Competency Category:
Competency Series:

14.2 – Maintain Current Knowledge of Labour Market

Purpose & Context

Career Development Professionals (CDPs) must remain aware of developments in the labour market both at a national level, in their local community, and within the industries their clients are likely to enter. They are also aware of key developments in society that have repercussions on labour market demands, such as political, economic, social and technological changes.Labour Market Information describes key aspects of a labour market, such as the levels of vacancies in clients’ chosen fields and what wages to expect in specific roles. Because labour markets are constantly changing, it is important to have up-to-date information to best serve clients.CDPs use this information to meet the needs of both their clients and employers. Accurate, relevant and current information helps assist clients in developing realistic and achievable career goals. CDPs must be skilled at locating and analyzing labour market information.

Effective Performance

Competent career development professionals must be able to:

  • P1. Describe local, regional, national and international labour market information, including:
    • Past and present trends
    • Future projections
    • Potential employers and training programs
  • P2. Appraise labour market information based on source, methodology, date of publication, cautionary note of authors
  • P3. Describe key societal developments influencing labour market trends:
    • Political changes, e.g. elections and policy shifts
    • Economic developments, e.g. income levels, unemployment rate
    • Socio-cultural shifts, e.g. age composition of population
    • Technological advancement, e.g. disruptive innovations
  • P4. Relate current events to the labour market, e.g. announcement of new distribution centre, closure of major community
    employer
  • P5. Apply labour market information to assist client in career planning and job search:
    • Interpret labour market information in the context of client’s career decision-making and aspirations, skills,
      knowledge and needs
    • Compare client’s skills and abilities to those in demand in the labour market
    • Explain how clients can apply labour market information to their work search
    • Outline educational and training opportunities and resources
    • Discuss educational requirements associated with future workforce

Knowledge & Understanding

Competent career development professionals must know and understand:

  • K1. General structure of the labour market
  • K2. Types of labour market information
  • K3. Research methods to obtain labour market information
  • K4. Labour market trends
  • K5. Labour market information, e.g. impact of LMI on labour market outcomes, role of LMI in career decisions
  • K6. Labour market information sources:
    • Internet-based databases, e.g. Google, social science research network
    • Websites of organizations, e.g. Conference Board of Canada, ESDC, Institute for Research on Public Policy
    • Industry-specific websites, e.g. Tourism HR Canada, Canadian skills training and employment coalition for the
      manufacturing labour force in Canada
    • Job banks, e.g. Canada.ca Find a Job
    • Job search assistance and career counseling
  • K7. Economic, political, and global issues that affect education and employment
  • K8. Information sources for societal trends, e.g. reputable news outlets and reports by think tanks
  • K9. Occupational information sources, support services, training and educational options
  • K10. Legislation and regulations related to employment, e.g. Human Rights Legislation, Canada Labour Code, Privacy Act,
    Workers Compensation Act and Employment Standards, Occupational Health and Safety

Contextual Variables

Competent career development professionals must be able to perform this competency in the following range of contexts:

Job opportunities and trends in the labour market are unique to each region. CDPs must be prepared to research and establish local labour market information, including information about specific job openings, skill shortages and surpluses

Glossary & Key References

Terms

Industry-specific terms contained in the standard defined here, where applicable.

None

Information Sources and Resources for Consideration

None

Context Rating Scales

Criticality

Q: What is the consequence of a professional being unable to perform this skill according to the standard?

High probability of risk: VERY CRITICAL

Frequency

Q: How frequent and under what conditions is this skill performed?

Routinely, regular course of procedure

Level of Difficulty

Q: Under routine circumstances, how would you rate the level of difficulty in performing this skill?

Very hard or challenging

Time Required to Gain Proficiency

Q: What is the average length of time or number of repeated events that are minimally necessary for an individual to become proficient in performing the skill to the standard?

A competent career development professional requires a minimum of six months to acquire labour market knowledge.

Autonomy

Practitioners typically perform this competency without supervision, and alone.

Automation

It is somewhat likely that this competency will automate.

Requisite Work Aids, Tools, Equipment or Materials

None