As the result of a $152,000 grant from the Counselling Foundation of Canada, Conestoga College is developing four new, specialized online professional courses for those in the career counselling field. The aim is to look at key sectors and strategies affecting employment guidance now and in the future.
The courses, two of which are now available with the remaining two scheduled for introduction in the fall, are part of Conestoga's postgraduate program in Career Development Practitioner. The program is for those who hold a college diploma or university degree and who wish to pursue professional studies in the field of career counselling, guidance or management services. The new courses can be taken as electives within the program, as credit/audit courses by those employed in the field, or as a separate, four-course advanced certificate program.
All four local postsecondary institutions (Conestoga College, University of Guelph, University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University) co-operate on the Career Development Practitioner program, which results in a college certificate or a joint college certificate/university degree. Graduates find employment in educational, governmental, consulting, community and business/industrial capacities.
Students can take courses either in a traditional classroom setting or online. Because of this online aspect, students from across Canada have been able to participate.
Developed by teams of subject experts, the new, advanced online courses are being made available through Contact Point, a Canadian Web site devoted to the professional development needs of career counsellors and supported by the Counselling Foundation of Canada.
The courses now available are Women and Career Building, and Electronic Tools and Techniques in the Field of Career Development. The former looks at how societal influences and individual choice affect the world of work for women. The latter explores new opportunities for professional practice, such as Internet resources, cybercounselling, and software packages and programs.
The courses scheduled for introduction in the fall are Youth and Career Awareness, and New Canadians and the World of Work. The first looks at special issues and influences that affect youth searching for careers and making career-selection decisions: short-term needs, long-term perspectives, emotional intelligence, educational planning, mentoring and coaching. The second is an area of special interest these days, as governments seek ways to encourage the integration of new Canadians into the workforce in capacities attuned to the educational and employment skills acquired in their native countries.
The Counselling Foundation of Canada was incorporated in Ontario in 1959. Its aim is to create and enrich counselling programs that improve the technical skills of counsellors, aiding in the ultimate goal of more effective community development.
Information about the Career Development Practitioner program is available from the Conestoga College Information Centre at 519-748-5220, ext. 3656 or askme@conestogac.on.ca.
CONTACT: Bill Jeffrey, 519-748-5220, ext. 3435, bjeffrey@conestogac.on.ca