5: The Role of Career Development Practitioners in Using Labour Market Information
LMI comes in many forms. What are we looking for in a source of information we intend to use to make an important decision in our lives? What defines high quality LMI?
There are three main characteristics to look for in LMI sources.
Credibility
The information and/or its source(s) must be believable. Factors that contribute to credibility include the reputation of the source, the statistical rigour used in collecting and analyzing the data, the transparency concerning potential limitations/biases and the extent to which the information has logical, common-sense appeal.
Reliability
Results should be consistent across several sources. Can you find similar data/conclusions from other sources and/or does the historical data from the source stand the test of time?
Relevance
The information and its sources should be applicable to the specific client and their goal(s). Is the information personally meaningful and useful given the specific needs and goals of the client you are supporting?
Credibility, reliability and relevance are core guidelines for consideration when reviewing and/or considering LMI.
You can only support the LMI and career development needs of those you serve if you fully understand their strengths and needs – including external influencers, context and triggers. Working with them to come to a shared understanding of their employability strengths and needs is a precursor for effectively integrating LMI into your practice. Without this, it’s impossible to know what LMI will be relevant or meaningful.
The CDP's Role in Integrating LMI with Clients
As a CDP, there are four key roles involved in effectively integrating LMI into practice.
- Identify the client’s need(s)
- Locate relevant LMI
- Evaluate LMI
- Guide clients to make personal sense of the LMI
Role 1: Identify the Needs
Nobody can possibly be an expert in the full range of LMI out there. There is simply too much of it! As a CDP, you do not need to be versed in all available LMI; focus instead on LMI that is directly relevant to your organization’s mandate, your job role and the needs of the clients you serve day-to-day. Are there trends you see with clients looking for information on specific occupations, industries or sectors? Which Employability Dimensions do you intersect with most frequently? Focus on building an LMI toolkit that aligns with the needs that you see and hear from your organization and your clients every day.
Role 2: Locate Relevant LMI
Once you’ve identified the dominant needs aligned with your mandate/role and the clients you serve, what are your “go-to” sources for LMI to support them? Do you and your organization have a list of trusted resources? Or do you frequently find yourself hunting to try to locate resources as needs arise? Building a list for yourself or with your colleagues of tried-and-true sources of LMI can save time, build organizational capacity, and empower you to serve your clients with deeper and more immediate LMI resources and insights.
Role 3: Evaluate LMI
Not all LMI is equal. Assessing whether a source is trustworthy and useful is essential in determining when, how, and whether to leverage it in your work. You need to know how to be a smart consumer of LMI to effectively guide clients. Remember to consider the credibility, reliability, and relevance of the LMI. When considering an LMI source, ask yourself: Is the information believable? Is it reliable? Valid? Timely? Relevant to your client’s needs? Meaningful within their career development process? Have you (or your client) checked the information against another source? Focus on LMI that provides current information from credible and trusted sources.
Role 4: Guide your Clients
Finally, you’ll want to empower your clients to make sense of LMI within their personal context and to use of LMI themselves. An old proverb states, “give someone a fish and you feed them for a day; teach them to fish and you feed them for a lifetime.” Guiding clients to effectively use LMI is effectively teaching them to fish and to feed themselves. Support them by pointing them not only to the information directly but also to the tools they can use to find solid LMI for themselves, evaluate it and apply it in their own career development after they have moved on from working with you.
