Executive Summary from CERIC Grant – February 2009

   The proposed project will promote the development, analysis, and assessment of current counselling and career development theories and practices in Canada by developing a Canadian-authored text that includes a critical analysis of current theories and Canadian research and an evaluation of the effectiveness of interventions. The publication will foster a professional identity in the field of career counselling and development by providing students with Canadian specific knowledge of theory, by increasing awareness of successful Canadian career programs, and by presenting material that includes the voices of Canadian practitioners, researchers, and theorists.

   The idea for the current project emerged from the Advancement of Career Counsellor Education in Canada Think Tank, Montreal, October 21 – 22, 2006. The think tank consisted of counsellor educators across Canada who taught career counselling courses at the undergraduate and graduate level at various post secondary institutions. The primary issue that arose amongst the group members concerned having an appropriate resource to inform their teaching practice that was contextually supported. An on-line needs assessment determined that having access to a career counselling textbook with a Canadian focus would further contribute to best practice by emphasizing Canadian statistics, identification of successful Canadian programs, exploration of social issues for special populations and regional issues, and discussion of theoretical frameworks to address issues of diversity within a Canadian context.

   A review of Canadian career-related books confirms a large number of books aimed at clients and the general population. Academic books with a Canadian career development focus are rare. Current academic books consist of either traditional career development textbooks or career counselling guides. Traditional American career texts compartmentalize theory and practice and do not situate the issues within a Canadian context. Career counselling guides focus primarily on integrating introductory counselling skills to address process issues without taking into account contextually career relevant Canadian issues impacting on the session. Post secondary instructors are in need of material that will help them to teach more effectively; to apply career development concepts in a theoretically sound manner; and to integrate a Canadian context to better inform practice.

   This textbook will be designed for use as the primary general textbook for a Career Development course at the junior/senior level within an undergraduate degree program or at the college level. Activities will consist of three phases over a 2.5 year span with the potential of a phase four, the creation of a French language version of the text. Ethical consent will be requested in order to survey the detailed needs of Canadian institutions and to obtain feedback on the structure of the book and the proposed chapter content. Outcomes from the project will be disseminated by sending one copy of the text to each institution that participated in the survey. Additionally, presentations on issues that emerged in the writing related to Canadian career development and research will be presented at national and provincial career conferences in Canada.