3 minute read
Current, connected, committed
Alberta Career Development Conference reflects on 2020 and hopes for a better 2021
By Cindy Chan
The Career Development Association of Alberta (CDAA), like many other organizations, had an unexpected year due to COVID-19, but the past several months have taught them to pivot, adapt and thrive unlike ever before.
The CDAA has been incorporated since 1997 as a grassroots organization established by career development practitioners with the goal of getting together, sharing best practices and learning and growing together, according to Paula Wischoff Yerama, executive director for the CDAA.
The CDAA currently boasts about 300 members across Alberta, as well as outside of Alberta’s borders, primarily consisting of individuals working in not-for-profit career and employment services, as well as in post-secondary career centres, secondary schools, vocational rehabilitation settings, organizations and private practice.
“Our goal as an association is to support our members to be the best career development practitioners they can be so they can provide quality supports to the clients they serve,” Wischoff Yerama says. “We do that through a voluntary certification program, our annual conference and professional development opportunities, and we do our best to keep them connected to what’s going on in the field in general.”
The Alberta Career Development Conference (ACDC) has been around for many years, but it was recently reimagined in 2014, alternating between Edmonton and Calgary each year, according to Wischoff Yerama. It typically follows a traditional conference format with keynote speakers, concurrent sessions, an exhibitor fair and networking events; however, COVID-19 has changed that entirely.
“We weren’t able to go ahead with the conference last year, but it has been rescheduled for May 4 and 5, 2021. We had hoped to be able to hold the conference in person; however, given the ongoing uncertainty regarding in-person gatherings, we have opted to move forward with a virtual conference,” Wischoff Yerama says.
It’s not an unfamiliar format to the CDAA. Wischoff Yerama says in October 2020, the CDAA held a virtual professional development conference with Challenge Factory in which participants chose their own adventure. There was some hesitance about participating in a virtual event that had traditionally been an opportunity for practitioners to connect in person, but those who attended had great things to say about the value they got out of it.
The registration process for the virtual conference will be quite similar to the in-person conference registration process. Participants will be able to register for and attend virtual sessions, and even visit with exhibitors and one another through networking activities.
Anyone is welcome to attend, especially those working in the career development/human resources and education fields. “We’ve tried to get a balance of sessions that would be a good fit for and of interest/value to people entering or new to the field, and for people who have a wealth of experience and knowledge in the field,” she says. “Participants can expect to learn something new to help them or the clients they serve, whether it be about a program, service, technology, methodology or theory.”
“It’s a great opportunity to connect with colleagues, to find out what’s happening in the field, to add some new tools to your tool kit, to create some new relationships and to just get refreshed and reinvigorated to do the important work that needs to be done,” she adds.
For more information, visit careerdevelopment.ab.ca. n
The Career Development Association of Alberta is proud to host the seventh annual Connecting you Alberta Career Development Conference virtually with professionals from Alberta and beyond, dedicated to Leading The Way ACDC2021: A 20 C 2 D 1 C excellence in career development. A D MULTIPLE STREAMS OF CONCURRENT SESSIONS | INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED EXHIBITORS EXPERT PANEL PRESENTATIONS | CONSULTATION SESSIONS C ACDC is “THE” event to attend to connect with your profession and other professionals! Career Development Association of Alberta cdaa C2Tuesday and Wednesday, May 4 and 5, 2021 Please note this conference will be presented virtually. For info and registration visit: careerdevelopment.ab.ca/acdc2021 1