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Tips & Training

Spring 2023 conferences for career and workforce professionals

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Whether you’re looking for opportunities to network in person or advance your learning in a virtual space, there are numerous opportunities at conferences taking place over the next few months. Check out events taking place March to June, for career development professionals, counsellors, educators, HR professionals and others who intersect with careers work.

March conferences

April conferences

May conferences

June conferences

March
The Forum (NAWB)

March 25-28 | Washington, DC

Workforce leaders are the champions their communities need. At The Forum, the largest annual workforce development conference in the United States, attendees will come together, learn from each other, and leave eager and equipped to meet the challenges of today’s dynamic landscape.

Career Thought Leaders Professional Development Symposium

March 26-29 | San Diego, CA

The speaker lineup will include thought leaders from the careers industry and outside of the industry to bring attendees resources and inspiration. The target audience includes career and leadership coaches, career services staff, professional resume writers, personal branding strategists, military transition staff and like-minded professionals who guide others in advancing their careers.

Future of Work Canada

March 27-28 | Toronto

This event focuses on the latest trends and strategies within the future of work landscape. It was created for senior executives within human resources, internal communication, change management, talent management, digital workplace, employee experience and engagement, business transformation, and diversity, equity and inclusion.

International Conference on AI in Work, Innovation, Productivity and Skills (OECD)

March 27-30 | Virtual

This conference will bring together leading voices from the policy, academic, business, technical and civil society communities to discuss how AI affects employment, skills, productivity and innovation, and how policymaking can respond.

April
All Things People Conference (Venture for Canada)

April 4 | Virtual & In-person, Toronto

This conference will explore the theme of “Unlock the potential of multi-gen teams,” looking at how to build organizations that will thrive in the multigenerational workplace shift. All Things People will bring together 400+ startup founders, CEOs and people operations leaders.

L&D Update: Training Frameworks for Strategic Human Resource Planning (HRD Canada)

April 13 | Virtual 

Learning and Development Summit Canada offers insights to stay on top in an era of skill shortages and disruptive technology. Attendees will discover a new approach to learning, employee retention, talent management, succession planning and professional development.

Talent Across Generations (HRPA)

April 13 | Virtual

This micro-conference will help attendees identify the gaps in their talent strategy. Janet Morris-Reade (ASPECT BC) and Barbara Wilson (Thrive Career Consulting) will present on “The Red-Hot Labour Market – What it Means for Employers and Jobseekers.”

2023 OCEA Spring Conference (Ontario Cooperative Education Association)

April 16-18 | Mississauga, ON

This event will bring together secondary school co-op and other forms of experiential learning teachers/educators from across Ontario for professional development and best practices sharing.

Amplify (First Work)

April 17 | Toronto

First Work is designing this summit with purposeful growth for leadership in mind and how to push the needle in future-proofing workforces. Sessions will include: Labour Market & Technology Trends Leaders Need to Know, Soft Skills for Leaders and Workplace Mental Health for Leadership.

2023 Career Development Conference: In-person Symposium (BCCDA)

April 20 | Live-streamed & In-person, Vancouver

BC’s largest annual event devoted to career development and management gives participants the space to exchange ideas, discover new opportunities, reacquaint with colleagues, meet new friends and broaden their knowledge. The conference start with a one-day Career Development Symposium and will be followed by a series of webinars, from April 25 to June 1.

CICan 2023 World Congress (Colleges and Institutes Canada & World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics)

April 23-25 | Montreal

The congress will offer participants the opportunity to connect with professionals from all over the world, attend enlightening presentations and dive deep into the theme of “Collective Intelligence.” Over 1500 participants will gather to address issues and explore innovative solutions for the post-secondary professional and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector.

Contact Conference 2023 (Saskatoon Industry Education Council)

April 25 -26 | Saskatoon

Now in its 18th year, Contact 2023 – “Amplify!” – is a professional development opportunity between career development, employment and education,  bringing speakers, presentations and relevant insightful discussions to solutions-focused participants. After a challenging year, we will continue to gain a renewed spirit and perspective on the important career development practice we are passionate about.

May
ACDC 2023 (Career Development Association of Alberta)

May 2-3 | Calgary

ACDC 2023: Growing Forward will bring together career development and related professionals for two full days of profesional development, networking and celebrating featuring:

  • World-class keynote speakers
  • Multiple streams of concurrent sessions
  • Industry recognized exhibitors
  • Expert panel presentations
  • Opportunities to connect and reflect
HR Conference & Expo (CPHR BC & Yukon)

In-person, Vancouver: May 2-3 | Virtual: May 11-12

The 2023 HR Conference & Expo, “Work Meaningfully,” will explore ideas to help your team navigate change, find deeper meaning in your work and create excellence together. This is the largest HR event in Western Canada with keynote presentations, breakout sessions, peer-to-peer dialogues and the opportunity to earn Continuing Professional Development hours.

SEMM Forum 2022 (Brainstorm Strategy Group)

May 10-11 | Virtual

When professionals learn from other institutions and share Canadian-made solutions across silos, organizational goals can be achieved and students benefit as a result. SEMM Forum provides an  opportunity for everyone on campus to have a positive and sustainable impact on the institutional outcomes that support student success.

Future Workforce: How will Canada compete? (The Globe and Mail)

May 15

There are currently more than one million vacant jobs in Canada, according to a 2022 report by Scotia Economics. Part of the solution is immigration. But there are other considerations – such as investment in education, upskilling, and training, especially in view of digital transformation. At the same time, access to affordable housing may further exacerbate labour force challenges.

APCDA Conference (Asia Pacific Career Development Association)

May 16-26 | Virtual & In-person, Kazakhstan

The APCDA Conference, a “New Look at Careers in a Rapidly Changing World,” will include delegates from many Asian countries and regions as well as other parts of the world. The conference provides opportunities for networking, sharing among practitioners and identifying new resources. Join us online or in-person to share and discover new ideas and visions of the future. All presentations will be in English.

2023 Canadian Immigration Summit (Conference Board of Canada)

May 17 | Virtual 

The 2023 Canadian Immigration Summit will bring together thought leaders and employers in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, as well as immigrants and refugees, to discuss the biggest challenges and opportunities in immigration. One of its themes explores: “Resettling Refugees for the Long Term: The Role of Employment.”

CAUCE Conference (Canadian Association for University Continuing Education)

May 17-19 | Winnipeg

The CAUCE annual conference brings together professionals in university continuing education from across Canada to share ideas and best practices, deliberate on important topics, develop and strengthen networks, and to reflect on the place of continuing education in broader society.

Canadian Association of Principals Conference 2023 

May 17-19 | Charlottetown 

PEI CAP 2023 will offer delegates an educational leadership conference experience that connects leaders together from around the world. Educational leaders will converge on PEI to share best practices, enhance skills sets, engage in research discussions, and empower one another to continue to focus their leadership journey on mental and physical well-being.

CCO Conference (Career Colleges Ontario)

May 25-26 | Niagara Falls, ON

The CCO Annual Conference is a gathering of career colleges and their stakeholders across the province in celebration of the sector, its students and the continued progress being made in recognition of the important role career colleges play in Ontario’s post-secondary education system.

CSSE Annual Conference (Canadian Society for the Study of Education)

May 27-June 1 | In-person, Toronto, with some Virtual sessions

A draft of the program will be released in early March. CSSE 2023 will include a limited number of hybrid-compatible sessions, with a priority toward sessions that focus on equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization.

ONECA Conference (Ontario Native Education Counselling Association)

May 29-31 | Sault Ste. Marie, ON

Every year, ONECA holds a three-day conference that attracts a wide spectrum of counselling delegates from across the province. It provides a venue for the mutual exchange of ideas and experiences as well as hosting a number of educational workshops and key presentations. This year’s theme is “Building Our Knowledge. Sharing Our Strengths.”

VRA Canada and CAVEWAS Training Day 2023 Conference

May 30-June 2 | Victoria

VRA Canada represents vocational rehabilitation professionals. The conference will feature an inspiring keynote and seven other sessions reflecting the conference theme of “Focusing on the Future.”

Unlocking Potential 2023

May 31-June 1 | Montreal

This two-day conference will explore the following questions:

  • How can the economic potential of Québec’s English-speaking community be unlocked?
  • What kind of employment services need to be developed and offered?
  • How does the skills training ecosystem need to evolve to improve the English-speaking community’s employability?
Disrupted Futures 2023: International lessons on how schools can best equip students for their working lives (OECD)

May 31-June 2 | Virtual

Young people are entering the labour market more educated and with greater ambition than any previous generation, but in many countries, they still struggle to find good employment. In order to support the continued improvement of the evidence base and identification of connected effective practice and policy, the OECD encourages policymakers, practitioners and scholars to share their work on the career development of children and young people.

June
CACUSS 2023: Honour, Engage, Evolve (Canadian Association of College & University Student Services)

June 4-7 | Niagara Falls, ON

Join CACUSS in June 2023 to Honour our past, Engage each other and Evolve our professional practice as a community. Following a successful virtual conference in 2022, this year will offer more networking, more social activities and more opportunities for connection.

NACE Conference + Expo (National Association of Colleges and Employers)

In-person, Lake Buena Vista, Florida: June 5-7 | Virtual: June 28-29

NACE23 is the premier gathering for college career services and corporate recruiting professionals to learn about leading practices and trends, engage with globally recognized subject matter experts, and to network and connect with each other.

World Supported Employment Conference (Canadian Association for Supported Employment, Inclusion BC, the BC Employment Network and the World Association for Supported Employment)

June 6-8 | Vancouver

This year’s CASE Conference is on the theme of “Unlocking the Inclusive Economy.” Through 30+ sessions and workshops led by leaders and innovators in the field of supported employment, delegates will have the opportunity to explore best practices, innovative solutions to common challenges, the latest trends and research findings, and opportunities for networking and community building.

Summit on the Aging Workforce (Edmonton Chamber of Commerce and CPHR Alberta)

June 8 | Edmonton

With widespread labour and workforce talent shortages threatening growth and sustainability, many organizations are looking at their recruitment and retention strategies. Mature workers, those that are 55 years or older, make up nearly 20% of the labour force and can help offset existing and future labour shortages, and mentor younger workers. During this full-day conference, participants will hear from a panel of experts, keynote speakers and business leaders on the future of the aging workforce.

2023 Supporting Women in Trades Conference (Canadian Apprenticeship Forum)

June 10-12 | Winnipeg

The 2023 SWiT Conference will bring together Canada’s tradeswomen and their allies including employers, labour representatives, government, educators, community partners and experts in diversity, equity and inclusion. Delegates will share experiences, learn strategies, gain skills and connect with resources to bring back and implement in their workplaces.

2023 Longevity Forum (What’s neXT?!)

June 14 | Toronto and Virtual

This event will bring together a multi-disciplinary group of local and global thinkers, influencers, and decision-makers to explore the many opportunities that greater longevity offers to employers, governments, learning institutions and society at large.

CEWIL 2023 (Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada)

June 18-21 | Halifax

CEWIL Conference 2023 – WIL: A Sea of Opportunity – is designed to inspire attendees to expand the possibilities for the field of work-integrated learning. Attendees will have the chance to network with faculty and WIL Practitioners, hear about the latest research in the field and learn new strategies for dealing with shared issues.

CPHR United! Atlantic Conference (CPHR Atlantic)

June 20-21 | Halifax

The first-ever Atlantic HR Conference and Trade Show, CPHR United, offers a highly interactive conference experience with activities, networking, renowned speakers, breakout sessions, a trade show and prizes. It will touch on current HR topics such as Indigenous Recruitment, DEI within the Learning & Development Strategy, Atlantic Economic Updates and more.

IAEVG International Conference 2023 (International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance)

June 28-30 | The Netherlands

The theme of the conference is “Life Long Development as a standard.” The labour market is changing rapidly and challenges like sustainability and climate change require people to constantly acquire new knowledge and skills. The key is to stay on top of these developments by learning and development.

Lindsay Purchase Administrator
Lindsay Purchase is the Editor of CERIC’s CareerWise website and CareerWise Weekly newsletter. She has a background in journalism, having worked previously as a digital editor and reporter. Lindsay is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University’s Global Studies program and Toronto Metropolitan University’s Food Security certificate program.
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Lindsay Purchase Administrator
Lindsay Purchase is the Editor of CERIC’s CareerWise website and CareerWise Weekly newsletter. She has a background in journalism, having worked previously as a digital editor and reporter. Lindsay is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University’s Global Studies program and Toronto Metropolitan University’s Food Security certificate program.
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