3CD was invited to present to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities on the critical connections between career development and poverty reduction.  Here are the Speaking Notes for this presentation.

 International Symposium for Career Development and Public Policy: In 1999, Canada hosted the first international symposium on career development and public policy.  The 7th Symposium was held in the United States in June 2015.  Read the resulting communique: Building the Talent Pipeline and Providing Youth with Hope for the Future.

The purpose of these symposia has been clear and simple – to bridge the gap between those who lead our field with respect to research and practice with those who are responsible for policy and funding support for career services.

Other countries have made significant strides in building legislative/policy support for career services:

• Australia published its National Career Development Strategy in 2013
• Skills Development Scotland issued its 2012-2015 Strategy
• The National Career Council has been formally engaged to advise the British Government on its strategic vision for a national career service
• A recent review of legislation related to career development across EU countries demonstrates considerable policy support for entitlement to career services

Increasingly, Career Development Practitioners in Canada and around the world are realizing the importance of learning how to talk about what we do in a way that people outside of our field (parents, working Canadians, youth, retirees, employers, policy makers and funders) understand and get excited about.

That’s a job for each and every one of us…. To do it, we need language that connects and compels – and the initiative to talk up what we do at every opportunity, write to politicians and advocate for policy and funding support for our vital work.

Youth unemployment and underemployment is being recognized as a critical issue globally.  The European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network commissioned a paper to examine the crisis and the role of career services in addressing it.  In Canada, the National Youth Employment Coalition is taking leadership on this issue.