Resources
The resources identified on this page are intended to provide post-secondary students and job seekers with information to support their career exploration and understanding of skills needed for a successful entry into the labour market. Sites and documents have been linked in the brief description of each resource. Most resources identified on this page are available in English and French. Links to provincial and federal government Labour Market Information can be found at the bottom of the page.
Post-secondary students are encouraged to speak with Program and Career Advisors at their place of study for guidance with their career investigations.
The CAF is a national not for profit organization that liaises with stakeholders across industries/ sectors that represent the trades to share practices and collaborate on workforce priorities. It serves as the national voice for the apprenticeship community. As a post-secondary student and job seeker, this site can provide you with access to information on careers in trades, how to become an apprentice, job opportunities, financial supports, initiatives to support underrepresented groups and much more. You can also reach out to the provincial apprenticeship offices to learn more about labour market opportunities in your own province.
This initiative is a priority of Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster designed to educate young Canadians on the Advanced Manufacturing sector. The website is intended to raise awareness of the broad possibilities of jobs in the advanced manufacturing and technology sector. Students and job seekers can visit the site to learn more about what advanced manufacturing is and how it differs from manufacturing, career possibilities from engineering, skilled trades, commerce and business to many more and the skills needed to succeed and progress in advanced manufacturing fields.
CERIC is a national not for profit organization that focuses on advancing career education and research in counselling and career development. Some publications that can help to inform career conversations are identified below. You can also access several other publication topics that may be of personal interest on their website.
- Allyship in career development: An honor, privilege and responsibility - This article, written by Natasha Caverley and Kathy Offet-Gartner and published in the Winter 2021 issue of CERIC’s Careering magazine, continues the very important conversation about supporting the BIPOC community. The authors address the role of allyship as an ethical responsibility and they offer strategies for engaging in allyship to enact system-wide changes.
- Bridging the Skills Awareness Gap Through Reflection - Carli Fink, author of “Bridging the Skills Awareness Gap Through Reflection”, published in CERIC’s Fall 2020 issue of Careering magazine, shares the importance of skills awareness and reflective practice in finding a career path that aligns with post-secondary students’ strengths, interests and goals.
- Computing Careers & Disciplines (A Quick Guide for Prospective Students and Career Advisors) - Computing Careers and Disciplines is intended to support students in learning more about the field of computing and related careers with a focus on five computing disciplines. The information contained in this resource may help students to better understand what each one of the computing disciplines does and which best suits their interests, talents, skills and abilities.
- Supporting the Careers of People Who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color - This article, written by Jodi Tingling and published in the Fall 2020 issue of CERIC’s Careering magazine, speaks to the impact of systemic racism on individuals who are Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) in their pursuits of career goals. Several strategies are offered to address barriers and provide equitable opportunities for the BIPOC community.
- What you need to know about Canada’s new Skills for Success framework - This article published in June of 2021 provides an overview of the 9 skills introduced in the new Skills for Success framework. It also addresses how and why the research for the framework took place and the significance of updating these skills to support a successful entry into and progression in the workforce. To summarize from the article “The new and revised skills and competencies provide better alignment with other modern skills frameworks and will likely result in some strong skills-focused research in Canada”.
This site offers information on Employability Skills and why/how they are needed to “enter, stay in and progress in the world of work”. Publications and brochures focused on skill development and the transition of post-secondary students to the workforce are available for download. The Conference Board of Canada and the Future Skills Centre recently partnered to launch an online platform called OpportuNext to help users explore skills based career paths.
The Labour Market Information Council (LMiC) is a not-for-profit, pan-Canadian organization composed of a diverse group of individuals with expertise in the use of LMI. Their mandate is to empower Canadians to make informed career decisions using accessible and reliable labour market information. Some key topics from recent publications have been identified below. The LMiC website offers a more comprehensive listing of publications that can assist post-secondary students and job seekers in their endeavors to enter the labour market.
The National Occupational Classification (NOC) is Canada’s national system for describing occupations. You can search the NOC to find where an occupation is classified or to learn about its main duties, educational requirements or other useful information. Additional information about NOC codes and classifications can be found in their Tutorial and Career Handbook.
In 2021, Employment and Social Development Canada (Government of Canada) published a Skills for Success framework which provided an updated to the Essential Skills Framework. The 9 skills outlined in the Skills for Success framework reflect the key skills necessary to success in work, life and the community. This site provides users with access to descriptors of each of the skills, videos and links to self-assessment tools.
Statistics Canada is the national statistical office that produces information on Canada’s economy, society and environment. A November 2020 report produced by StatCan addresses labour market outcomes for post-secondary graduates from 2015.
As you give consideration to career prospects and the skills you will need to succeed, it would benefit you to explore specific companies and opportunities to examine what they are looking for and how you may fit with their needs. One place you may wish to start is by examining the top Employers in Canada's four Atlantic provinces for 2022. These employers were selected through a competition process organized by Canada’s Top 100 Employers. Information you gather through your investigation of these and other companies can provide you with insight into hiring practices, skills in demand and jobs that are available in Atlantic Canada. Criteria used in the competition and selection process included:
- Community Involvement
- Health, Financial & Family Benefits
- Physical Workplace
- Vacation & Time Off
- Employee Communications
- Performance Management
- Training & Skills Development
- Work Atmosphere & Social