at career guidance polices and
services and workforce issues and
challenges as a strategic policy
response to lifelong learning
8
Canada Country Note: What the
OECD Observed

Canadian Strengths:
Extent and quality of career and labour
market information
 Development of creative resources
 Development of strategic instruments
(Standards and Guidelines; Blueprint)
 Creative support for partnerships and third
sector initiatives (CCC; Canada
WorkInfoNet; Career Circuit; Edge)

9
OECD Observations

Canadian Challenges:
No national body providing overall
coordination and leadership
 No policy to ensure access to career
development services as portals for learning
and work across the lifespan
 Focus on producing information rather that
effective use of information

10
OECD Observations

Canadian Challenges (cont’d):
Crisis model of service delivery for adults
 No coherent and consistent career
development framework in education
 Standards for services do not exist

11
OECD Observations
“Lifelong learning agenda potentially opens up a
much wider view in which all Canadians are
encouraged and supported in planning the
development of their skills, learning and work
throughout life”.
“We hope..(our analyses and suggestions )… help
Canada implement its lifelong learning agenda
and maintain its international leadership role in
the career development field”.
12
International Agenda:
36 Country Career Guidance
Policy Reviews:



OECD: 14 countries
EU: all member states and
acceding countries
World Bank: 7 middle-income
countries
13
International Perspective
“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)
14
Four Main Questions
1.
Why does career development matter for
public policy?...good idea in
principle?......effective in practice?
2.
How can services be delivered more
effectively?...youth; adults; workplaces;
widening access; providing information
more effectively
15
Four Main Questions
3.
How should career guidance be
resourced?....staffing…funding…
4.
How can strategic leadership be
improved?....legislation….standards…
consumer voice….
16
Canada’s Leadership





International Symposia, 1999 and 2001
OECD Review: federal; B.C., Sask.,
Québec; PEI
Bridging the Gap: Policy Dissemination
Conference, Oct/03
Provincial Symposia: Alberta, N.S., B.C.
Working Connections: Pan-Canadian:
Nov/03
17
Working Connections Vision:
The Symposium will not be:





an “event” – success will be determined by
pre-work and follow-up action
a “conference” – but a working session
attended by individuals– but by selforganized “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
18
Pre-Symposium Activities






Provincial Roundtables
Formation of Teams
Provincial/Territorial/National Organization
Pre-Symposium Papers:
 « the largest set of data ever collected
on career development in Canada »
Food for Thought Papers
Newsletters
Website: http://crccanada.org/symposium
19
Who attended:
150 Participants organized into Provincial and
Territorial Teams (N=3-14) consisting of:
 policy makers: education, employment
and/or social policy
 career development leaders : research,
training, practice and/or professional
associations
 workplace representatives: Sector Councils,
small to medium size employer
representatives, and Labour
20
Participants (cont.)

A National Organization Team: selected
representatives from FLMM, CMEC, CLBC, CLC,
CPRN, TASC, CCC, CCIP, NLWC, CCDF

An HRDC Team: selected branches whose
mandates include career development, lifelong
learning and workforce development

A subject-matter expert team: from the OECD
Thematic Review on Career Policies and/or
Research Institutes
21
Desired Outcomes:

Increased knowledge by employers
and labour about how 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
22
Desired Symposium Outcomes (cont.)

An action agenda for career
development leaders and
researchers which includes
responding directly to
workforce priorities
23
Desired Symposium Outcomes (cont.)


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
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
24
Pre-Symposium Papers

Strengths and Weaknesses:

Education; transitions; workplaces;
marginalized;

Key Challenges in Learning System and
Workforce Development:

Current and desired response of career
development
25
Pre-Symposium Papers

Collaboration –by whom/for whom/ to
what end :


Career Development for Employers and
Policy Developers
Employers and Policy Developers for
Career Development Practitioners
26
Pan Canadian Synthesis
Based on:



A Review of all pre-Symposium papers
Identification of similar issues across
papers
“Naming” the issue: Grouping the
themes within each issue
27
Pan Canadian Synthesis

15 Issues:

LMI Specific Issues

Highest Priority Issues among Stakeholders
28
LMI Issues For Action: #3

LMI strong but imperfect – voids and
concerns:
 Labour shortages – not enough LMI
 Limited Economic Development Areas
– limited and underdeveloped LMI
 Forward thinking LMI limited – i.e.
emerging rural opportunities
 LMI to support parents very limited
 Disconnect between distribution and
use
29
LMI Issues For Action: #6

Information Giving Model has transformed
to Career Management Skills model



Services need to be increasingly shaped by
employer and workplace needs
Mediators of information require training as
mediators of skills
Experiential workplace learning and work
“tasting” and tools to support these
increasingly needed
30
LMI Issues For Action: #15

Contribution of Career Development to
meeting labour force and skill shortage
issues insufficient
 More reliable LMI on careers in demand
 Shift in educator attitudes re PSE
options necessary
 Realignment of public/parent career
expectations needed
31
#1 - A Coherent Strategy For
Service Delivery

Comprehensive vision of career
development services across the lifespan
does not exist

Current model of service delivery is
targeted and crisis based; more program
based than user need based

Many are missed; employed and
underemployed are ignored
32
#4 - Applied Research
Access and Relevance

Workplace issues not well understood
i.e. motivation; work satisfaction;
absenteeism; retention

Research agenda with Stakeholder
input not developed
-
Effectiveness of career development
interventions not tested or
demonstrated
33
# 7 - Lifelong Learning and
Career Development Culture

Long Term Comprehensive Strategy
needed to:


connect learning and career and life
goals for individuals
build career services into a continuum
of services which support learners in
making “good” choices
34
#9 - Skills for Employers and
the Workplace

Win-win strategies to meet employer
and practitioner needs are not well
developed



worker productivity (employers)
meaningful motivating work
(practitioners)
Small employers have few resources
to support career development for
employees
35
#11 - Mechanisms for Stakeholder
partnership

Mechanisms for Stakeholder

collaboration

sharing of research and knowledge



problem-solving and
supporting innovation …… not well developed
Mechanisms for consumer and worker
voices ….. not well developed
36
#12 - Mechanism to support
and share Research

Research exists but is hidden

Promising practices are abundant
but not shared

International research and
promising practices are abundant
but not known
37
#13 - Career Development in Social,
Economic and Community contexts

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
38
Establishing Priorities
ISSUES
#1 – A Coherent Strategy for
Policy
Career Workplace Total
33
30
22
85
16
24
20
60
#9 – Skills for Employers and
the Workplace
4
3
24
31
#11 – Mechanisms for
Stakeholder Partnership
7
19
28
54
28
24
12
64
Service Delivery
#7 – Lifelong Learning and
Career Development Culture
#13 – Career Development in
Social, Economic and
Community Contexts
39
Priority Issues For Action

ISSUE # 1 and 7 : all stakeholders


Coherent strategy to move lifelong learning,
career development and community
development forward
ISSUE # 11 and 13: two stakeholders
Career, community,economic development
strategies



Mechanisms for Stakeholder partnership
ISSUE # 9: one stakeholder

Skills for Employers and the Workplace
40
Actual Outcomes:



Increased knowledge of each
stakeholder of the contributions and
realities of the other;
Action Plans for 6 month; 1 year and 3
years developed by all teams;
Stated Commitment to ongoing
collaboration on action plans and
value of periodic Symposia
41
Actions in response to
Recommendations:

Research Roundtable – March, 04:



Research Working Group formed
Evidence-based practice top priority
Focus on disseminating accessible
and practical applied research in
French and English
42
Actions in response to
Recommendations:

Increased Secretariat function – to
communicate actions and results; share
implementation models

National Clearinghouse– Food for Thought;
good practices, applied research, evidencebased practice; manage, locate, sort by
stakeholder, disseminate
43
Actions in response to
Recommendations:

Use of Strategic Instruments to support a
coherent service deliver strategy:





Standards and Guidelines for Career
Development Practitioners-what is missing?
Blueprint for LifeWork Designs-for
employers?
Career and LMI Service and Product
Guidelines
Organization Quality Standards (U.K.)
Common language “glossary”
44
Actions in response to
Recommendations:

Plans for a follow-up pan-Canadian
Symposium in 2005-06 to:

Report on action plan implementation

Review evidence base for practice

Address specific agreed-upon issues indepth
45
Actions in response to
Recommendations:

International cooperation and knowledge
sharing continues:
 3rd
International Symposium Canada
Team participation-Australia, 2005-06
 International
Centre for Career
Development and Public Policy, Canada a
founding partner to date
46
Despite all this……..

HRSDC is no longer active in career
development and career information
products – the focus is on workforce
development –

“The case has not been made”……….
47
Despite all this……..

Career development is not visible on
the agendas of FLMM or CMEC

Governments have a critical role in
providing strategic leadership
(OECD); pan-Canadian government
leadership is inconsistent
48
Despite all this……..

The OECD Study and its observations
are receiving minimal attention
relative to other countries, despite
Canada having hosted the final
dissemination conference
49
The Economic Case…
Social exclusion costs:12-20% of GDP
(EU);
1% inclusion=$100 billion
Education and training errors cost:
Type 1 errors: not choosing education
and training commensurate with
abilities;
1% retention=$600 million
50
The Economic Case…
Type 2 errors: choosing areas in which interest
and motivation are lost (Mayston, Hughes and
Gration, York University, UK)
1% reduction in health costs=$800 million
51
Benefits of Career Development

40% of earning power is explained through
conventional measures (education; gender;
parents’ education)

60% is explained by motivation and personal
characteristics (individual ability to manage,
develop and use own talents)

(OECD, “Rethinking Human Capital”, 2002)
52
What is happening elsewhere
in the OECD? For example:

Australia: 4.5 million to advance 4 specific
OECD recommendations including career
development on top 10 priority school
reforms and national standards and
reporting system under development

Ireland: committed expertise for 3 years to
the ICCDPP
53
For example:

EU – EU Council Resolution on
strengthening policies, systems and
practices in Lifelong Career Guidance in
Europe presented in March, 04

New Zealand – Public Service undertaking
to take the lead on modelling workforce
career development practice ….etc…etc
54
The Career Development Field
needs to (among other things)




Develop the evidence base further
Develop a stronger occupational
structure and more consistent
standards and qualifications
Transform delivery methods
Respond much more directly to
workplace issues and needs
55
Strategic co-ordination and
leadership are needed




In collaboration with stakeholders
To ensure that educational and
employment information are integrated
To develop career development services as
a coherent system
So that career development services play
their role in strategies for lifelong learning
linked to sustained employability
56
Strategic co-ordination and
leadership are needed
This cannot come from the career
development field alone
57
UK Model for consideration




National IAG Board – brings relevant
government departments together
Guidance Council – brings stakeholders
together including employers
Federation of Professional Associations –
brings professional groups together
IAG Partnerships – brings to gather local
adult guidance providers
58
Pan-Canadian Model………
Questions for consideration:

Is pan-Canadian strategic leadership at
government levels needed to build
coherent career development services to
support lifelong learning and workforce
development goals?

If yes, what is the enhanced role needed
from FLMM and CMEC? From others?
59
Snippets of OECD
Recommendations



Canada’s federal system-a natural
laboratory to test innovation, share
benefits, exchange practices
Concerted strategy for “work studies
and work experience” in core curricula
(CMEC)
Guidance oriented school in Québec –
should be monitored by other
provinces
60
Snippets of OECD
Recommendations


Immediate review of current provision
in universities and colleges (CMEC)
Employment Centres converted to
career development centres to include
comprehensive information on
learning and work, with well trained
information support staff (FLMM;
LMDA’s; HRSD)
61
Snippets of OECD
Recommendations



Clear branding of new career development
centres
Initiate a program to recognize
employers/organizations that meet
standards of good practice in HRD
LMI based more on skills and
competencies; LMI to broaden access;
more cross-pathing between information on
learning and work opportunities (FLMM)
62
Snippets of OECD
Recommendations

Strategic leadership in relation to
lifelong learning needs to embrace
leadership in relation to career
development (FLMM; CMEC;
HRSDC; LMDA’s)
63
Pan-Canadian Model………
Questions for consideration:

What additional steps need to be
taken to “make the case”?

What ongoing contributions can be
made by sustaining the Symposium
vision, actions and
recommendations?
64


WORKING CONNECTIONS
…….TO BE CONTINUED
65
www.crccanada.org/symposium

the ongoing resource database for postsymposium work at provincial/
territorial/national levels; Symposium
Proceedings available

Symposium Papers and Proceedings –
Available in print from www.ccdf.ca

-the database for the 36 country study
www.oecd.org/els/education/careerguidance
66