Career Development Foundations Certificate Course (CDP-101)

OVERVIEW | FORMAT | TEXT | COMPLETION | REGISTRATION

Career Development Foundations

(CCS Prep Course / CCDP Ethics & Theory Courses)

This Career Development Foundations Certificate Course is designed to provide you with the core competencies that you require to perform effectively as a Career Development Practitioner. You will learn what is required of you in The Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Development Practitioners (S&Gs) and the national Career Development Practitioners (CDP) Competency Framework.

This course is rich with interactive group discussions and individual assignments. Throughout the course, you’ll discuss case studies representing real-life work scenarios. You’ll explore a wide range of complexities in career development practice.

If you want to learn how to apply theories and models into your practice, are working towards your Certified Career Development Practitioner / Professional (CCDP) designation, or would like to be granted your Certified Career Strategist (CCS) certification in the future, you will discover that this course is designed to help you achieve your goal!

Ethics & Standards (15 hours)

During the first part of the course, you’ll establish and build your practical and theoretical knowledge, personal self-awareness, and reflective foundation required for ethical service delivery. You will gain the tools you need to confidently identify the ethical implications of difficult situations that can arise in the field of career development. Learn how you can apply a decision-making model and a code of ethics to ensure that you are working ethically. You’ll be fully equipped to handle ethical situations with confidence and integrity. You will be challenged to explore ethical considerations in a variety of environments and will practice addressing issues such as confidentiality and conflict of interest in the workplace.

Theories, Models & Practices (30 hours)

Theories, models, and practices offer us the foundation for the work we do in our career practice. You’ll explore a wide range of existing and emerging theories and models, which form the basis of current practice of the career development profession in Canada. You will build a critical mass of knowledge on which to base your practice. Build your knowledge of the theoretical foundations of career development, including Maslow’s Theory of Human Motivation, Super’s Lifespan / Lifespace Model, Parson’s Trait and Factor Theory, Roe’s Personality Type Theory, Holland’s Theory of Career Choice, and Ginzberg’s Theory of Occupational Choice. You will examine issues of culture in relation to career development theories. By analyzing the strengths and limitations of these theories, models, and practices, you can apply them appropriately in your career interventions.

Working towards your CCS and CCDP certifications?

The Career Development Foundations Course is designed to meet the core requirements for the following programs:

• Certified Career Strategist (CCS) – This course is designed to prepare you to apply for your CCS national designation.
• Certified Career Development Practitioner / Professional (CCDP)* – This course includes BOTH of the approved core competency courses (Ethics & Theory) that are required for your CCDP provincial designation.

CHECK THE EVENTS SCHEDULE FOR THE NEXT COURSE START DATE

This is an intensive 3-week distance learning course.

This course blends videos, reading, quizzes, online discussions, reflection exercises, and small projects, creating a dynamic and interactive learning environment with a flexible schedule. The discussions and exercises in this course are designed to apply learning towards a Career Development Model so that you can work constructively with clients for individualized career plans.

Join this fully-facilitated, part-time online course.

• You participate in the online class and complete daily assignments on your own schedule.
• You have full access to all course material, videos, quizzes, forums, and assignments at any time and day during the course.
• You work along with other students in the class and participate in group discussions.
• Your class facilitator is available weekdays to review your progress and answer your questions.

Are you ready to learn and apply Career Development Foundations?

This course will help you make good ethical decisions. You will:

• Learn to discuss broad ethical considerations related to career development.
• Identify appropriate ethical codes and principles to guide your work.
• Learn to select and apply an Ethical Decision-Making Model.
• Analyze specific cases to identify and articulate ethical dilemmas.
• Identify proactive strategies to avoid ethical problems.

This course will give you the foundation needed to provide career development services. You will:

• Learn to analyze and apply existing and emerging theories in professional practice.
• Identify and describe various career development models and practices.
• Relate models of human development to models of career development.
• Explain and apply the main components of career development.
• Identify the repercussions of social roles on career development.
• Define a personal approach to service delivery, taking into account recognized theories, models, and practices.

This course will also help you to:

• Apply the Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Development Practitioners.
• Uncover and understand your professional competencies related to our field.
• Demonstrate a personal commitment to lifelong learning and ongoing professional development.
• Position yourself to earn more as a qualified career development coach, consultant, or counsellor.
• Earn 45 hours towards any Continuing Education Credits (CECs) you require.
• Complete the ethics and theory requirements for your provincial Certified Career Development Practitioner / Professional (CCDP) certification.*
• Become eligible to Fast-Track the Certified Career Strategist (CCS) credential.

Gain knowledge and build your expertise by focusing on your needs.

To give you highly personalized attention and mentoring, class sizes are limited. One-on-one support, group discussions, exercises, and follow-up assignments will enable you to actively develop your skills. Your CCDP-Certified course instructor will be available to answer your questions. You’ll also connect with and learn from other course participants. Through these interactions, you will learn how and when to apply concepts.

Get valuable resource material that you will use again and again.

You will receive The Canadian Career Strategist, the Certified Career Strategist (CCS) Study eGuide, along with resources, reference sheets, and samples. The eGuide is a valuable resource. It thoroughly discusses current concepts and strategies to enable practitioners to provide ethical services. Many opportunities will be provided for you to become familiar with the material. This eGuide and associated resources will be assets throughout your career.

Ready yourself for the next step in your professional development.

This is a preparatory course for those practitioners wishing to receive their Certified Career Strategist (CCS) designation. Upon passing CDP-101 , you will have completed the base requirements for the Certified Career Strategist (CCS) certification through Career Professionals of Canada. You will bypass the formal assessment of a case study. Note that you must have a minimum of 2 years related work experience and you must pay the application fee to be granted the designation through CPC’s CCS Fast-Track Program.

This course is designed to meet the core requirements for the ethics and theory portions of the Certified Career Development Practitioner / Professional (CCDP). Contact your provincial association to receive approval for credits through this course.

Fees are paid at the time of registration for each course. Cost includes all required texts.

COURSE OVERVIEW

Course Number: CDP-101

Course Status: Registration Open

Course Duration: 3 Weeks | 45 hours

Course Prerequisite: Prior practical or academic experience in the career development or related field is recommended.

Accreditation: Career Development Foundations Course Certificate (upon successful completion).

PROGRAM FORMAT

Distance Education | Fully-Facilitated | Online Course

This custom-designed, fully-facilitated online format is ideal for adult learners. When you register, you will receive login instructions by email so that you can get comfortable with the platform and program, and start your pre-course work right away.

The distance education format is a combination of videos, reading, quizzes, online discussions, reflection exercises, small projects, and final homework assignment. Your active participation in all these aspects enriches your learning experience.

Proactive class participation is encouraged and required. Discussion forums enable you to participate when it is convenient for you, rather than at a specific time. A messaging system gives you real-time interaction with your course instructor and other students who are online.

As this course is offered online, you must have reliable internet access and be comfortable using internet technology, downloading resources, and communicating in discussion forums.

You will be expected to spend a similar amount of time on this course as you would in a classroom-based environment of 45 hours over 3 weeks.

REQUIRED TEXT | RECOMMENDED READING

Students will be supplied with The Canadian Career Strategist, Career Professionals of Canada’s Certified Career Strategist eGuide.

Students will also receive various resources and reference sheets along with additional relevant readings, which will be posted on the course site.

All required text and course resources are supplied.

COURSE COMPLETION

Students must achieve an overall grade of at least 80% to successfully complete the course.

• Online assignments and group discussion participation (60%)
• Homework assignment submission of a case study (40%)

Upon successful completion of CDP-101 with a minimum grade of 80%, students are eligible to bypass the formal assessment of a case study and be considered for the Certified Career Strategist (CCS) designation by Career Professionals of Canada. Note that you must have a minimum of 2 years related work experience and you must pay the application fee to be granted the designation through CPC’s CCS Fast-Track Program. Certification program costs are outlined on the Career Professionals of Canada website.

* The Certified Career Development Professional / Practitioner (CCDP) is under the jurisdiction of provincial / territorial Career Development associations. Across Canada, the field is evolving and processes are becoming formalized. Not every province / territory offers CCDP certification. However, some are well established and others are well underway. Currently, CCDP applications are evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the province / territory. Please check with your  association to confirm that this program qualifies for CCDP credits under their program.

Check Career Professionals of Canada’s events schedule and register for upcoming courses.