Media Advisory - Canada's biggest conference of career counsellors comes to Ottawa to discuss latest job, work trends

OTTAWA, Jan. 20, 2015 /CNW/ - Nearly 800 career development professionals will gather in Ottawa from Jan. 26-28, 2015 for the Cannexus National Career Development Conference. The largest event in the country for people in career counselling, employment and workforce development, delegates will explore the latest research and hot topics in the field.

The three-day conference will feature keynotes from Navigator's Jaime Watt, Nancy Arthur of the University of Calgary and former Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson.

There will be more than 150 sessions at the conference. Among the trends being discussed:

• The stress of indecision among post-secondary students who feel pressured to make a "perfect career choice" and interventions that help
• New research on how mother entrepreneurs are balancing career and life
• How the anticipated 10,000 Canadian armed forces personnel leaving the military in the coming years can transition to civilian careers
• Strategies for effective branding and resume writing in the online world
• An increase among 62-74 year-olds choosing to delay retirement and find new options for meaningful work

What: Cannexus National Career Development Conference

When: January 26-28, 2015

Where: Shaw Centre (Ottawa Convention Centre), 55 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa

Key times:

Monday, Jan. 26

8:30 a.m. - Jaime Watt, executive chairman, Navigator and public affairs commentator, will share the results of a new survey of 1,500 Canadians and where they turn for career advice.

5:00 p.m. - Launch of Career Crafting the Decade After High School: Professional's Guide, which dispels the "Career myth" that young people should follow a linear, predictable route in their school-to-work transition.

Tuesday, Jan. 27

8:45 a.m.- Nancy Arthur, professor, Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary, will discuss why the career development practitioner role includes advocating for social justice.

12:00 p.m. - TEDx-style talks called Spark! with insights from speakers such as Anita Nowak (McGill University) on empathetic action, Colette Murphy (Atkinson Foundation) on creating decent work for all and Mark Wafer (Tim Hortons) on hiring people with disabilities.

Wednesday, Jan. 28

10:30 a.m. - Fresh from her 2014 Massey Lecture series titled "Belonging: The Paradox of Citizenship," Adrienne Clarkson will share her journey from refugee to Canada's first visible minority Governor General.

Cannexus is hosted by the Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling (CERIC) and supported by its founding sponsor, The Counselling Foundation of Canada, along with a broad network of 36 organizations in the career development sector.

The full agenda for the conference is available at: www.cannexus.ca. Follow the Cannexus National Career Development Conference on Twitter at @cannexus or with the hashtag: #Cannexus15.

About CERIC

The Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling (CERIC) is a charitable organization that advances education and research in career counselling and career development. We support the creation of career counselling-related research and professional development for a cross-sectoral community through funding project partnerships and our strategic programs: Cannexus, ContactPoint / OrientAction and The Canadian Journal of Career Development. www.ceric.ca

SOURCE Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling

For further information: Sharon Ferriss, Director, Marketing, Web & New Media, CERIC, [email protected], 647.466.0564