In 2019, a national project was launched to replace the (20 year old) Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Development Practitioners. This project was undertaken in response to the evolving nature of career development work, the diversity of CDPs, and to provide clarity to the scope and practice of CDPs.
The National Profile for CDPs was developed through a process of research, consultation, and validation with stakeholders and CDPs across Canada's provinces and territories from diverse workplace contexts.
National profile can be used by:
The National Profile delineates competencies necessary for a generalist CDP to deliver services to diverse clients across a range of environments. The competencies in the National Profile are drawn from the Competency Framework and comprise the first 16 competency series from the Professional Practice and CDP Characteristic categories.
The Professional Practice category includes:
CDP Characteristic category includes 31 competencies across 6 series that distinguish the field of career development practice. these competencies are generally distinct to CDPs and embody the main activies that apply to most CDPs.
The CDP Characteristic category includes:
For the full Competency Profile, please click here.
The National Profile for CDPs was developed through a process of research, consultation, and validation with stakeholders and CDPs across Canada's provinces and territories from diverse workplace contexts.
National profile can be used by:
- The public to better understand the value of CDPs
- Employers of CDPs to inform recruitment, selection, performance appraisal and training
- Training providers to develop and design course curriculum and professional programs, tools or training for CDPs
- Current and future CDPs to understand and validate their knowledge, skills, and abilities required to be a generalist working as a CDP
The National Profile delineates competencies necessary for a generalist CDP to deliver services to diverse clients across a range of environments. The competencies in the National Profile are drawn from the Competency Framework and comprise the first 16 competency series from the Professional Practice and CDP Characteristic categories.
The Professional Practice category includes:
- Series 1: Professional Responsibility
- Series 2: Ethics and Regulations
- Series 3: Client-Practitioner Relationship
- Series 4: Diversity and Inclusion
- Series 5: Evidence-Based Practice
- Series 6: Professional Development
- Series 7: Health and Wellness
- Series 8: Communication
- Series 9: Digital Literacy
CDP Characteristic category includes 31 competencies across 6 series that distinguish the field of career development practice. these competencies are generally distinct to CDPs and embody the main activies that apply to most CDPs.
The CDP Characteristic category includes:
- Series 10: Foundational Knowledge and Applied Theories
- Series 11: Service Delivery Process
- Series 12: Learning and Job Readiness
- Series 13: Awareness of Diverse Worldviews
- Series 14: Career Resources
- Series 15: Client Work Search Strategies
- Series 16: Referrals to Professional Services
For the full Competency Profile, please click here.
This pyramid displays the Competency Framework for Career Development Practitioners, which replaced the Standards and Guidelines for CDPs.
The newly defined CDP Competencies will be used to evaluate the knowledge, skills and abilities of CDPs seeking certification. For more on this, please visit our page on Career Development Professional Certification.