This week, we celebrate Anti-Racism Awareness Week in BC. Every year, this is an opportunity to reflect on the legacy of racism and our actions to fight it. Social justice is essential to ASPECT's mission and work, acknowledging that we can always learn and improve.

To help you prepare for activities within your community or reflect on how you can contribute to change, we've curated the following selection of anti-racism e-learning opportunities, research, and tools. The Resilience BC Anti-Racism Network website offers more resources, including educational material.   
 

Whose Land is it Anyway? A Manual for Decolonization
This handbook, supported by the British Columbia Federation of Post-Secondary Educators, looks into the impacts of colonization on Indigenous peoples and paths for decolonization and reconciliation.  
 

Challenging Racist BC
Co-publishers University of Victoria (UVic) and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) published an 80-page illustrated book entitled Challenging Racist "British Columbia".  
 

Faces of Racism
This interactive resource for Asian communities offers ways to respond to subtle racism, whether experienced in public, at school or work.
  

Training for Gender-Diverse Youth
This Toronto-based group delivers workshops to create learning and unlearning spaces for young Black, Indigenous, and racialized women and gender-diverse youth.
 

Call It Out
This 30-minute interactive e-course by the Ontario Human Rights Commission allows you to learn about the history and impact of racism in Canada.
 

Race Relations in Canada 2021 Survey
Survey report by the Environics Institute for Survey Research and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation
 

In Plain Sight: Addressing Indigenous-specific Racism and Discrimination in BC Health Care
This report by former Judge Dr. Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond is based on consultations with nearly 9,000 people, including Indigenous patients, family members, third-party witnesses and healthcare workers, as well as unprecedented analysis of health data.
 

Indigenous Ally Toolkit
The Montreal Indigenous Community NETWORK offers an easy-to-read, three-step toolkit to be a better ally to Indigenous peoples. This document guides you through a journey of learning, self-reflection, and action.

Did you know that BC introduced in 2022 the Anti-Racism Data Act? The Act became law on June 2, 2022. It allows the government to safely collect and use information to address systemic racism and help identify gaps in programs and public services. This week, research findings were released for the first time under the Act and indicate systemic barriers for Indigenous and racialized individuals in the BC Public Service, including under representation as employees, particularly in management and executive roles. In April 2024, the BC government tabled the Anti-Racism Act, which promises to hold public bodies accountable for addressing systemic racism in policy and programs.

We hope you find these resources helpful and join us in celebrating Anti-Racism Awareness Week!
 

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPECT BC

One of our jobs at ASPECT is to stay abreast of the trends and innovations in the sector, looking for ways to support employment service providers in their work now and in the future. This week, we attended the Future Skills Centre's webinar Navigating the Role of AI in Skills Development Ecosystem. As I write this, the webinar recording has not yet been posted, but when it is, it will likely be posted here. Updated June 5: here's the link to the webinar recording.

The webinar addressed how AI is reshaping work landscapes and what it means for skills development across industries. Mobilizing the research the Future Skills Centre has funded, this might be a good abridged version for you to look up ideas without sitting through the 90-minute webinar recording.

For instance, did you know that nearly 42% of the Canadian workforce needs to reskill by 2026 to adapt to AI? I didn't. Among some key insights that could redefine our approach to skills development in an AI future, we learned that some predict that AI could widen income gaps by reinforcing discriminatory workplace practices and affect worker health by creating pressure to keep up with machines. 

I recommend looking at this four-part research published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine led by Arif Jetha, Associate Scientific Director and Scientist at the Institute for Work & Health (IWH). You can also learn more about the Worker Health & AI research project on IWH's website.

The Future Skills Centre, the Michener Institute of Education at UHN, and the Vector Institute are investing $1.52 million in a two-year project that will address the knowledge gap in how to educate and train health professionals in the effective, appropriate, safe, and compassionate use of AI. Panelist David Wiljer, Executive Director of Digital Education at the Michener Institute of Education, presented how his team is focusing on reshaping the expertise and mentality of frontline healthcare professionals to cultivate a workforce equipped with the proficiency, aptitudes, and capacities essential for driving AI-powered health initiatives across practices, organizations, and systems. Learn more about this collaborative project on Future Skills Centre's website.

One of the webinar's panelists, Vivian Li, recently authored Mind the Gap: Compensation Disparity Between Canadian and American Technology Workers, in which we delve into the pay disparity between Canadian and American tech workers and its impact on Canada's tech sector. Magnet, an initiative out of Toronto Metropolitan University, provides technology-driven labour market insights that focus on the future of work. Take a look at their labour market insights and research reports.

Remember, we at ASPECT are here to help you stay informed and inspired. Our website hosts a curated collection of sector reports, updated weekly with fresh research papers. We've done the work so you don't have to. Visit our website to access these valuable resources.

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPECT BC

I am writing this report from Dublin, Ireland, in advance of the 5th VPL Biennale, a project I have been volunteering on for the past year. Hosted by Ireland, Canada, and the US, this biennale is an international conference with 377 delegates and speakers from Mongolia, Kenya, Iceland, Spain, and South Africa, to name just a few.

The program for this conference is immense! There are 45 concurrent sessions, 4 rounds of lightning talks, 4 table discussions, and 6 plenary and panels squeezed into two very full days. Click here for a full list of speakers and session descriptions.

For those who, like me, may not have had an opportunity to attend an international conference, part of my job at the conference will be to help support the creation of post-event learning and disseminate session learnings through recorded sessions, social media posts, and a series of BCPLAN podcasts. I have brought along one of my daughters, Rachel, to help make this happen. Many of the topics discussed will be particularly relevant to those of you who work with clients requiring validation of their prior learning, making this event especially valuable for your practice.

I am here because of my position as co-president of the BC Prior Learning Action Network, of which ASPECT is a founding member. Understanding how all these networks, particularly micro-credentials, which are a subset of prior learning accreditation and recognition (PLAR), fit together is crucial for our advocacy work. By providing international perspectives on solving local challenges, we can better understand broader workforce development practices.

I'm grateful for this opportunity and eagerly anticipate experiencing the collective efforts of the planning committee over the past 18 months coming to fruition. Thank you to all for their work on this project, especially my co-president at BCPLAN, Susan Forseille, and my colleague at CAPLA, Andy Brown, who make up the rest of the Canadian contingent. With their help, we are taking BCPLAN and ASPECT to the international stage. Very exciting indeed!



Check out the VPL Biennale website for access to videos and papers from the 4th VPL Biennale in Iceland.

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPECT

 

Here at ASPECT, we strive to be inclusive of the entire employment service sector, regardless of ASPECT membership. The continuum and various facets of employment services extend beyond our realm of publicly-funded employment programs. To remind yourself of the vastness of the larger sector, I invite you to check out the results of the mapping project Hidden Sector, Hidden Talent: Mapping Canada's Career Development Sector. Whether your organization is an ASPECT member or not, we are here to support you with our advocacy work, professional development opportunities, and leadership. We value your contribution to the sector and encourage you to consider joining our diverse community.

 

This time, however, we are not inviting non-members to participate in our annual member survey. We have done so in the past, but this year, we wanted to ensure that our members have their say. This morning, a member survey was sent out in two parts: the first is for everyone who works in employment services in our member organizations, and the second is for organizational leaders to provide their thoughts about where we should be focusing our advocacy efforts. All members are invited to answer the first part, and then, if you are a leader within your organization, you are also invited to take the advocacy survey. The first survey is 2 minutes long, and the second is a bit longer than that. We have designed the survey to be quick and easy to complete, so we encourage you to take the time to share your valuable insights with us. 

 

In the past year's surveys, we have learned that respondents are generally happy with ASPECT's work. However, some respondents answered that they didn't know if their organization was a member. We hope to remedy that statistical error this year: everyone who received an email is in our member database. 

 

For those of you wondering if your organization is a member of ASPECT, here is the list of nearly 100 organizations. If you do not see your organization and want to be a part of the exclusive group and support our work, please consider joining us. If you are a member, and one of your community partners should also be a member, take advantage of our member referral program.

Members
 
Archway Community Services
Archway Society for Domestic Peace
Arrow & Slocan Lakes Community Services
Aware Society of BC
Back in Motion
BC Centre for Ability
Beacon Community Services Society
Boys and Girls Clubs of South Coast BC
Bridges for Women Society
Buxton Consulting Ltd
CanAssist
Career Centre
Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society
CFDC of Boundary Area
CFDC of Central Okanagan
CFDC North Okanagan
CFDC Thompson Country
College of New Caledonia - Mackenzie
Creative Employment Access Society
CVIJOBS Career Centre
Developmental Disabilities Association
Discovery Community College Ltd
DIVERSEcity Community Resources  Society
Douglas College-Training Group
Employment Connections North - Fort St John
Engaged HR
ETHOS Career Management Group
Fort Nelson Employment Services Inc.
Fraser Works Co-op
Free Rein Associates
Golden Community Resources Society
Greater Trail Community Skills Centre
Greater Vancouver YMCA
Hecate Strait Employment Development Society
Horton Ventures Inc.
Immigrant Services Society of BC
Inclusion Powell River Society
Indigenous Community for Leadership & Development Group
INEO Employment Counselling Inc
Intercultural Association of Victoria
Island Work Transitions Inc.
John Howard Society of Victoria
Kamloops Immigrant Services
Kelowna Community Resources
Kelowna Economic Recovery and Employment Development Association
Kitimat Community Services Society
Kootenay Career Development Society
Kootenay Employment Services Society
Kopar Administration Ltd
Langley Community Services Society
LIFT Community Services
M Daniels Consulting Ltd.
Make A Change Canada
March of Dimes Canada
Maximus Canada Employment Services Inc.
Mission Community Skills Centre Society
MOSAIC
Nanaimo Youth Services Association
Neil Squire Society
NexusBC Community Resource Centre
North Island Employment Foundation Society
North Shore Multicultural Society
North Vancouver Island Aboriginal Training Society
Northwest Training Ltd.
Nuuchahnulth Tribal Council
Obair Economic Society
Okanagan Training and Development Council
Open Door Group
Options Community Services Society
Our WorkPlace
Outlines for Life Society
Pacific Community Resources Society
Piers (Partners in Resources)
Powell River Employment Program - LIFT
Prince George Nechako Aboriginal Employment & Training Association
Princeton & District Community Skills Centre
Progressive Intercultural Community Sevices (PICS) Society
S.U.C.C.E.S.S
Skills Centre
Sources Community Resources Society
South Okanagan Immigrant Community Services
The Career Foundation
Triangle Community Resources
Upper Skeena Development Centre
Val Meaney and Associates
Vancouver Island Vocational and Rehabilitation Services Ltd
Vernon & District Immigrant & Community Services Society
WCG International Inc.
Workforce Development Consulting of Northern BC Ltd.
WorkLink Employment Society
Yellowhead Community Service Clearwater Employment
YMCA of Greater Vancouver
YWCA Metro Vancouver
 
Associate Members
 
Vancouver Community College
Implicit Career Services Inc
Indian Residential School Survivors Society
 
Reciprocal Members
 
BC Career Development Association
BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres
Career Education Society
BC Labour Market Report
 

Thanks to all for your support of ASPECT and welcome to those who are interested in joining.
 

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPECT BC
#humansofemployment

Some of you may know that I'm passionate about community development, which is why I love my job at ASPECT. I like collaboratively solving problems, sharing new ideas and innovations, and figuring out how to use my limited resources and influence to improve things for others. That is why I want to tell you about a call I had on Thursday with a couple of ASPECT members.

Londa Morris and Beth Hurst of Kootenay Employment Services in Creston set up a meeting to discuss some of their ideas for presentations at the ASPECT conference. All three ideas were exciting, and we will likely pursue all three. Although still in the developing phase, I wanted to tell you a little about them to inspire you to step forward and submit a proposal. 

1. What Tech Tools Are You Using?

This session will be one part community research, one part presentation, and one part information sharing. First, ASPECT will send out a survey to our networks to find out what tools others are using, and then Beth and Londa will present the findings at the conference, followed by a facilitated live demo and discussion. 

2. Emerging Staff Benefits & Benefit Measurement

Staff recruitment and retention continue to be a challenge for many in our sector. This session, still in development, will be a short presentation of what other organizations are doing and ways to measure and communicate benefits to current and potential staff. It will be followed by a menti-meter-style discussion about what others are doing in employment services. The data collected will help create sector solutions for our advocacy work.

3. Deep Dive into Funding Sources

This session is just a germ of an idea right now, but we will examine new and effective ways for organizations to find funding. Our guest presenter will provide some basics, followed by a funder panel that will answer questions and share ideas.

I love the community development perspective of the call with Londa and Beth. They noticed an education need, considered what kind of conference sessions they would like to attend, and reached out to brainstorm ideas. I was able to contribute by surveying the members, taking some of their ideas, and providing resources to them, all so that ASPECT members and conference delegates could benefit from an excellent learning opportunity. It's a fabulous feeling when ideas develop into something fun and exciting.

If you have an idea for presenting at the ASPECT conference, please let us know by filling out a proposal form at https://aspect.bc.ca/call-for-presenters-24/. The ASPECT call for presenters closes on May 15 at midnight, while Cannexus25 currently has its call for presenters out until May 31. Why not create one proposal for both conferences? 

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPECT BC

L-R: Kim Lauritsen, Lori Forgeron, Devin Scott, Val Meaney (front), Raj Hundal (back), Peter Bailey, Tricia Gueulette, Coreen Jenner, Kirsty Peterson, Shannon Baikie, Aaron Clausen, Calum Scott

This was an exciting week for ASPECT. We hosted a board retreat in Richmond where we got the 2023-2024 board of directors and our 2024-2025 board members together for professional development, information sharing, and deep discussions about the current and future of employment programs in BC and Canada. These moments of reflection are crucial in ASPECT planning our path forward in an environment that feels like it is moving at lightning speed. Thank you to all who volunteered their time and to all the member organizations who supported them in doing so. 

We said goodbye from the board to Tricia Gueulette and Val Meaney and a tip of the hat to Peter Bailey, who is leaving his formal board duties to take an ex-officio board position leading a newly formed Diversity Engagement Committee. Although we had a large group of excellent candidates for the board, we realized that the diversity of candidates does not represent the diversity of our membership and conference delegates. Peter and Coreer Jenner will look at ways in which we can find qualified board candidates who bring with them diverse experiences. More information on this committee is coming soon. 

We would like to welcome new board members Shannon Baikie from the North Island Employment Foundations Society, Calum Scott from the Pacific Community Resources Society, Aaron Clausen from Island Work Transitions, and Devin Scott from the Kootenay Career Development Society.

We also convened the 2023-2023 Annual General Meeting, which was attended by nearly 30 members and ASPECT staff. To find out what we have done and where we are going, please check out our new annual report. Many thanks to all who attended both in person and virtually.

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPECT BC

This is a short note to wish everyone a happy Easter and a happy long weekend for those who don't observe Easter. I wanted to draw your attention to the following:   The extreme early-bird conference rate is on now until April 1st. At the time of writing, the conference had already sold 14% of the available spaces. Register now!   Our conference would be nothing without our presenters: the proposal deadline is May 15. Here is the link to the application form and more info.   We have launched our exhibitor and sponsor package, which can be found here. We are limited for exhibitor space at this year's venue, so if you are exhibiting and/or sponsoring and require space, please let us know soon to avoid disappointment.   Here's the link to book your hotel now for the conference.    Finally, if you are an ASPECT member or work for an organization that is an ASPECT member, remember to register for our virtual Annual General Meeting on Monday, April 8, at 3:00 pm.    My best wishes to you and yours for a wonderful weekend! Janet Morris-Reade, CEO ASPECT BC

Two years ago, we learned that this year's ASPECT Conference venue, the Delta Ocean Pointe Victoria Hotel, can accommodate only 255 people. Considering that the past two ASPECT conferences have been fully booked, I highly recommend registering now to utilize the remaining fiscal year-end funds. Take advantage of the Extreme-Early Bird offer before it expires on April 1st and save between $150 and $200 off the standard conference rate.
 
We don’t yet have a program, as the call for speakers is underway, but you can expect high-quality sessions, consultations, workshops and many opportunities to network with others in the sector. This year's theme is Evolving Together: Preparing for the Future of Employment Services, and we will examine new approaches to employment services and celebrate the successes and innovations driving positive change within our field.
 
You may also want to make your hotel reservation now. Last time, the hotel sold out, and some were disappointed not to stay at the conference hotel.  Sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities will be launched next week. 

The sector is buzzing with activity and brimming with upcoming changes to how employment services will be delivered. I'm genuinely excited about the prospect of engaging in thoughtful conversations ahead. For those who cannot attend the conference this year, we hope to offer some webinars soon. We are currently looking for a Learning Specialist Consultant. Please pass the job posting on to your contacts.

In the meantime, the BC Career Development Association is offering some fabulous content with its Webinar Collection and Symposium. If you can't spend your year-end Pro-D dollars on the ASPECT Conference, please look into what the BCCDA is offering. Kudos to the BCCDA team for putting together a great lineup! I look forward to attending the Symposium on April 19th at SFU Harbour Centre in Vancouver. Hope to see you there.

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPECT BC

One of my jobs is to study and anticipate upcoming innovations in employment services. As we heard at last year's conference and what we see already, there is a transformation ahead. That's why I am delighted to announce that the ASPECT Conference 2024 is now open for registration, and there is a current call for presenters in effect until May 15, 2024. Our theme this year, Evolving Together: Preparing for the Future of Employment Services, focuses on the future of community-based employment services and how we can work together in adapting to new realities and challenges by helping clients, employers, and community economies prepare for the ever-changing labour market. 

 

We acknowledge the expanding reach of digital services in employment support. However, our research sheds light on the limitations, particularly the findings from Competency of Career Development Practitioners for Virtual Services and Refocusing the Urban Lens for Rural & Remote Employment Services. For instance, individuals facing barriers to employment may not benefit fully from virtual programs, while those in rural or remote areas often lack access to necessary wraparound services and experience connectivity issues. Additionally, we've observed instances where service providers with broader contract regions neglect to engage with the smaller communities they are supposed to serve, achieving outcomes without meaningful connection. This underscores the critical importance of events like the ASPECT Conference. Here, professionals convene to learn about industry trends and collaborate on ideas that inform policy, enhance services, and sustain local economies by supporting both job seekers and employers.

 

Please register now to take advantage of our extreme early bird pricing. Contribute to the conversation by submitting a presenter proposal. The conference has sold out for the past two years, and we anticipate a similar demand this year. Secure your spot early, and remember to book your hotel accommodations promptly to ensure you don't miss out on staying at the conference hotel.

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPECT BC

This week, I participated in a National Advocacy Campaign steering committee meeting hosted by CERIC. We discussed the report on what we had put together at Cannexus, and we are now at a point where we can start testing messaging.

 

The challenge is to create an advocacy message that meets the needs of all who work in career development, whether in the K-12 education systems, post-secondary school career centres and work-integrated learning, private career services, or those who deliver career development services through publicly funded programs. The landscape is vast, all with diverse funding and administration. (The Challenge Factory and the Canadian Career Development Foundation did a good job identifying the landscape in their report Scoping the Canadian Career Development Landscape.) 

 

It has been tricky to come up with a unifying message, clarify advocacy goals, and translate it into a language understood by those inside and outside the career development ecosystem. The result is the development of one umbrella idea, "decent work," with room for several other, more specific messages. 

 

The work plan for February to September 2024 is to:

• Identify all content and collateral we need for the campaign
• Develop social media materials and copy needed for the campaign
• Develop all other collateral for the campaign
• Develop clear metrics for feedback and success criteria to evaluate the campaign
• Build out campaign strategy

Below is a chart showing the messages and goals we discussed in January. It reflects a variety of thoughts and ideas. Ceric hired Overlap Associates as our consultant, and I'm amazed at how they've managed to consider everyone's input while dealing with a lot of information. I feel honoured to be part of both the steering committee and the working committee, representing employment service providers in BC.

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPECT BC