Career Services in Canada – Almost one in five adults aged 25–64 have received them in the past five years

Career services represent an important way for Canadians to attain reliable and accurate labour market information (LMI), such as job opportunities, potential earnings and skill requirements, as well as a wide range of supports to support success in learning and work.

Career services can range from helping people new to the job market understand different career pathways, to identifying education and training opportunities for mid-career workers, to providing job search strategies that best fit the needs of different clients.

Career development professionals are trained to make the best use of human talent in the labour market by connecting individuals with career pathways and opportunities that work for them, ultimately leading to improved performance at work and in education.

In 2021, the Labour Market Information Council (LMIC) and the Future Skills Centre (FSC) set out to understand how Canadian adults aged 25–64 access career services and what information they receive when doing so.

We surveyed over 3,000 Canadians on the most common types of labour market information they received as well as any reported changes the services had on their life and work (see Box 1). This analysis helped us identify current gaps and challenges in accessing career services in Canada, an issue of acute importance considering the massive job disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This Insight Report is an extension of the OECD Survey of Career Guidance for Adults, with questions adapted for the Canadian context (see Box 2), and is organized as follows: Section 1 explores who uses adult career services in Canada; Section 2 discusses the most common information, delivery formats and effects of career services; Section 3 summarizes why career services are not accessed by more people; and Section 4 identifies the implications of this data as well as future considerations.

Key findings

• The COVID-19 pandemic led to a historic disruption in the job market, bringing renewed attention to the availability and access of services to support Canadians in their career choices.
• Almost one in five adults aged 25–64 have received career services in the past five years, compared to half of youth aged 18–24.
• Among adults, the likelihood of using career services differs significantly between groups. Men, those with post-secondary education, immigrants and unemployed people are more likely to use career services.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story @ Are Adults Making Use of Career Services in Canada? – Future Skills Centre • Centre des Compétences futures