George Brown College's Career Development Practitioner (C406) is a three-semester (one-year) graduate certificate program that prepares graduates to enter the career development sector. The program may also appeal to practitioners working in the field who want to gain additional formal training and job-coaching experience. The career development sector includes nonprofit/community-based, government, post-secondary and private/corporate organizations.

The key objective of the field is to assist clients to be self-sufficient in career exploration, skill acquisition, job search and maintenance. Career Development Practitioners coach and counsel others on:

• job search
• career planning
• career choice and change
• academic and training advising
• identifying and meeting staffing needs

Career Development Practitioners may work with specialized and diverse groups such as:

• youth
• women
• people with disabilities
• immigrants and refugees

This program has been designed to meet the changing needs of the sector and will help meet demand for trained Career Development Practitioners in the GTA and beyond.

The curriculum is designed to meet the Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Development Practitioners.

Graduation from the program provides the full academic component and partial fulfillment of work experience hours for certification by the Career Development Practitioners' Certification Board of Ontario (CDPCBO).

What can you expect from the Career Development Practitioner program?

The program will combine in-class experiential training in counselling and coaching, theory and practice. Courses may also be conducted online or in a blended format.

The use of technology will enable students to participate in exciting ways that will build on previous knowledge and skills.

The final semester is dedicated to a supervised field education opportunity that ensures graduates leave with practical experience that will be recognized by employers.

To provide students with a rich learning experience, we offer a variety of teaching methods such as:

• seminars
• lectures
• online learning
• small group work
• guest speakers
• field visits

What Career Development Practitioner key skills and knowledge will you gain?

• emerging trends and techniques in job search and career exploration
• individual and group facilitation/counselling
• job development and employer engagement
• ethics and professional practice
• career development theory
• diversity, accessibility, equity and inclusion
• use of technology and social media
• career and employment information resources
• employment legislation and programs

Who are our Career Development Practitioner students?

Our students have completed a college diploma or a university degree.

Due to the varied nature of the work and workplaces of Career Development Practitioners, it is expected that graduates may come from a wide variety of programs of study including:

• psychology
• sociology
• education
• social and community services
• business
• marketing
• human resources

People who are interested in others, are excited about the opportunity to assist others in professional and life decisions and to help them to be self-sufficient in job search and job retention will be attracted to this field of study.

Practitioners contribute to the emotional and financial well-being of their clients and their families, their communities and the economy.