I heard a new-to-me term this week that explains so much: compassion fatigue. It doesn't really need much explanation because those who have it will be able to identify it right away. Now with the latest public health directive, it's important that we take care of ourselves by ensuring we stay connected to others. Yesterday, I launched a new LinkedIn Group as a result of one of our facilitated discussions we had during the ASPECT Virtual Conference. The group wanted to continue the conversation.  It is for career development practitioners, counsellors, and facilitators and is intended to be a virtual place to share good ideas, group-hack tricky problems, and create a community away from clients to share. Look for ASPECTS of Employment group in LinkedIn to join.  As I write this, the group already has 58 members! I'm looking forward to seeing the information shared and the discussions ahead. Perhaps with groups like these, we can all inspire each other with new ideas and find an empathetic place at a time when many of us are experiencing fatigue.  Janet Morris-Reade ASPECT BC CEO

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend the conference live. The feedback has been exceptionally positive and the sessions engaging. If you missed registering, not to worry, we will open up post-conference registration on Monday, giving you access to all of the conference recordings until December 31st.  

As I quickly write this, I'm waiting for the 10:30 breakout sessions to start. I can't wait to hear what the presenters have to say and love the attendee interaction through the chat box. I'm also really looking forward to the recordings of the sessions I cannot attend live. That has been one of the best attributes of a virtual conference to an in-person conference -- I can attend all the sessions!

Here are a couple of links from this morning's keynote and chatbox discussion that might interest you:

Regarding AI: https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/news-events/2017/october/thriving-in-the-workplace-of-the-future/
 
Conversation Guide Link: https://challengefactory.ca/publications/employment-services-and-the-future-of-work/

Bill Gates on the AI tax: https://www.ft.com/content/d04a89c2-f6c8-11e6-9516-2d969e0d3b65

Gotta fly, but thanks to everyone, the speakers, the attendees, the exhibitors and of course, the lead sponsor for your support of the ASPECT Virtual Conference.

Janet Morris-Reade
ASPECT CEO

We are delighted to confirm that we will have a Ministry Update at the ASPECT Conference on Friday, November 6 at noon. Joining us virtually will be Chris Brown, Assistant Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, and Bindi Sawchuck, Assistant Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training. Please note that this session will not be recorded. If you would like to hear what they have to say, you will have to attend the virtual session live. 

Also, against my personal comfort, we have created a short welcome video for the ASPECT Conference next week. https://vimeo.com/473917847

Finally, at next week's members' meeting, we will take a moment to show the conference platform and answer any questions you might have. I've spent some time on the platform and it is very easy to navigate.

This is a challenging time, but like the sector we represent, here at ASPECT we are working hard to pivot and adjust. I think that the quality of presenters and topics offered at this year's Conference are outstanding. I hope you'll agree.

Janet Morris-Reade
CEO, ASPECT BC 

Last night I watched the newest Dragons Den episode because I wanted to see how business development would pivot to the pandemic. In it the show featured that businesses pivoted and thrived in the pandemic, and one company launched successfully just two months ago. The innovation and ingenuity was surprising.

It reminded me how our members have been pivoting to support their clients through self-employment programs  and by helping those who are displaced or re-visioning their future careers. Even though service providers are generally not meeting their outcome goals, the opportunities and innovation being demonstrated by all has been inspiring! Perhaps we should host a session to feature pandemic employment stories to spread so of the success stories.

Conference Pivot

The ASPECT Conference will look very different this year, but already, I am seeing some huge advantages of attending a virtual event versus an in-person event.

• I can attend all the sessions! Although I'm still limited to what session I can attend live, I can now expand my learning by "attending" all the sessions through the session recordings. We will keep the recordings available for conference delegates to access until until December 31st. That's 28 professional development sessions for the price of one webinar series. Conference delegates are  eligible for CDP learning credits, too. An exceptional value!
• More cross-Canada, American, and international speakers: No one needs to travel to attend the conference, which means there are fewer barriers to participate. Conference delegates will be able to attend without barriers, both physical and financial. You can sleep in your own bed and kiss your kids goodnight.
• New ways to network: We have seen through our webinars, weekly member meetings, and the Values Based Leadership series how more meaningful our relationship development can be. To this end, we have created facilitated discussions to create communities within our ASPECT community to share ideas and make acquaintances. We will also have a zoom room where people can meet up with their friends and message each other using the conference app. The idea is to create a group of people who you can share ideas with after the conference.

Conference Facilitators Needed

During the last block of the conference we will host some facilitated discussions. If you are interested in facilitating one of the TBD spot, please let me know. It is best if you are currently working within the group meeting.




Janet Morris-Reade
ASPECT CEO

Just in case you were wondering...

This past week I had the opportunity to meet with the advisory committee for the Social Services Sector Roundtable to discuss election strategies.  I'm embarrassed to admit that here at ASPECT, we've been focused on launching our Values Based Leadership series and preparing for our first-ever Virtual Conference. Our organization is not alone as others on the call referred to their budget consultation proposals and the work they have been doing to address the glaring cracks in our social safety nets.  

One thing that became apparent during the meeting was the need to get as many people out to vote as possible. Regardless of who you vote for, the election engagement numbers send messages to those who are elected to office and help form their mandates moving forward. 

There is still time to vote by mail if you request a voting package by October 17. Of course, you can always vote in person using advance polls or on election day of October 24.  

I have two daughters who will be voting in the provincial election for the first time. My husband and I have been dragging them to polling stations since they were babies and now they are looking forward to casting their vote. This year we'll all be walking to the mailbox together, taking selfies to mark the occasion, and celebrating with a pizza for dinner. Perhaps this might seem a little overly enthusiastic but now more than ever it's important for our collective voices to be heard. I hope you'll join me in this endeavour and celebrate the opportunity with your friends and family.

Janet Morris-Reade
ASPECT CEO

Correction: In last week's blog, I incorrectly identified Cheryl Dill's organization. She's actually at Work BC Parksville/Port Alberni. My apologies to Cheryl.

At last week's member meeting, as with every session, there's always some useful information to take away. 

We were talking about "pandefatigue" and the feeling of losing time and ability to remember things. Nate Toevs, from Neil Squire Society and WorkBC Assistive Technology Services, told us there are apps and assistive technologies to help us remember and directed us to the Job Accommodation Network website.  On the site, you'll find accommodations and assistive technology information for all types of challenges. If you are looking for your clients, for yourself, your staff, or just interested, I encourage you to check this out. Also, contact Nate if you need information about assistive tech.

Another tip came from Cheryl Dill at the Career Centre in Parksville (a.k.a. WorkBC Comox Valley-Powell River). We were discussing how service providers were managing their client appointments for resource rooms and in-person services. Cheryl and others recommended Active Agenda. It is Ministry approved and was created by Adrien Gilmore, who has a history of working in employment services. The app can be tailored to your needs.  ASPECT has not used this app, but because it came up as a solution to a problem that our members are having, I'm sharing the information with you here. 

Finally, after speaking to members and receiving responses to last week's CEO report, the line between work and home life is becoming blurred, and people are feeling the long-term stress of our pandemic world. This weekend I am challenging you to take the weekend off from all things related to work (if you can).

On Tuesday, I'll send out a poll to find out how many of you rose to the challenge. Taking the challenge means disconnecting to anything related to work, living in the moment, and focusing on your self-care. Let's see how many of our Aspectives readers will take the weekend off from work. Happy wishes for a relaxing weekend!

Janet Morris-Reade
ASPECT CEO

Are you suffering from Pandefatigue? It's the feeling you get when you are tired of making accommodations in your work and home life for pandemic-related issues. With the second wave already starting to hit Quebec and Ontario, we are given insight into what will happen for BC. I think that Pandefatigue is also responsible for my inability to mark time and a general distrust in my internal clock. Something that happened two weeks ago, can feel like it happened Monday and vice versa.

From our weekly member meetings and the meetings I have with sector stakeholders, I know that I not alone!  Many are struggling with meeting deadlines and sometimes things take longer to accomplish than when we are not Pandefatigued.

To this end, I have extended the early bird registration rate for the ASPECT Conference for another week. The new early-bird deadline will be extended through Thanksgiving weekend to midnight on October 13.  

There are a few registration options available to you and your organization for the two-day virtual conference, which are as follows:




We've had some good questions about the cost of this year's conference, which I have addressed below. Our events manager, Lya Iglasias, has just finished the Canadian Association of Supported Employment (CASE) virtual conference this week and I am astounded at how much more work is involved in presenting a virtual conference than an in-person one. I attended the CASE conference and it was excellent!  Well done to Annette Borrows and her team at CASE. The CASE conference also showed me first-hand what is possible and how exciting the ASPECT conference will be. I encourage you to invest in yourself and your organization by attending our event. Attend live to participate in the discussions or watch recorded sessions at your leisure.
 
Janet Morris-Reade
ASPECT CEO

This has been an exciting week politically both on the national and provincial levels. First, I should declare that ASPECT is apolitical and will gladly work with any government in power, advocating for our members, and promoting better programs and policies to ensure that the needs of those seeking meaningful work are met.

Throne Speech

While listening to Canada's Governor-General deliver the speech, I started feeling giddy like a little kid on her birthday. Plans for a national daycare system, more money for employment training programs, the creation of 1,000,000 jobs, and a structural update to the Employment Insurance program to include those who would not traditionally qualify peaked my attention. I was happy to hear that the Employer Wage Subsidy would continue throughout next summer. The devil, however, is in the details and although the vision for Canada sounds exciting, it also sounds very expensive. 

BC Election October 24

As much as I hoped this wouldn't happen, we will be headed to the polls later this fall. Falling under the "how-does-this-affect-ASPECT?" category, it will likely impact the government affairs part of the ASPECT Conference in November as we do not know who will be leading the province nor who the ministers will be. Of course, our advocacy work will look quite different after the election but we have nurtured relationships in government over the years, and any transitions in the government of executive-level positions will provide ASPECT with opportunities to re-introduce the work of the ASPECT and our members.

As always, I encourage you to vote. To register to vote or request a mail-in ballot, go to https://eregister.electionsbc.gov.bc.ca/ovr/welcome.aspx#  

Janet Morris-Reade
ASPECT CEO

We have confirmed two of our keynote speakers this week for the upcoming ASPECT Virtual Conference on November 5 & 6. The full program will be released next week.  Terry Small, a.k.a. the Brain Guy, is a master teacher and one of Canada's leading learning skills specialist. I saw him speak at a staff day for Pacific Community Resources Society in 2016 and was impressed at how interesting and dynamic he was as a speaker. That day I learned a lot about how my brain works, how it responds to stress, and what I can do to take care of it. Terry will also be leading one of the workshops after his keynote. Lisa Taylor is president of Challenge Factory and the Centre for Career Innovation. I am currently reading the book that she co-wrote with Fern Lebo called The Talent Revolution. I have gotten to know Lisa through my work on the Canadian Career Development Foundation's Supporting Canadian to Navigate Learning and Work (CDP Competence) Project National Stakeholder Committee. She has been a leader in CANNEXUS circles, and her webinar through CERIC this past spring was fascinating. She will also be leading one of the workshop sessions after her keynote. I was reviewing the presenter submissions yesterday and was impressed with the expanse of topics and experience that is going to be available to ASPECT Conference delegates. Just a reminder that the early bird rate ends on Monday, September 28.  Janet Morris-Reade ASPECT CEO