This week offered a couple of reminders about the value of staying connected through our provincial associations.

I participated in a meeting of the Career Development Network, a loose group of representatives from career development associations and government from coast to coast to coast. The network was created last year to meet quarterly and discuss the landscape following the launch of the national CCDP credential. Like ASPECT, many of the organizations represented are working to continue their core activities while also considering their future viability. Supporting the career development sector and the people who rely on these services was at the core of the discussions.

I also met with a colleague from the Social Services Sector Roundtable Reference Group who, like ASPECT, leads an umbrella organization representing social service agencies. Many of their member organizations operate social programs that include employment contracts but remain somewhat disconnected from the ASPECT community. They are also working to keep pace with the funding changes many of us are experiencing, while staying focused on the needs of the people they serve.

Both conversations reminded me how important it is to stay connected to one another. Being part of a community with shared goals strengthens our work and ultimately benefits the people looking for employment and the communities we serve, whether urban, rural, or remote.

To borrow a metaphor shared by Indigenous speakers, we are all paddling in the same canoe. Each of us brings our own skills, strengths, and wisdom, but we move forward together toward a shared destination: helping our communities and the people who rely on our work.

The world can feel a little rocky these days, but moments like these remind me how meaningful it is to be part of something larger, people working together, each in our own way, to make life better for others. 

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPECT BC