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The career development sector is on the verge of launching national certification. Our field is poised for transformative change, with competency-based certification and industry standards set to shine a spotlight on the expertise and professionalism of Canadian Career Development Professionals.
In our recent CareerWise article, we profiled the genesis of national certification for Canadian Career Development Professionals (CDPs) and the long and winding road that brought us to the brink of its launch. The article celebrated the multitude of CDPs who volunteered their precious time to make national certification happen and reminded us that this initiative has focused on defining and reinforcing our practice to ensure our profession’s strength, stability and impact.
For over two decades, every provincial career development association has been meeting regularly to agree on the best approach to certification. Over the years, hundreds (if not thousands) of CDPs have added their voices to shape it. As the Career Certification Team prepares to launch our CDP-created and owned certification, we honour and thank everyone who made this dream a reality! Here’s what you can expect in the coming months.
Our way forward
Our sector has chosen a competency-based approach to certification to enhance inclusivity and adaptability in response to evolving labour market needs. We collaborated with an occupational standards expert and CDPs from across the country. We assembled a Technical Working Group to create competency-based assessment tools and processes, including multiple-choice exam questions and scenario-based structured interview questions.
“Our sector has chosen a competency-based approach to certification to enhance inclusivity and adaptability in response to evolving labour market needs.”
A National Certification Advisory Committee (NCAC) was established with members from diverse regions of Canada, selected through an application process and rigorous criteria to ensure a wide range of perspectives, experiences and competencies. The Nova Scotia Career Development Association (NSCDA), with support from their provincial government, has stepped up to form a dedicated Career Certification team to administer a bilingual national certification, working closely with the NCAC and CCDF. The aim is for the NCAC to transition from their current advisory role to full governance in the future.
Preparation
This past summer, the full national certification program (including all the tools) was tested with a group of CDPs representing the diversity of our sector. The response to the volunteer call for this pilot was astounding, enabling the Career Certification team to conduct a robust test of the entire process. The data from the pilot has been analyzed and adjustments made to ensure that every assessment item is fair and evaluates what is intended. The goal is to ensure the process for candidates is welcoming, clear and inclusive.
Check out Part 1 of this two-part article series: The road to national certification: Futureproofing career development
It is difficult to imagine the multitude of policies, protocols and processes that need to be in place for a successful launch of national certification. The NCAC and the Career Certification team continue to work tirelessly to set us on a good path forward. Despite all these efforts, we know there will be glitches and challenges, and that policies, protocols and processes will need to be revisited and revised as we move forward. Know that the NCAC and Career Certification Team are committed to striving for excellence and will continue to adjust as we access feedback and learn more about the sector’s needs.
Launch
Certification will be officially launched on Dec. 10, 2024. Between now and then, you can expect regular updates and more detailed information about the application processes. If you are already certified as a CCDP provincially, you will be invited to be “legacied” into the national certification process and will not be required to complete the competency assessment process. New applicants will be guided and supported through every step of the application process by the Career Certification team.
If you have any questions or want to be sure to get updates moving forward, please contact us or subscribe to our updates.
The road to national certification has indeed been long and winding, but one that we will continue to travel together as a sector! This certification is OURS; we hope we can continue to collaborate with all CDPs to ensure it is a vehicle to strengthen our profile, our reach and our impact as a profession.
