Save the Date!

Come celebrate OSCA's 60th anniversary at our 2024 Conference November 3-4 in Mississauga.

 New Year...New Webinar!
Tuesday, January 9 @ 1:00 PM
Technology, Skills, and the Future of Work

K-12 teachers and staff in schools across Ontario must adopt a fresh mindset and provide students with ongoing, personalized support in building the skills they need to succeed in the future of work. In this webinar, Future Design School's managing director Sandra Nagy, and trend analyst Todd Harrison, will unpack workplace trends and discuss some of the innovative teaching and learning practices they encounter through their action research in schools throughout Ontario, across Canada, and around the world. According to the latest national and global projections, the workplace landscape is quickly transforming on two important fronts. First, employees are now expected to arrive on the job with deep experience in key skills like creative and analytical thinking, agility, problem-solving, collaboration, and self-awareness. Secondly, rapid technological innovation is shrinking and shifting the job market, with thousands of jobs in Canada (and millions worldwide) projected to be swallowed up by disruptive forces like machine learning. Come and join us for this "up to the minute" session that will help you stay on the pulse of what's trending in the world of work! Please note that this webinar takes place the day after we return from the holiday break, so you are encouraged to register early. Register Here!

In each issue of our CareerWise Weekly newsletter, we share a selection of curated articles to help you stay up to date on all things career – from labour market information, to job search strategies, to workplace trends. This year, we saw keen interest in AI-related topics as ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools exploded in popularity. Readers were also keen to keep up on the ever-evolving labour market as many companies undertook layoffs and recession fears loomed. Here, we count down the top 10 most-read articles from our 2023 newsletters.

Experts weigh in on this year’s hiring trends and insights for next year.

As we reflect on the past year and look toward 2024, it’s evident that the world of work has experienced significant shifts. The transition from the year of quiet quitting in 2022 to the year of corporate reckoning in 2023 has been particularly turbulent for many. Hiring trends in 2023 saw companies recalibrating their workforce with layoffs and introducing back-to-office mandates, and a sense of hesitancy permeated the job market. To gain a deeper understanding of what the future holds for hiring practices, we tapped into the knowledge of industry experts who shared their insights and predictions for the year 2024. From a reckoning in employee experience to the rise of AI in recruiting, we unpack what professionals can expect in the ever-changing job market.

Connecting with and learning from others is a key aspect of professional development. With the year coming to an end and a new one just around the corner, here are six winter conferences that promise to help career professionals gain knowledge and expand their networks.

Canada's immigration minister on Thursday announced a slew of new requirements for foreign students wanting to come study in Canada.

Starting next year, Marc Miller said prospective international students will need to show they have access to $20,635 instead of the $10,000 requirement that has been in place for two decades, in addition to paying for travel and tuition.

The amount will be adjusted annually based on a Statistics Canada benchmark for living costs.

Miller also announced the federal Liberals are extending an exemption that allowed current international students without an employment visa to work for more than the 20 hours each week off campus.

He threatened to cap visas in provinces that don't help house students or who won't shut down educational institutions that he argues shouldn't be operating.

By Ashley Cross

The terms neurodiversity and neurodivergence were coined in the 1990s by Judy Singer, an autistic rights activist and sociologist (Khaliq, 2023). These concepts have gained traction in recent years, normalizing neuro-cognitive differences in how individuals perceive and engage with the world (instead of classifying them as learning disabilities, psychological disorders, or other neurological conditions). It is estimated that 10-20% of the global population is neurodivergent (Mahto et al., 2022). Several diagnoses that fall under neurodiversity include autism, ADHD, dyslexia, mood disorders, Tourette syndrome, and traumatic brain injuries.

Experts weigh in on this year’s hiring trends and insights for next year.

As we reflect on the past year and look toward 2024, it’s evident that the world of work has experienced significant shifts. The transition from the year of quiet quitting in 2022 to the year of corporate reckoning in 2023 has been particularly turbulent for many. Hiring trends in 2023 saw companies recalibrating their workforce with layoffs and introducing back-to-office mandates, and a sense of hesitancy permeated the job market. To gain a deeper understanding of what the future holds for hiring practices, we tapped into the knowledge of industry experts who shared their insights and predictions for the year 2024. From a reckoning in employee experience to the rise of AI in recruiting, we unpack what professionals can expect in the ever-changing job market.

Winter session: January 8 to March 8, 2024

OSCA-ACOSO is pleased to announce that they will continue to offer Part 1, Part 2 and the Specialist in Guidance and Career Education Additional Qualifications courses this fall. Additional sessions will take place in the winter, spring and summer. Advantages of taking the course with OSCA are the instructor is a current guidance counsellor, a one year OSCA subscription is included ($55 value) and a downloaded copy of Ethical Guidelines ($25) is included. As part of the OSCA subscription, you have the opportunity to attend the fall conference at a member rate, gain access to webinars throughout the year on topics related to guidance and career education, receive the weekly OSCA News to keep up to date with guidance/career topics, and receive the tri annual OSCA Today, the professional magazine of the association.

Cost: $675 plus HST.

To register: www.osca.ca --> Next AQ course

Registration closes: January 2, 2024  at 12 noon. Please register early to reserve your seat!