Last Monday, Premier David Eby and our representative visited my home, highlighting the need to intensify our advocacy for employment services and community support this campaign season. We've previously shared our advocacy toolkit and social media posts, including the #HumansOfEmployment hashtag, to raise awareness among candidates. Our efforts extend nationally through the Canadian Coalition of Community-Based Employability Training (CCCBET), where I serve as board chair, and the National Advocacy Committees. I also recently added ASPECT to a federal petition led by Challenge Factory, CERIC, and the Career Development Professional Centre.
 
Earlier this month, CCCBET submitted a pre-budget submission to the federal Standing Committee on Finance. In it, there are four recommendations:
 

1. That the government reinstate the $625 million in federal labour market transfer funds to the provinces for career development and employability training, recognizing the value of community-based services in maintaining and growing Canada's economic future.
2. That the government further supports underfunded community-based employability networks, which are essential to growing the economy.
3. That the government establish funding to support the development of a Federal Employment Strategy Framework that supports career development and employability training to meet the current and future labour market needs outside political cycles.
4. That the government relax and simplify the eligibility criteria for public employment services to allow all individuals who express needs in terms of integration and continued employment to receive support, regardless of their income status or employment situation.

 
The National Advocacy Steering and Working Committees, funded and led by CERIC, have unified voices to elevate the profile of career development professionals. We're finalizing our messaging for Canadian Career Month in November. ASPECT will also share more details for Community Employment Service Providers Week (November 4–8, 2024). Still in development, I can tell you the four goals for this work are:
 

1. Increase the number of people accessing career development services
2. Increase the public's competency in developing their careers
3. Integrate career development into current systems
4. Increase funding and investment in the career development services/sector

 
A joint letter organized by The Challenge Factory, CERIC, and the Career Development Professional Centre is a response to the key findings from the report earlier this year, Hidden Sector, Hidden Talent: Mapping Canada’s Career Development Sector. It is a staged rollout, meaning sector leaders have been asked to sign the letter, with full invitations coming to everyone soon. The goal is to collect 1,000 signatures by the beginning of Canada Career Month in November. Here is an excerpt from the letter:
 
The letter calls upon policy and industry leaders to:

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

 
Our advocacy work for the BC election and the upcoming federal budget and election aligns perfectly with what I hear from ASPECT members. I'm excited to collaborate with partners both provincially and federally. In case you missed it, I want to highlight a compelling Toronto Star article by Drs. Candy Ho and Taryn Blanchard, titled A national careers strategy would help win in the future of work. Here’s how. Both are prominent advocates, and I'm thrilled to work with them on this initiative. I am interested to hear your thoughts on this work.

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPECT BC

Two weeks ago, we kicked off our #HumansofEmployment Community Reporters video series on social media with some great words from Aidan, a job developer and coach at the John Howard Society of Victoria.
 
In our inaugural video, Aidan shares insights into his work and how it benefits his community. Aidan brings hope to those navigating challenging times, offering guidance and support to help them move forward. By connecting employers with clients, Aidan not only assists individuals but also supports local economic development by facilitating successful employment connections.
 
Curious to see Aidan in action? Watch the video here to hear directly from him and learn more about his impactful work.

You can also click on the image below to watch the video.

But that’s just the beginning! Over the coming weeks, we’ll be rolling out more videos featuring ASPECT members, each sharing their unique stories and the ways they contribute to their communities. In June, we visited some of our members in Victoria and Nanaimo to test out ideas for our video series and produce some pilot videos. Our Communications Assistant, Isabelle Bennett, interviewed around 10 employment service providers asking them about their work, achievements, challenges, and hopes. We had fun meeting members in their element, and we can’t wait to share the rest of these interviews.
 
We’d love to hear from you too! How does your work support your community? Share your story with us on social media using the hashtag #HumansofEmployment. It’s time to celebrate you, community-based employment service providers throughout BC!
 
Stay tuned for more updates and inspiring stories from our #HumansofEmployment series!
 

Pamela Daoust, Communications Manager
ASPECT BC

I’m writing to you this week on behalf of Janet who is away. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m ASPECT’s Communications Manager and I joined the team in March 2023. Among other things, I manage our communications, marketing, and public relations initiatives and projects.
 
This week, we are proud and excited to unveil a newly redesigned ASPECT Member Portal, featuring an updated interface and enhanced functionality to streamline your experience. Our Communications Assistant, Isabelle Bennett, was working behind the scenes these past couple of weeks to upgrade your portal to make it more intuitive to navigate, allowing you to manage your account and access resources and information with greater ease and efficiency. A big shout out to her for getting the best out of our membership management platform and improving the overall look and feel of the portal. Have a quick look for yourself 

 

We hope you will enjoy the new Member Resources & Research section which provides immediate access to research articles and reports relevant to the community-based employment services sector. Our collection spans from 2019 to the latest sector reports and articles. We’ve also included last year’s ASPECT Conference 23 presentations and resources and made it easy for you to download workshop and session slides and handouts.

Make sure to check out the new Get Involved section where we present and explain different ways in which you can get involved with ASPECT whether it be as a board member, presenting at the ASPECT Conference, getting involved in an ASPECT work committee, or submitting a workshop, webinar, or consultation proposal.
 
We invite you to explore the fresh look and improved navigation and let us know how these updates enhance your membership. You can contact me directly by email at pdaoust@aspect.bc.ca. Your feedback is invaluable as we continue to refine and expand our offering.
 
Happy navigation!

Pamela Daoust, Communications Manager
ASPECT BC

In their latest e-newsletter, the Labour Market Information Council released their Future of Work Annotated Bibliography with links to the latest fascinating research that can only be described as the "mother of all rabbit holes". I couldn't stop myself from clicking link after link! Here are three of my favourites:

Defining and measuring the gig economy using survey data from Statistics Canada takes a closer look at compensation and job security for those who make their living driving or delivering food through third-party apps. It also uses various data sources from other areas to define "dependent self-employment". The BC provincial government has launched their regulations that come into effect September 3rd, which ensure minimum wage and basic protections for gig workers.

How lowering the number of non-permanent residents will impact Canada’s economy from RBC and Nathan Janzen (April 2, 2024) looks at the impact of the federal government's move to limit non-permanent workers and its effect on the Canadian economy. We know we need workers to fuel our current and future economy, but we also know that housing and social infrastructure cannot keep up. It is also interesting that many of my colleagues who work at colleges and universities are challenged by the recent caps on international students. Such a complex policy development head-scratcher.

In Motion & Momentum+: Building Resilience, Hope and Sustainable Futures from the Future Skills Centre looks at those with multi-barriers to employment and results of a trial. Developed by the Canadian Career Development Foundation, the report looks at the In Motion and Momentum+ (IM&M+) career readiness program to help build foundational skills for those who need help being work-ready.

I'll admit that it took a lot of work to pick just three of these reports to profile, and I probably spent much more time reviewing them than I should have, but if you are looking for a great information rabbit hole, I encourage you to take a look.

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPECT BC

I wanted to share three things with you this week: the results of our ASPECT Learning Survey, an announcement about ASPECT's latest collaborative supervisor training project, and some free resources available to you through the Ministry of Mental Health & Addictions and the Canadian Mental Health Association.

ASPECT Learning Survey Results

During the last two months, we conducted a learning needs survey as we turned our attention to developing more professional development opportunities for the sector that are aligned with the national Competency Framework for Career Professionals.

Thank you to the 35 people who took our survey. Their responses show that current training priorities include everything from management and leadership considerations and working within the career development system, shifting to priorities in their future, which are trauma-informed practices and emerging practices related to technology and health and safety.

Many thanks to Cassie Taylor and Dr. Roberta Borgen at Life Strategies Ltd. for helping ASPECT with this project. Moving forward, we'll develop clusters of training in various formats. Some will be free, and some will be available for purchase. In the meantime, please register for the webinar series we have partnered with CERIC on called Culturally Integrated Storytelling: Empowering Diverse Clients for Life Transitions.

ASPECT Received a Grant on Behalf of the SSSRT Reference Group

With one-time-only funding, ASPECT is the project manager and developer to create supervisor training for the care economy on behalf of the Social Services Sector Roundtable (SSSRT) Reference Group, which comprises about 40 other umbrella associations in BC. The $990k fund from the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction aims to identify needs, develop training, and deliver it through an expense reimbursement training fund. We have two years to complete this project.

The first round of internal consultations with SSRTRG members has been completed; we've identified an advisory group, and a service provider survey will be sent out to all our networks in September. We will also meet with trainers to learn about the training they currently deliver and gauge their interest in developing new training to meet the competencies outlined in the survey. It's a complex process, but our members may have opportunities to promote their existing training or send their staff for free training. The plan is to start offering training in January.

Mental Health Supports for Community Service Providers

On Thursday morning, I met with a representative from the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, who showed interest in the supervisor training project and shared some valuable mental health resources for community service providers:

Care for Caregivers: careforcaregivers.ca
Initially designed for private and independent home care providers, the services and webinars are now available to community social service providers.

Care to Speak: careforcaregivers.ca/caretospeak

This peer-based phone, text, and webchat service provides free, confidential support to BC health and social support workers, including those in employment programs. It's an excellent resource for discussing difficult client situations or for managers seeking ways to support their staff.

People Working Well: peopleworkingwellbc.ca/mental-health-for/community-social-services

This site offers articles and resources for various situations. Initially developed for the tourism sector, it now includes resources tailored for community social services.

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPECT BC

I've been contemplating the dynamic labour market and its future but struggled to grasp the driving factors. However, a report featured in CERIC's CareerWise Weekly offered an insightful perspective that clarified things for me.

Deloitte's report, Global Disruption in 4D: Exploring Intersecting Forces Impacting Canada's Future, expertly pulls together themes about the workforce and how we can prepare for the future, making it a good summer read to ponder. I was also reading this report with the lens of the value of community-based employment services and how our sector supports the larger labour market.

Image found on page 4 of the report: 
Global Disruption in 4D: Exploring Intersecting Forces Impacting Canada's Future

According to the report, Canada faces four major disruptions: talent transformation, AI revolution, race to net zero, and geopolitical uncertainty. These interconnected forces are reshaping the nation's future, necessitating systems-level thinking, collaboration, and innovative approaches to navigate these challenges effectively.

The talent transformation, while presenting workforce shortages and skill gaps due to an aging population, evolving skills needs, and changing worker preferences, also offers an opportunity to enhance Canada's competitiveness if addressed effectively.

Talent shortages, difficulty commercializing AI, and global competition for AI resources slow the AI revolution. This delay results in missed opportunities for AI-enabled growth.

The race to net zero presents an urgent need to act on climate change. This requires coordinated international efforts and dealing with geopolitical conflicts impacting energy supply chains. Failure to act could lead to severe economic and environmental consequences, while coordinated climate action can boost the global economy.

Geopolitical uncertainty involves global power shifts, protectionism, and trade disruptions impacting supply chains and security. These factors strain global supply chains and increase trade tensions, posing risks and opportunities for Canada.

The report concludes that Canada must address these disruptions holistically, recognizing their intersections and trade-offs. Where do contracted community-based employment service providers fit in?

Our value is not just in collaboration and innovation but in being crucial to keeping Canada moving forward. We have networks provincially, federally, and globally with on-the-ground labour market intelligence. We are integral to the solution.

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPECT BC

 
This spring, we invited staff from ASPECT member organizations to complete a brief survey about ASPECT's services and areas for improvement. Unlike previous years, only members could respond, ensuring accurate feedback. We received over 100 responses and appreciate everyone's participation. Your input guides us in developing new products and services and improving our current offerings.
 

• Members are primarily satisfied with ASPECT, with 49% very satisfied and 35% somewhat satisfied. While this is a good start, there is still room for improvement.

• Most members (84%) value ASPECT's annual conference. Two-thirds appreciate the opportunities to connect with funding partners and engage in advocacy work. See the first glance of our 2024 conference schedule, with some details yet to be confirmed.

Also, last week, we released our new advocacy toolkit, featuring key messages on various challenges. This is our initial step, with plans to add templates, politician contact information, and other resources to support your advocacy efforts.
 

• ASPECT members (100%) look for sector news and updates in the Aspectives newsletter. They also regularly visit the ASPECT website (54%) and read the weekly CEO Report (30%).

• Professional development interests include working with barriered clients (71%), AI training (69%), and labour market trends (64%). The conference schedule will reflect these topics, including a presentation from Londa Morris and Beth Hurst from Kootenay Employment Services on "Revolutionizing Workforce Dynamics: Navigating Emerging Technological Systems." They have created a short survey to learn about the tech tools used by employment service providers, which they will share at the conference. Click here for the survey.

 
Additionally, ASPECT has contracted Life Strategies Inc. to develop more online and in-person learning opportunities. Please take a moment to complete our survey to share your needs.
 
As only 30% of you read the CEO report, here's a quick "call-to-action" list:

• Check out the ASPECT Conference 24 schedule.
• Respond to the Technological Systems survey.
• Respond to the professional development survey.

 
Congratulations to Tammy Fuller of KCR Community Resources in Kelowna for winning the $50 e-gift card draw from survey respondents. Finally, thank you to everyone who responded to the ASPECT Members Survey. We are listening, and we are acting on what we’ve heard.

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPECT BC

In advance of the scheduled October 19, 2024, provincial election, we wanted to quantify our members' advocacy through our recent members’ advocacy survey and provide tools to augment your individual advocacy work.
 
Advocacy Survey  

Although the response was not as high as we hoped, we did receive some clear data.
 
Seventy-five percent of respondents are engaged in advocacy, primarily through educational efforts aimed at employers, community members, and stakeholders. All participants advocate to enhance services for clients and are motivated by a commitment to their causes. The predominant challenge cited by 60% is limited funding. Additionally, between 70% to 85% of respondents believe that the public lacks an understanding of the significant role played by the community-based employment services sector in British Columbia, which includes addressing labour shortages, removing barriers for newcomers, and tackling issues in rural and remote areas.
 
Advocacy Toolkit

 
I am delighted to announce the release of our new advocacy toolkit that provides you with information about what advocacy means to us, along with key messages addressing topics such as diversity, pay equity, rural and remote, youth, education and training, international credential recognition, job transitions, worker shortages, and housing and transportation.
 

Member Data Update

Starting next month, we will contact all member organizations to update our database and collect data about the size and impact of our sector in BC. This will help ASPECT and you have important statistics needed to describe the impact our sector makes upon others.
 
Community Reporters Program
 
Last week, we launched the pilot of our community reporter program, where we conduct interviews with our members and those working within the career development ecosystem to talk about their work and what makes it unique and impactful. Short videos are being produced to share across all social media and web platforms with the #humansofemployment hashtag to be easily accessible to show others the work you do. At right is a photo of Isabelle Bennett interviewing Aidan Schweinbenz at the John Howard Society of Victoria. The program will see ASPECT hiring youth throughout the province to create content and build their personal content creation portfolios for future work. The first videos are in the editing stage now, but I want to thank our members in Victoria and Nanaimo who made time for this pilot.
 
These tools and activities will help us spread the word about the good work you do, and I would like to acknowledge our communications manager, Pamela Daoust, and communications assistant, Isabelle Bennett, for your hard work in putting everything together. I hope you’ll agree that the data collected with the advocacy supports provided can make a significant difference in educating all for the upcoming election and beyond.
 

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPECT BC

This week's theme is engagement: what makes it effective, how we can improve it, and the quality it brings to our work.

Two Fridays ago, I had the opportunity to attend an afternoon session hosted by the United Way Public Policy Institute called "Decolonizing Systems through Collaboration." It was four hours of sharing stories, learning from each other, and building relationships for future work. Although I have never participated in the United Way Public Policy Institute, being in the room with others dedicated to engagement to make public policy inclusive and reflective was intoxicating. Click here for more information on the program intake for the January – June 2025 cohort, which opens in September.

I attended Board Voice's conference in Richmond last Thursday and Friday. The discussions continued many of the approaches to informing public policy. This experience reminded me that understanding how policy is created, tested, and implemented is crucial in ASPECT's work.

Yesterday, I was interviewed in support of the Credential Recognition Improvement Branch (CRIB) at the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, which has been nominated for the Premier's Innovation and Excellence Awards. They were nominated for the work and creation of the Credentials Recognition Act, and because I was part of the process, as were many of our ASPECT members and their clients, I was delighted to be involved. 

Engagement is crucial for improving public policy and service delivery. The recent United Way Public Policy Institute and Board Voice conference sessions highlighted the importance of collaboration and inclusivity. Recognizing the Credential Recognition Improvement Branch's work underscores the power of collective effort. We continue striving for better engagement and inclusivity to enhance our impact. Accordingly, ASPECT wants to do better in attracting more leaders with diverse backgrounds to our board and sector, but we are still determining where to start. Beginning June 25, we will launch a series of engagement sessions to explore how we can create an inclusive environment for everyone in our Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Committee. I hope you will join us.

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPECT BC

 

I’ve been hearing from our members that you are doing more with less, being asked to provide more services to more clients and not having adequate resources and receiving recognition. That is why it is interesting and reassuring to review the latest research findings Statistics Canada in their National Insights into Non-Profit Organizations report and the 2024 State of BC’s Non-Profit Sector: Under Pressure report released yesterday by Vantage Point. 

  

I should note that not all ASPECT members are nonprofits. However, in my advocacy work, I usually don't make this distinction because all ASPECT members, regardless of their business registration, focus on delivering services and supporting their communities. 

  

According to Statistic Canada, nonprofits produce $216.5 billion in economic activity, equivalent to 8.2% of the gross domestic product. More than two-fifths of non-profits meet the needs and provide services to all Canadians. That was an unexpected, yet not surprising, figure for me. It is no wonder that demand for social services has increased. The report reveals that 70% of the sector was most likely to experience increases in demand. However, their capacity to meet demand did not increase. Overall demand outpaces capacity to meet needs.  

  

In BC, this trend is evident across the province. Vantage Point’s report reveals that the non-profit sector in BC is facing a surge in demand for services and support from clients and communities, while its ability to deliver these services has not increased. Over the past 12 months, the sector has seen decreases in all revenue sources except for government funding, which has remained stable. However, operating expenses for non-profits have risen significantly compared to previous years. Despite these challenges, it is encouraging to read that the sector remains optimistic and hopeful, feeling more needed now than ever. 

  

How can we address the growing gap between funding and need? From ASPECT’s perspective, we are collaborating with public policymakers and politicians to share what is happening on the ground. We are also working with other advocacy organizations on larger issues through groups like the Social Services Sector Roundtable, the Coalition of Community-Based Employability Training, and the National Advocacy Committee for Career Development. Our focus includes addressing labor shortages, Truth & Reconciliation, procurement, community-building, and economic development in the sector. Reports from Statistics Canada and Vantage Point provide the compelling data we need to demonstrate our sector’s impact at local, provincial, and national levels. 

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO, MACD
ASPECT BC