Blueprint is working with partners across Canada to develop and test innovative career guidance models that can be delivered at scale.
The Responsive Career Pathways program develops innovative, future-oriented career development models that serve Canadians with their mid-career transitions and support career development professionals. Funded by the Future Skills Centre and led by Blueprint, this initiative charts new paths to preparing Canadians for the future of work.
The structure of career development services in Canada is at odds with the evolving world of working life. Currently, publicly funded employment and career services systems take a fail-first approach: they primarily focus on helping those who are unemployed quickly get work with limited consideration for individual career goals or future workforce trends. These services are not well-suited for most working-age Canadians who are seeking career guidance—such as workers in precarious or changing industries.
At the same time, we know that seismic shifts in the labour market—from increased automation to the rise of the gig economy to climate change—are precipitating career transitions: more and more Canadians are changing jobs or industries throughout their working lives. We know changes are coming to the labour market and workforce, yet many working adults do not have access to the information, services and supports they need to prepare for and navigate these changes, and career development professionals have limited capacity to deliver services outside of this fail-first framework.
That’s why Blueprint is leading the Responsive Career Pathways initiative. We recognize that there is a tremendous need and opportunity to design and test innovative career development models that are equipped to serve Canadians with mid-career transitions. We are working with stakeholders across Canada to co-design and test innovative career guidance models that governments can deliver at scale.
The world of work is changing rapidly. Navigating the pressures that were accelerated by the pandemic, such as technological changes, sector disruptions, labour shortages, and a growing focus on skills is essential to shaping a sustainable and inclusive strategy for recovery.
We convened a network of experts and researchers to explore the needs, gaps and opportunities in career guidance for adults in Canada. They identified three primary challenges to adequately supporting jobseekers:
1. Our current careers and employment systems do not proactively support workers facing disruption
2. Our publicly-funded services are not meeting the needs of employers and their employees
3. Career development practitioners need more support and capacity to navigate an increasingly complex world of work
The insights surfaced a suite of innovative approaches to improve access to quality career and employment services for Canadian workers, jobseekers, and employers. Recognizing that change will need to happen throughout the system, Blueprint has launched transformative work streams to put our research into practice:
Demonstrations are problem spaces in which Blueprint and collaborators already have a solid understanding, as well as the expertise to begin co-designing interventions and pilots with partners. Currently, two Demonstration projects are underway:
The Career Development Professional Centre is a home for in-person and virtual opportunities for CDPs to connect with others working in the field and access free training on career development in the emergent labour market. Made in partnership with and the Canadian Career Development Foundation and MixtMode Consulting. Learn more here: https://cdpc-cedc.ca/
The Future Skills Centre (FSC) has made Responsive Career Pathways a strategic priority in recognition of the pivotal role career development will play now and in the future in equipping individuals to navigate this changing world of work.
FSC and Blueprint have pursued an ambitious research program, engaging Canadian and international subject matter experts and thought leaders to identify gaps and needs, explore options, and provide actionable insights to equip Canadians to navigate the future of work.
The Responsive Career Pathways nine research papers use a future-oriented, evidence-driven, and systemic approach with the aim of fostering ideas to drive innovation in career guidance practices across Canada. The papers include a wide range of ideas for strengthening career guidance including:
1. Addressing fragmentation in our careers and employment systems and policies
2. Adopting more evidence-informed and person-centred service delivery practices
3. Empowering career development practitioners
4. Using labour market information and technological tools to inform career decisions
5. Removing barriers for individuals as they navigate career pathways
There is an urgent need to rethink how we support people navigating career transitions and identify promising paths forward.
The Responsive Career Pathways program develops innovative, future-oriented career development models that serve Canadians with their mid-career transitions and support career development professionals. Funded by the Future Skills Centre and led by Blueprint, this initiative charts new paths to preparing Canadians for the future of work.
The structure of career development services in Canada is at odds with the evolving world of working life. Currently, publicly funded employment and career services systems take a fail-first approach: they primarily focus on helping those who are unemployed quickly get work with limited consideration for individual career goals or future workforce trends. These services are not well-suited for most working-age Canadians who are seeking career guidance—such as workers in precarious or changing industries.
At the same time, we know that seismic shifts in the labour market—from increased automation to the rise of the gig economy to climate change—are precipitating career transitions: more and more Canadians are changing jobs or industries throughout their working lives. We know changes are coming to the labour market and workforce, yet many working adults do not have access to the information, services and supports they need to prepare for and navigate these changes, and career development professionals have limited capacity to deliver services outside of this fail-first framework.
That’s why Blueprint is leading the Responsive Career Pathways initiative. We recognize that there is a tremendous need and opportunity to design and test innovative career development models that are equipped to serve Canadians with mid-career transitions. We are working with stakeholders across Canada to co-design and test innovative career guidance models that governments can deliver at scale.
The world of work is changing rapidly. Navigating the pressures that were accelerated by the pandemic, such as technological changes, sector disruptions, labour shortages, and a growing focus on skills is essential to shaping a sustainable and inclusive strategy for recovery.
We convened a network of experts and researchers to explore the needs, gaps and opportunities in career guidance for adults in Canada. They identified three primary challenges to adequately supporting jobseekers:
1. Our current careers and employment systems do not proactively support workers facing disruption
2. Our publicly-funded services are not meeting the needs of employers and their employees
3. Career development practitioners need more support and capacity to navigate an increasingly complex world of work
The insights surfaced a suite of innovative approaches to improve access to quality career and employment services for Canadian workers, jobseekers, and employers. Recognizing that change will need to happen throughout the system, Blueprint has launched transformative work streams to put our research into practice:
Demonstrations are problem spaces in which Blueprint and collaborators already have a solid understanding, as well as the expertise to begin co-designing interventions and pilots with partners. Currently, two Demonstration projects are underway:
The Career Development Professional Centre is a home for in-person and virtual opportunities for CDPs to connect with others working in the field and access free training on career development in the emergent labour market. Made in partnership with and the Canadian Career Development Foundation and MixtMode Consulting. Learn more here: https://cdpc-cedc.ca/
The Future Skills Centre (FSC) has made Responsive Career Pathways a strategic priority in recognition of the pivotal role career development will play now and in the future in equipping individuals to navigate this changing world of work.
FSC and Blueprint have pursued an ambitious research program, engaging Canadian and international subject matter experts and thought leaders to identify gaps and needs, explore options, and provide actionable insights to equip Canadians to navigate the future of work.
The Responsive Career Pathways nine research papers use a future-oriented, evidence-driven, and systemic approach with the aim of fostering ideas to drive innovation in career guidance practices across Canada. The papers include a wide range of ideas for strengthening career guidance including:
1. Addressing fragmentation in our careers and employment systems and policies
2. Adopting more evidence-informed and person-centred service delivery practices
3. Empowering career development practitioners
4. Using labour market information and technological tools to inform career decisions
5. Removing barriers for individuals as they navigate career pathways
There is an urgent need to rethink how we support people navigating career transitions and identify promising paths forward.
The Responsive Career Pathways Research Brief consolidates key findings from our past 9 research papers in partnership with the Future Skills Centre. In this brief, we outline key innovation challenges and opportunities for career guidance services in Canada, and highlight common barriers to accessing these services.
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Career guidance systems could be designed with a whole-of-person lens. This paper considers promising practices in breaking down barriers to career guidance for Canadians.
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Adult learners have to navigate an increasingly diverse, fragmented and complex education and training marketplace. This paper assesses options helping Canadian learners navigate their education and learning choices.
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The path to accessing career guidance is challenging for racialized people, women and newcomers to Canada. This paper offers opportunities to strengthen our publicly-funded employment systems to effectively address labour market inequity.
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Employers are critical in establishing more responsive career pathways for Canadians. This paper outlines some of the challenges and opportunities employers are facing related to the future of work and skills.
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Career development practitioners have a critical role to play in helping Canadians prepare for the future of work. This paper tackles questions about the role of career development practitioners and the evolution of their practice.
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Offering forward-looking, customized, high-quality and accessible career guidance to a wide range of Canadians is possible. This paper identifies behavioural and motivational barriers to accessing career guidance and offers a promising path ahead.
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The role and use of technologies that help individuals and career practitioners navigate career pathways are rapidly evolving. This paper outlines potential ways responsive career pathways can be enabled by technology.
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This document provides consistent definitions for the terms that are applied across all of the research papers for the Responsive Career Pathways initiative.
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This paper offers considerations for strengthening and aligning our careers and employment systems to better serve Canadians across their career trajectory.
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Finding ways to make labour market information accessible and useful for service providers and individuals is key for creating more responsive career pathways.
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