|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By: Jennifer Browne, Tony Botelho, Arfa Dar, Darlene Hnatchuk and Felicity Morgan
Even with past global career development conferences under our belts, arriving in Belfast for the Global Career Services Summit (GCSS) in March 2025 felt especially timely – the pace of change in AI, the shifting geopolitical landscape and the urgency around student futures made this year’s conversations hit differently. Here’s what surprised us, what stuck with us and what we think Canadian CDPs need to be thinking about now. From agility and data to AI and leadership, the themes of this year’s summit offered both urgency and opportunity.
Conversations that sparked change
Although the presentations offered useful insights, the greatest value came from informal table discussions. These peer conversations allowed for honest, cross-cultural exchanges that helped participants think beyond the frameworks of their home institutions.
The real benefit of GCSS is being exposed to a diversity of approaches and encourages being more open-minded and flexible in thinking about what’s possible.
This collaborative atmosphere allowed professionals to reflect critically on their practices, borrow ideas and stretch their assumptions – essential skills in a rapidly changing world of work.
Innovation in Action: From Manchester to Zurich
Several institutions shared specific, actionable strategies that inspired attendees. Multiple U.K. institutions implemented mandatory, four-question student surveys in their careers platforms that were meant to identify where students were in their career journeys (e.g. Discover, Develop, Apply, Sorted). Designed to capture career-related needs, the survey results enabled targeted, personalized student support. The effectiveness came not from complexity, but from thoughtful execution and responsiveness.
The University of Galway highlighted a different data-driven strategy: using a rolling two-week snapshot of student engagement to tailor outreach and events based on career readiness. This dynamic targeting improved participation and ensured relevance.
Meanwhile, the University of Zurich introduced an engagement heat map and dashboard system that tracks the quality of student interactions and shares results with both staff and students. The visual insights allow for strategic planning and encourage students to reflect on their own engagement levels.
A common set of global challenges
Despite national and institutional differences, a recurring theme emerged: the challenges facing career services are deeply shared. Canadian participants discussed growing difficulty in attracting and supporting international students – a concern echoed by peers around the globe.
U.S. institutions, meanwhile, expressed growing pressure to prove the value of higher education in an era of public skepticism. Rising demands for outcomes and accountability have created what some called an “existential threat” to traditional academic models.
“Despite national and institutional differences, a recurring theme emerged: the challenges facing career services are deeply shared.”
The summit reaffirmed that these issues are not isolated. Institutions everywhere are navigating similar terrain, underscoring the importance of global collaboration and shared learning.
Data: The core of our work
One of the most powerful takeaways from the summit was clear: data is not optional – it is central to everything we do. Whether evaluating career readiness, refining engagement strategies or measuring impact, data empowers career centres to advocate for resources, adapt programming and demonstrate value.
But there’s a widening gap in institutional capacity. Some career centres are well-resourced with dedicated data experts and infrastructure. Others struggle without the tools or personnel to harness data effectively. Closing this gap is essential for the field to move forward equitably and strategically.
AI strategy: Urgent and unavoidable
Artificial intelligence (AI) was another recurring focus throughout the summit. From labour market forecasting to student advising, AI is reshaping the way we approach career education. The degree of change is especially high in sectors like education, where job roles and skill needs are shifting faster than traditional advising models can keep up.
The conference also explored the impact of AI and labour market shifts on both employers and student services – concluding that the humanization of technological innovation is paramount. We heard that advanced platforms that offer robust functionalities for skills evaluation, job pairing and student engagement – like Suitable, Handshake and Symplicity – are insufficient on their own. Human insight and contextual understanding are indispensable; without them, even the most comprehensive data cannot generate meaningful outcomes.
The 2024 Microsoft Work Trend Index Annual Report cited at the summit revealed that 71% of employers want to gauge AI proficiency in candidates, yet most students are not yet highlighting these skills in resumes or interviews. This disconnect signals a clear need for institutions to help students develop, articulate and demonstrate AI-related competencies.
Moreover, career centres need their own AI strategy – not only to guide students, but to engage with employers and shape recruitment practices in an AI-augmented job market.
Career as the bridge
One foundational insight emerged again and again: career services are the bridge between academia and the labour market. That role is more important than ever.
One example of this bridging was illustrated by several institutions that are offering skills development opportunities. Working with employers and alumni to offer industry-specific skills training via experiential learning, these institutions provide students with opportunities to develop new skills, connect with employers and gain further career clarity.
Career centres are also uniquely positioned to assist students in articulating the skills they are learning from their studies and to feed insights from employers and industry back to the academic core of institutions. This feedback loop helps ensure curriculum, student learning and current and emerging workforce needs. When done well, this bridge strengthens student outcomes and deepens employer engagement.
Leading forward
Sessions on leadership highlighted the importance of resilience, values and adaptability. Foundational, root and enabler skills were identified as essential for navigating uncertainty. Change management and personal growth were also stressed as key leadership capacities.
Perhaps most importantly, attendees were reminded that what may appear as resistance is often a person’s effort to grasp what you already understand. In times of rapid change, empathy and clear communication are essential for leading teams, supporting students and collaborating with faculty.
Looking ahead
The 2025 Global Career Services Summit left us energized and grounded. The future of work is uncertain – but within that uncertainty lies opportunity. Whether through AI integration, data-driven strategy or global collaboration, career services professionals are leading the charge to ensure students aren’t just prepared for jobs, they’re equipped for lifelong, meaningful work.
In this time of unprecedented and unpredictable change, GCSS reaffirmed the enduring power of connection, creativity and shared purpose. It also made one thing undeniably clear: Career Service Offices services are essential. As higher education evolves and technological innovations reshape the landscape, our role in preparing career-ready students has never been more critical.
Tony Botelho is the Managing Director of the UBC Career Centre. He was awarded the Stu Conger Award for Leadership by the Canadian Career Development Foundation (2019) and is also a recipient of the Moe Ktytor Award of Merit by the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers (2022).
Darlene Hnatchuk is Director of McGill University’s Career Planning Service. A skilled connecter, she fosters internal and external partnerships to expand new and innovative experiential learning opportunities that enhance student career readiness and development. Career Planning Service – McGill University
Felicity Morgan is the Director of the Career Centre at the University of Toronto Mississauga. She is an innovative career services leader, who constantly explores new methods of helping students achieve their goals. Currently, her areas of work are career counselling and mental health, programming to help students gain career clarity and experiential learning. She is a Registered Psychotherapist with the CRPO.
