CERTIFIED CAREER DEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONER CRITERIA GUIDELINE

CONNECT, LEARN, GROW!

BC

BC Career Development Association Address: Suite 728-510 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 1L8 Tel: 604-684-3638 Email: info@bccda.org Web: www.bccda.org

Certified Career Development Practitioner (CCDP)

Criteria Guideline

• The Certified Career Development Practitioner (CCDP) designation is a "warrant of competence" or "warrant of expertise."

• Successful completion of BCCDA’s certification process confers the right to use the title Certified Career Development Professional and the right to use the initials CCDP after one’s name.

• To acquire certification, applicants who meet all requirements for CCDP certification can apply directly for CCDP Certification. Those that do not meet all the criteria required for Certification may apply for a provisional status of CCDP Candidate. Upon completing all the requirements for certification, a CCDP Candidate can apply for full Certification.

• Successful completion of BCCDA’s Candidacy certification process confers the right to use the title Certified Career Development Professional Candidate (CCDP Candidate).

• You can remain as a CCDP Candidate for a five-year period until you meet all the requirements to become a CCDP. After this initial five-year period, candidates can apply for an extension if needed.

• Once you meet all certification requirements, you have the right to use the initials CCDP

after your name without paying any extra application fee. • Application for the CCDP designation is voluntary. Applicants must fulfill all criteria for

certification through a combination of education, work experience, and evidence of competency.

• There is no application deadline. Applications are received on an on-going basis and are reviewed monthly.

• Please ensure to gather all the required documents prior to applying for CCDP-CCDP Candidacy. Missing required documents might result in a delay in your application process. For more details about the required documents and how to apply for CCDP and CCDP Candidacy, please read through the Certified Career Development Practitioner (CCDP) Criteria Guideline carefully.

I. CCDP- CCDP Candidacy Application Process

II. CCDP & CCDP Candidacy Criteria A. CCDP Candidacy Applicants

All CCDP Candidacy applicants must commit to satisfy the following requirements while remaining as a CCDP Candidate:

1. Education and Work Experience 2. BCCDA Membership 3. Mandatory Courses - Ethics and Theories 4. Commit to an on-going 25 hours of Professional Activities per subscription year

to demonstrate Career Practitioner Competencies and Areas of Specialization 5. Professional References

1. Education and Work Experience

Applicants must choose one or more of the following combinations of education and work experience and must submit official transcripts from the educational institution as part of their application unless apply using category 6 as listed below. If you might not have enough paid work experience hours, please choose your categories base on your education background (you can select more than one categories) There are 6 categories:

• Category 1. Related Masters degree in Career/Employment Development and at least 1

year full-time or an equivalent amount of part-time related paid qualifying work experience.

• Category 2. Related Bachelors degree in Career/Employment Development and at least 2 years full-time or an equivalent amount of part-time related paid qualifying work experience.

• Category 3. Related Diploma/Associate Degree (min. 400 hours) in Career/Employment Development and at least 3 years full-time or an equivalent amount of part-time related paid qualifying work experience.

• Category 4. Related Certificate (min. 200 hours) in Career/Employment Development and at least 4 years full-time or an equivalent amount of part-time related paid qualifying work experience

• Category 5. Unrelated degree and at least 4 years full-time or an equivalent amount

of part-time related paid qualifying work experience • Category 6. Employment Pathway: Minimum of 8000 hours of paid qualifying work

experience in the past 10 years

Note: “Full-time” means at least 30 hours of paid work in one week. One year of full-time work is at least 1560 hours.

Candidates who apply using international paid work experience must have at least one year of paid work experience in Canada.

2. BCCDA Professional Membership. Applicants must be a current, professional member of the BCCDA. Professional Membership is required for the Association to have continued jurisdiction over the member. Successful applicants must maintain their BCCDA professional membership to maintain their CCDP candidate status.

3. Mandatory Courses. Completion of 2 mandatory courses (Ethics and Career Development Theories) either within your educational program or taken separately prior to applying for CCDP Candidacy.

4. Career Practitioner Competencies & Areas of Specialization. CCDP Candidates must provide

evidence for how he or she has demonstrated all 4 of the core competencies and three out of six areas of specialization outlined in the Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Practitioners through the submission of an annual CCDP Maintenance Log (which outlines a minimum of 25 hours of direct and indirect Professional Activities per subscription year).

Please ensure that each professional activity addresses at least one Core Competency and at least one area of Specialization from the Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Development Practitioners (see Sample CCDP Maintenance Log).

5. Professional References. Two references are required to support your CCDP

Candidacy application. Please use the official CCDP Reference Form. You can download this form through BCCDA website.

At least one reference must be from a supervisor, employer, or instructor. The second may be from a colleague who have knowledge of the Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Practitioners and can speak to and verify your capacity in the career development field. If self-employed, colleagues or client references may be acceptable.

Criteria for Acceptance as a Professional Reference:

• The applicant must have known the reference for at least one year for CCDP candidates

and at least six months for CCDP Candidacy candidates • The applicant must have known the reference in a professional capacity

• The reference must have recent knowledge of the applicant’s work experience

(within the past 5 years) • The reference must not be a family member

• Ideally, the reference will be familiar with the Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career

Development Practitioners (for more information see www.career-dev-guidelines.org )

Note:

• Provide your main reference with the CCDP Reference Form. They must complete the

form and sign the form

• Ensure that your reference knows which 3 areas of specialization you are claiming so that their comments match your application

B. CCDP Applicants

All applicants must satisfy the following five requirements before submitting their CCDP application:

1. Education and Work Experience 2. BCCDA Professional Membership 3. Mandatory Courses - Ethics and Theories 4. Career Practitioner Competencies and Areas of Specialization 5. Professional References

Applicants can choose from one of the following paths to apply for CCDP:

Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4 Category 5 Category 6

BCCDA PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP IN GOOD STANDING

Related Masters Related Related Diploma/ Related Certificate Unrelated Employment

Degree in Bachelors Degree Associate Degree (min. 200 hours) in Degree/ Pathway-

Career/ in Career/ (min. 400 hours) in Career/ Diploma/ Employed in Employment Employment Career/ Employment Certificate Career/

Employment

Development

Development Development Employment

Development Development

Taken Ethics & Taken Ethics & Taken Ethics & Taken Ethics & Taken Ethics & Taken Ethics &

Theories Theories Theories Theories Theories Theories

Courses Courses Courses Courses Courses Courses

Demonstrated all 4 of the Core Competencies and 3 of the 6 Areas of Specialization Outlined in the Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Practitioners + 2 Professional References

One Year full-time or an

equivalent

amount of part-

time related paid

work experience.

Two Years full-time or an

equivalent

amount of part-

time related paid

work experience.

Three Years full-time or an

equivalent

amount of part-

time related paid

work experience.

Four Years full-time or an

equivalent

amount of part-

time related paid

work experience.

Four Years full-time or an

equivalent

amount of part-

time related paid

work experience.

8000 Hours of paid qualifying work experience in the past 10 years.

CCDP DESIGNATION

1. Education and Work Experience. To automatically meet the education criteria, all education and work experience must be in Career/Employment Development or a related field.

Note that official transcripts (do not need to be sealed) from the educational institution are

required and must be included with your application unless the applicant apply under

category 6. Please read carefully and select the categories that you wish to apply (you can

select multiple categories to apply- the Reviewer Committee will decide the most applicable

category to your application)

There are six categories:

• Category 1. Related Masters degree in Career/Employment Development and at least 1

year full-time or an equivalent amount of part-time related paid qualifying work experience.

• Category 2. Related Bachelors degree in Career/Employment Development and at least 2

years full-time or an equivalent amount of part-time related paid qualifying work experience.

• Category 3. Related Diploma/Associate Degree (min. 400 hours) in Career/Employment

Development and at least 3 years full-time or an equivalent amount of part-time related paid qualifying work experience.

• Category 4. Related Certificate (min. 200 hours) in Career/Employment Development and

at least 4 years full-time or an equivalent amount of part-time related paid qualifying work experience

• Category 5. Unrelated degree and at least 4 years full-time or an equivalent amount of

part-time related paid qualifying work experience

• Category 6. Employment Pathway: Minimum of 8000 hours of paid qualifying work experience in the past 10 years

Note:

• “Full-time” means at least 30 hours of paid work in one week. One year of full-time work is at least 1560 hours

• Candidates who apply using international paid work experience must have at least one

year of paid work experience in Canada

• If career/employment related duties account for only part of an applicant’s past jobs/roles, or applicant’s work experience was only part-time (less than 28 hours/week), then the applicant must demonstrate that they have accumulated the required experience over more years than indicated for the category in question

• Applicants must have obtained their core education from an accredited or

government approved institution of higher education in Canada or one that is approved by BCCDA

• Applicants with certificates, diplomas, or degrees from other countries must provide

evidence that their degree is from an accredited or government approved institution or submit a credential recognition document from a government or university-approved ICES or PLAR service

• Applicant’s educational programs or degrees for categories 1 through 4 must be in

Career/Employment Development, Vocational Rehabilitation, or in the following related fields: Psychology, Sociology, Counselling, Education, Human Resources Management, Social Work or Marketing

2. BCCDA Professional Membership. Applicants must be a current, individual voting member of the BCCDA. Professional Membership is required for the Association to have continued jurisdiction over the member and over continued use of the CCDP designation. Successful applicants must maintain their BCCDA professional membership to maintain their CCDP certification. For those who have been grandfathered in with a three-year certification period, you will have a Professional Membership credit of $50 for each reminding subscription years with BCCDA. To read more about this compensation and how would it apply to you; please refer to our BCCDA membership benefits.

3. Mandatory Courses. Completion of two mandatory courses (Ethics and Career Development

Theories) either within your educational program or taken separately.

All applicants are required to attach proof of completion for 2 courses: (1) Ethics and

Professional Conduct and (2) Career Development Theories. You must complete both courses prior to applying for the CCDP designation. These courses may have been part of the education program claimed in section 1, or taken separately to meet this requirement.

Course Requirements for Ethics and Professional Conduct

• Consists of course content directly related to ethics within career development, counselling or education (documented in the course’s outline)

• Includes a minimum of 10 hours for substantive learning that has been delivered

through face-to-face or online instruction (with the majority of the time engaged in facilitated/interactive learning – not simply self-directed reading/assignments)

• Involves an evaluative assignment, marked and graded by the course instructor

• Has a personalized course completion record from the institution or instructor (such as a certificate, diploma, transcript or letter with the instructor signature)

Course Requirements for Career Development Theories

• Consists of course content including foundational and emerging career theories (documented in the course outline)

• Includes a minimum of 20 hours of substantive learning that has been delivered through

face-to-face or online instruction (with the majority of the time engaged in facilitated/interactive learning)

• Involves an evaluative assignment, marked and graded by the course instructor

• Has a personalized course completion record from the institution or instructor (such as a certificate, diploma, transcript or letter with the instructor signature)

Note:

• For Ethics and Career Development Theories Courses that are not on the pre-approved list, the applicant will need to provide a course outline or description and official transcripts as evidence that the course meets Criteria 3

• The Ethics component may be from the counselling or education fields. When this is the

case, the applicant must provide evidence of that the course covered topics relevant and applicable to Career and Employment services

• For a list of Pre-Approved Ethics and Career Development Theories Courses, see Appendix

A in the CCDP Certification Criteria

4. Career Practitioner Competencies & Areas of Specialization. Applicants must provide evidence for how he or she has demonstrated all 4 of the core competencies and 3 of the 6 areas of specialization outlined in the Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Practitioners through experience or training. Evidence should document/describe how the applicant has addressed these competencies through past work experience or through training/workshops/education. For competencies obtained through training, the relevant documentation must be submitted.

Note:

• For competencies obtained through training, indicate the relevant course title and year completed and list or attach documentation if not previously included in Section 1

• For competencies obtained through training, indicate the relevant course title and year

completed • For competencies obtained through work experience or other, briefly provide evidence for

how you have demonstrated this competency. When giving examples of work experience, you may find it helpful to use techniques such as Situation, Action, Result (SAR).

• You may use one statement or example to demonstrate more than one competency at

a time

5. Professional References. The applicant must submit two professional references in support of their application. At least one reference must be from a supervisor or employer. The second may be from a supervisor, employer or colleague who have knowledge of the Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Practitioners and can speak to and verify your capacity in the career development field. If self-employed, colleagues or client references may be acceptable. Please use the official CCDP Reference Form. You can download this form through BCCDA website.

Criteria for Acceptance as a Professional Reference:

• The applicant must have known the reference for at least one year for CCDP candidates and at least six months for CCDP Candidacy candidates

• The applicant must have known the reference in a professional capacity

• The reference must have recent knowledge of the applicant’s work experience (within the past 5 years)

• The reference must not be a family member

• Ideally, the reference will be familiar with the Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Development Practitioners (for more information see www.career-dev-guidelines.org )

Note:

• Provide your references with the CCDP Reference Form. They must complete the form and sign the form

• Ensure that your reference knows which 3 areas of specialization you are claiming so

that their comments match your application

III. How to Maintain your CCDP?

2016 Changes - Streamlined system for CCDP Maintenance

BCCDA is pleased to announce that we have streamlined and simplified the process for maintaining

your CCDP designation. We value your commitment and support of BCCDA and are excited to offer an improved method for tracking your professional development activities. Below is a list of changes effective as of July 1, 2016:

1. Hours verses Continuing Educational Credits:

Professional activities will now be tracked in hours rather than in credits. (If you watch a one hour

webinar it simply counts as 1 hour of Professional Activities). In the interest of ensuring that CCDP’s

engage in a range of activities beneficial for professional development, maximum hours have been

established for some categories. We have also allowed up to 10 hours of indirect learning such as

reading, writing and research that can be obtained independently. This is intended to assist CCDP’s in

meeting the CCDP maintenance requirements who are in geographic locations with less access to

formal training.

2. Annual Submission CCDP Maintenance Log

BCCDA has shifted to requiring an annual CCDP Maintenance Log. The annual system, in addition to being more convenient, will ensure that members are engaging in continuing education activities on a consistent basis. Your professional membership fee of $130 will cover the CCDP maintenance fee.

3. Member Profile with Professional Hours Tracking System

With the launch of our new website, your member profile will now automatically track all

Professional activities obtained through BCCDA. In addition, the profile allows you to keep a running

log of professional activities obtained informally or through other training providers. You will receive

automatic updates of the number of professional hours needed to meet the minimum 25 professional

hour requirement, along with reminders of your certification anniversary due date.

Please ensure that you have met the maintenance requirements 30 days before your CCDP anniversary.

CCDP’s who are missing hours will be given a 60-day grace period after their CCDP anniversary before

their CCDP is paused. To reactivate your CCDP you must make up the required professional hours from

the previous period.

4. CCDP Maintenance Requirements

The CCDP designation is a mark of professional excellence. It symbolizes the practitioner's commitment to ongoing professional development and the continuous advancement of the career development field.

As of July 1, 2016, CCDP holders must submit a CCDP Maintenance Log every year to demonstrate involvement in a range of professional activities that develop skills, knowledge and competencies required for their career practice.

To maintain your CCDP designation and title, practitioners must:

• Maintain continuous Professional Membership with BCCDA. • Complete and document a minimum of 25 hours of professional activities per year.

• Ensure that each professional development activity claimed addresses at least one Core

Competency and one area of Specialization from the Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Development Practitioners.

• Supporting Documents: Please retain verification documents for all continuing education activities

claimed for one year after submission as they may be required for randomized audits.

You can download, fill-in, and send the annual CCDP maintenance log (as shown below) to info@bccda.org or submit the professional activities through the “Professional Activities” feature on your member portal.

Appendix A. Pre-Approved Ethics and Career Theories Courses

The following training providers have applied for and received pre-approval. Although this does not represent a recommendation or endorsement of the program, it does indicate that we have confirmed, based on the information provided to us, that the course meets the CCDP Certification Committee’s definition of the required courses. Applicant will not have to submit sealed transcripts nor course outlines/descriptions for these courses.

Pre-Approved Ethics Course Providers

Provider Course Title Course #

Life Strategies Ltd. Ethics for Career Practitioners

SFU Simon Fraser Career Development Theories and Code of Ethics CPRA 105

University CPRP 105

Kwantlen Career Practitioner Certificate Equivalent to SFU CPRA Polytechnic 105 & CPRP 105

University

Okanagan College Professional Development & Labour Market CF04 Research

Okanagan College Foundational Theories and Ethics in Career MGR263 Facilitation

Douglas College Ethics for Career Development Practitioners CDPP 267 Ethical Standards for Career Development CDGI 561

Practitioners CDGI 560

CDP Theories and Ethical Standards

Concordia Ethical Practice in Counselling S540 University College

of Alberta

University of Ethics for Professional Practice ADL 213 Calgary

Conestoga College Professional Ethics, Interviewing and Counselling CARD 1010

Pre-Approved Career Development Theories Course Providers

Provider Course Title Course #

BCCDA Career Development Theories

Life Strategies Ltd. Career Development Foundations, Emerging

Theories and Models

SFU Simon Fraser Career Development Theories and Code of Ethics CPRA 105 University CPRP 105

Kwantlen Career Practitioner Certificate Equivalent to SFU CPRA Polytechnic 105 & CPRP 105

University 2003-

2007

Okanagan College Foundations in Career Development CF01

Okanagan College Foundational Theories and Ethics in Career MGR263

Facilitation

Douglas College Models and Strategies CDPP 750

Models, Strategies and Theories CDPP 750

Career Development Theories CDPP 268

CDP Theories & Ethical Standards CDGI 560

Concordia Theories of Career Development C510

University College

of Alberta

University of Career Development Foundations ADL 210

Calgary

Conestoga College Career Counselling and Development CARD 1060