I am writing this week's CEO report from a hotel room at the ASPECT conference on Thursday night. Our first day was excellent, and although all I wanted to do was sleep, there's an initiative underway that's too important to wait: an open letter that needs your signature asking for policy and industry leaders to make changes to the current employment programs. ASPECT and the Canadian Coalition for Community-Based Employability Training have signed it with a long list of others. I encourage each and every one of you the same.

Here is the information provided that you can copy and paste into your own emails to your partners:
 

The Challenge Factory, CERIC, and the Canadian Career Development Foundation (CCDF) have authored an open letter to spotlight the essential role that lifelong career development plays in advancing generational fairness, a sustainable Future of Work, and the prosperous lives of all Canadians. 

 

This call to action is a direct result of key findings uncovered in the groundbreaking research these organizations released in 2024 that resulted in the report, Hidden Sector, Hidden Talent: Mapping Canada’s Career Development Sector. 

 

The open letter calls upon policy and industry leaders to: 

• End the “fail-first” approach to career and employment services, 
• Leverage the expertise of career development professionals to advance Canadians’ career ownership, readiness, and literacy, and 
• Equip industries and business owners with stronger career development to better address shifting labour markets and workforce dynamics. 

 

Will you sign on to this open letter alongside your fellow career development sector leaders and experts? 

 

Your signature will lend credibility and strength to the sector’s determination to increase its impact in supporting all Canadians through turbulent labour and economic transitions. 

 

The letter will be shared with policymakers, business leaders, and academic institutions. We are collecting signatures during Canada Career Month, from November 1–30. 

 

You can review and sign the letter here. 

 

Please note that your name, title, and organization will be added to the list of signatories. Your email will not be shared. 

 

Your support will make a difference. Together, we can raise awareness of how career development professionals have the right skills to support Canadians into fulfilling work and ensure generational fairness in careers, employment, and educational programs. 

 

If you have any questions or need more details, please contact Emma James, Public Policy and Research Associate at Challenge Factory, at emma@challengefactory.ca.


Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPECT BC