News Release

FREDERICTON (GNB) – A strategic approach to career planning and development for public education students in Atlantic Canada is the major emphasis outlined in Future in Focus – Atlantic Career Development Framework for Public Education: 2015-2020, launched today by the ministers of education and training from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.

“I am pleased that New Brunswick is participating in this strategy with our Atlantic partners,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Serge Rousselle. “Career development is a lifelong process, and our education system must work to ensure that our students are well-positioned to take their place in an ever-changing economy. This initiative raises the bar for career development in Canada. I commend the team that worked on this framework, and look forward to its evolution.”

Future in Focus – Atlantic Career Development Framework for Public Education: 2015-2020 outlines the regional direction and specific goals that the four provincial governments will follow over the next five years to provide public education students with the necessary tools in their ongoing pursuit to make informed decisions relating to career choices, and to transition smoothly from public to post-secondary education and training. The framework lays the foundation for provinces to support age-appropriate classroom-based career education, experiential exploration of post-secondary and work options, timely career and labour market information, and training for educators, including teachers, guidance counsellors and school administrators.

“Our government is focused on building a skilled workforce in the province,” said Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Francine Landry. “I am pleased to support this commitment to strengthen career education so our young people can plan to live, work and raise a family at home in New Brunswick.”

The strategy articulates a number of common goals that ministers are committed to attain to demonstrate progress in their respective jurisdictions. The introduction and implementation of specific actions and initiatives will be the responsibility of each province, to ensure that the unique needs, strengths and realities are integrated in the current and planned provincial initiatives. The framework reflects the regional direction that ministers want to pursue to achieve excellence in career education, but provides the flexibility to introduce specific initiatives based on provincial priorities and timelines.

By pursuing common goals, ministers are demonstrating leadership to ensure that labour market demands resulting from changes to the economy, technology and population demographics are supported by a labour pool with the appropriate and critical skills, knowledge and attitudes. Additionally, ministers are strengthening career development in schools to provide students with real labour market exposure, which will ultimately result in a career development culture that engages parents, families, schools, post-secondary institutions, employers and communities. Ministers of education and training recognize that career planning and development is a lifelong process of managing learning that starts at an early age, builds incrementally, and lays the foundation for assisting and preparing students to make educational, career, and employment choices.

The ministers’ commitment to strengthen career education is an investment with long-term positive consequences for Atlantic Canada. Effective career education programs will serve to increase student academic achievement, reduce high school drop-out rates, and improve the overall standard of living of communities and their residents.

Future in Focus was developed in response to Career Education in Atlantic Canada: Research and Recommendations, prepared by the Canadian Career Development Foundation for the Council of Atlantic Ministers of Education and Training in 2014. This research work focused on the socio-economic imperatives for action in the area of career development, an environmental scan of successful programs in Atlantic Canada, and a compilation of international best practices. The report is available online.

Future in Focus supports the numerous current and planned regional and provincial career planning initiatives, including the recent renewal of the Career Cruising license agreement in the four Atlantic provinces, which serves as a bilingual computer-based career guidance program and a comprehensive package of support services for schools in the four Atlantic provinces.

The Council of Atlantic Ministers of Education and Training is an intergovernmental agency, and its purpose is to enhance co-operation in public (Entry-12) and post-secondary education in Atlantic Canada by working together to improve learning, optimize efficiencies and bring added value to provincial initiatives.