Each Tuesday on CareerWise, we share the career development “reports that caught our eye” that week. Topics vary widely, from unemployment rates, to skills development, to career services and much more.
In no particular order, the reports below are among those that stood out this year – but they’re only a small snapshot of what has been produced. What research was most informative for your work in 2021? Share in the comments below!
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Are Adults Making Use of Career Services in Canada? (LMIC)
This November 2021 report found that large numbers of Canadians are not accessing career services, either because they are not aware of them, don’t feel the need for them or face access barriers. Among the takeaways:
- Almost one in five adults aged 25-64 have received career services in the past five years
- Men, those with post-secondary education, immigrants and unemployed people are more likely to use career services
Barriers to employment and training for equity-seeking groups (SRDC)
Groups underrepresented in Canada’s labour market also tend to be among the least well served by training and employment programs. There is a need to better understand the intersecting factors that pose barriers to these equity-seeking groups in accessing and benefiting from these programs, and in achieving employment success. This May 2021 report provided an overview of up-to-date research in this area.
Digital Talent Outlook 2025 (ICTC)
This August 2021 report forecasted that by 2025, employment in the Canadian digital economy will reach 2.26 million, which will trigger a demand for an additional 250,000 jobs. Changes in consumer behaviour, accelerated digitization and the adoption of new technologies brought on by the pandemic are likely to have significant effects on productivity, innovation and the workforce going forward.
Immigration and the Success of Canada’s Post-Pandemic Economy (Public Policy Forum)
Although Canada welcomes many immigrants, it is not creating an employment environment where they can use their skills and credentials to their fullest potential, PPF observed in this May 2021 report. Immigrants have been disproportionately affected by decimated hospitality and service sectors due to recurring pandemic lockdowns. The report suggested that entrepreneurship is an employment option that is attractive to many immigrants, but is often overlooked by policy-makers.
Investing in career guidance (Cedefop, European Commission, ETF, ILO, OECD, UNESCO)
Effective career guidance helps individuals to reach their potential, economies to become more efficient and societies to become fairer. It is critical to the smooth transitions of people as they make choices about education and training and to mobility and integration within the labour market. In this 2021 booklet, six international organizations share their vision of the strategic role of career guidance in our changing world.
Making Sense of Microcredentials (HEQCO)
HEQCO surveyed employers, working-age Canadians and representatives from post-secondary institutions on their experiences, awareness and perception of micro-credentials. Published in May 2021, this report revealed that many are unaware of micro-credentials. It also found that among those who are aware, there remains a great deal of confusion about what micro-credentials are and whom they serve.
2021 Maternity Leave Experience Report (Moms at Work)
Moms at Work surveyed 1,090 Canadian women who had taken maternity leave from their workplace in the past 10 years. Among the findings: 95% did not receive any formal support during their mat leave transition; 40% considered quitting during the return-to-work process; and 79% felt their return to work could have been managed better.
Responsive Career Pathways (Future Skills Centre and Blueprint)
In December 2021, FSC and Blueprint released nine reports as part of the Responsive Career Pathways Initiative, which aims to identify bold career guidance solutions to support people facing career transitions. The papers include: The Career Development Profession in Canada and the Emergence of Online/Multi-Modal Practice Delivery; A Roadmap for Change: Building Responsive Career Pathways in a Post-Pandemic World; Breaking Down Barriers to Career Development; and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Responsive Career Pathways.
Thinking about the future: Career readiness insights from national longitudinal surveys and from practice (OECD)
This paper explored how teenage thinking about jobs and careers relates to adulthood labour market outcomes. The June 2021 findings provided further evidence that teenage career ambition, certainty, alignment, instrumental motivation and broad occupational expectations relate to positive employment outcomes, including in periods of economic turbulence.
Yesterday’s Gone: Exploring the future of Canada’s labour market in a post-COVID world (Brookfield Institute)
This February 2021 report explored a broad range of trends with the potential to impact Canada’s labour market over the coming decade – many of which have been accelerated, disrupted or created by COVID-19. Trends included Our Lives Online, Climate in Crisis, Reconciliation + Anti-Racism and Technology to the Rescue.
