PROFESSIONALIZING THE FRONT-LINES: CERTIFIED CAREER PRACTITIONER TRAINING IN CANADA Donnalee Bell & Sareena Hopkins Canadian Career Development Foundation – IAEVG 2011

Session Objectives  Provide background on the training itself – the competency framework on which it is built, the depth and breadth of the courses and associated certification options;  Highlight significant results of the training;  Explore key elements of the training that, from our perspective, have contributed to these results;  Open the floor to questions and exchange on this and other innovative training being offered around the world.

What makes for a quality training experience?

Background  OECD Report: recommended improved training systems for career & employment service deliverers  Training remains high on the agenda of the International Symposia on Career Development & Public Policy  In Canada, while we have the Canadian Standards & Guidelines for Career Development Practitioners (S & Gs) training has been inconsistent and certification is only recently emerging

In a recent survey of over 900 career & employment service providers:  50% of practitioners have had less that 2 formal courses in career development.  As a result of the dynamic labour market, clients are having more complex career service needs. Yet, service delivery has remained quite traditional.  There is a disconnect between the agreement of practitioners for the need to have highly developed competencies in foundational and emerging areas and the lack of an established or strongly rooted professional development culture within the sector.

Canadian Council of Career Development Associations (CCCDA)  Formed to strengthen professional identity and promote national consistency and cohesion in certification standards and quality training;  Brings together the leadership of each provincial/territorial association to collaborate on common issues, share resources and come together as a national advocacy voice for our field.

Competency-Based Training For staff, this:  Grounds the training in their workplace realities and facilitates the application of learning once they return to work following training.  Makes it very clear what specific competencies they need to develop in order to move within their organization  Gives them a clear sense of their own strengths and challenges as they manage their own ongoing career development – within their organization and/or as they pursue new opportunities elsewhere

Competency-Based Training For organizations considering staff training, this approach:  Means that the organizations gets really clear on what people actually need to know and be able to do in order to do their jobs well  Helps them to manage staffing and training in a way that is inextricably linked to the fundamental reasons they are in business  Helps them to plan ahead with targeted training to meet their specific and unique needs

Competency-Based Training This approach facilitates:  PLAR  Applications for the recognition of training by certifying bodies and/or PSE programs – an increasing number of which are rationalized to the Canadian Standards and Guidelines or a variation thereof  Mobility of practitioners

Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Development Practitioners (S & Gs)  Core competencies – those required for ethical, effective practice regardless of delivery setting  Specialization competencies – those required for specific functions  Assessment  Facilitated and Individual Group Learning  Career Counselling  Information & Resources Management  Work Development  Community Capacity Building

Training Strategy  Needs assessment  Development of tailored Training Strategy (including certification)  Course development and delivery  Ongoing evaluation and development

Needs Assessment  Adoption of S & Gs  Engagement of staff at all levels in internal review of competency requirements  Self-assessment of mastery of relevant competencies by all staff (using Taking Charge  About organizational development and quality service – NOT performance appraisal!

Development of Tailored Training Strategies Common pattern of competency gaps found across the country… with key differences reflecting labour market realities, access to relevant post-secondary training regionally, employer HR policies, culture and language.

Course Development & Delivery Courses focused around the following themes:  Career Development & Counselling Theories  Career Development & Counselling Process  Career Development & Counselling Challenges  Using Labour Market Information in Employment Counselling  Facilitating Client Learning  Assessment  Work Search  Community Capacity Building

Course Development & Delivery  Courses range from 29 to 45 hours in duration each.  Some are delivered face-to-face, but increasingly we are using a blended delivery model incorporating pre- and post-course assignments supported by 2.0 technologies (course blog).  Training in Northern/remote communities  Post-course assignments to promote application of learning in the workplace – with onsite manager support  EVGP certification/post-secondary Career Development Certificate

Results  Evaluation of Mastery: student mastery of specific competencies is assessed post-pre, with students assessing where they are upon completion of the training and, looking back, where they now believe they were before they took the training. This kind of assessment has been demonstrated to be more accurate than a straight pre-post evaluation.  Tracking of Course-Specific Results: Following each course, students complete a formal assessment of the extent to which the course objectives were achieved learning was integrated and application is expected to result in positive changes to client services.  Client and organizational outcomes: We are just beginning to experiment with collecting associated client changes and supervision practices.

Results  100% reported that they had been able to apply the training and associated tools and strategies with their clients;  100% reported that the training improved their service delivery to clients and personally influenced them as a service provider;  100% found the training and associated materials to be relevant and useful;  % reported improved mastery of relevant competencies.

Results From a manager: [This training] program is providing [my staff] with a much deeper understanding of how to deal with individual clients and their needs... and will make [my staff] a much stronger counsellor. I understand the training is intense and [my staff] has a clear action plan to complete the modules in a reasonable timeframe.

Results From a participant: [This training] deeply impacted the way I think about my practice. I now have an intense heightened awareness of the Employment Counselling process…. Again, an incredible course and if I could, I would say ALL practitioners in this field should be required to attend - it was that beneficial!

Key Contributors to Success  Engage all levels within the organization from the outset – be transparent and consultative.  Carve out and support via tailored training the integral role managers play in fostering and nurturing a culture of learning, risk and application in the workplace.  Acknowledge from the outset that professional development and organizational development go hand in hand.

Key Contributors to Success  Ground the training in the realities of existing front- line practice – meet people where they are and then push the boundaries of excellence.  Ground the training in cultural values and realities – learning is a two-way street.  Invest in your trainers – the best content in the world will fall flat if trainers do not have requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes to facilitate the learning.

Key Contributors to Success  Acknowledge and harness the wealth of experience and expertise in adult learners.  Promote a culture of evaluation from the outset – reinforce it through the training and support it at all levels within the organization - results foster pride, confidence and ongoing funding!  Focus explicitly on learning transfer to ensure the training is much more than a positive experience for participants – it must result in improved service delivery to clients.  Embrace a philosophy of abundance – all the courses are shared freely between provinces/territories.

Questions/Discussion Donnalee Bell: Sareena Hopkins: Thank You!!