Government of New Brunswick

Career Connected Learning

Discover your Why!

Everyone benefits when New Brunswick youth have the skills, strategies, supports and resilience necessary to successfully pursue their preferred futures. The New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD) is focused on systemically advancing the current design and delivery of career development K-12. Career development is the lifelong process of managing learning (formal and informal), work (paid and unpaid), and the transitions in between in order to move toward one’s preferred future (Council of Atlantic Ministers of Education and Training, 2015). Specifically, EECD will continue to ensure effective transitioning for all, including learners with diverse needs.

In an effort to prepare all students for a fulfilling and prosperous future, the Universal Design for Learning principles have been applied to the design and delivery of Career Connected Learning (CCL) K-12. Universal design for CCL is designed to meet the needs of all learners using multiple means of engagement, expression, and representation.

Career Connected Learning Best Practices

  • Best Practices Document
  • myBlueprint Educational Planner: myBlueprint is an online, comprehensive education and career/life planning tool. It helps students make informed decisions about their future. The site features information and resources that are important for students and all those that work with them. 
  • Experiential Learning (EL): Students need multiple opportunities to learn from employers and in workplaces about the realities of diverse work environments, and to develop the skills needed for labour market success.
  • Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is how children, youth, and adults learn to understand and manage emotions, set goals, show empathy for others, establish positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. SEL is promoted and taught through explicit instruction. It can be intentionally integrated across all curricula. The goal is to prepare students for long-term success in life and to become responsible, caring citizens in our pluricultural society. Visit the CASEL site for more information.
  • NB Global Competencies Learning: The global competencies are what we must accomplish in order for our learners to be at their best. Learning through personalization establishes how we will ensure that all learners (students and educators) are engaged in their learning and the learning process. Teaching the global competencies through personalized learning will ensure we are on the right track for everyone to be at their best.
  • Labour Market Information Learning (LMI): Research indicates that youth require access to and competency with the use of LMI. Post Secondary Education Training and Labour (PETL) provides a wealth of information on the NBjobs site, including an Educator's Toolkit.
  • Financial Wellness Learning is about taking control of one's life. It helps to instill confidence, determination, and commitment. These, in turn, can lead to accomplishment, personal success, and happiness. The world of money is one area where many people often feel they lack control. Incorporating financial education will equip young people knowledge, skills, and experience that will enable them to begin to take more control over their financial future and improve their chance of achieving success.
  • Culturally Responsive Teaching focuses on developing student capacity for deeper learning. It is a tool for teachers to support the cognitive growth of their culturally and linguistically diverse students. Using the Ready for Rigor Framework, diverse learners will develop agency that will assist them as they prepare for the future.

Career Education and Mental Health

As students consider transitioning to a new grade in September or transitioning to the next stage of life, it is important for them to develop goals and to reflect on their interests and opportunities. Planning for the future improves mental health as it provides purpose and a sense of hope, especially during uncertain times.

 

Hopeful Transitions

Guides to Assist in Successful Transitions

Hopeful Transitions Guide and Tool

CMEC Reference Framework for Successful Transitions

The Canadian Council of Ministers of Education (CMEC) has created a common set of benchmarks to support the assessment of your current career development practice as you work to improve the transition outcomes for your students. This reference framework is accompanied by two assessment and action-planning tools to assist in evaluating your current transition programs and to undertake targeted actions to address identified gaps and priorities

 

Career Connected Learning Online Modules

These professional learning modules are designed to support educators in preparing learners for the future and to help to level the playing field for marginalized groups of learners such as indigenous, newcomers, LGBTQI2S+, low-socioeconomic, and students with disabilities.

Note: Only New Brunswick educators will be able to receive the certificates and/or digital badges for completion of modules. 

  • Module 1: Series Introduction and myBlueprint
    This module is the starting point for this series. In this module, you will learn why Career Connected Learning is important for all K-12 educators. You will be given an overview of the career connected Learning professional learning series and the tools to document your learning in the digital portfolio, myBlueprint. This module should take approximately 1 hour to complete
  • Module 2: Labour Market information
    In this module, you will learn how to integrate LMI information into career connected classroom practice. This includes what LMI is, why is it useful for all K-12 teachers, and why it is important to understand the current NB labour market information. Further, you will learn the connection between LMI and mental wellness. The module contains links to useful LMI resources for educators and examples of how it could be incorporated in all K-12 classes.  This module should take approximately 1 hour to complete.
  • Module 3: Experiential Learning
    In this module, you will learn how to integrate experiential learning into your career connected classroom practice and the importance of experiential learning for learner engagement and mental wellness. You will explore the components of experiential learning and how they may be documented and assessed. Practical examples of different types of experiential learning for K-12 students are provided. This module should take approximately 2 hours to complete.
  • Module 4: Financial Wellness
    In this module, you will learn how to integrate financial wellness into career connected classroom practice. An explanation of how financial literacy is significant for young people and their mental wellness is provided, along with resources and examples of what this best practice can look like in K-12 classrooms. This module should take approximately 1 hour to complete.
  • Module 5: Social and Emotional Learning and Global Competencies
     In this module, you will learn how to integrate global competencies and SEL into career connected classroom practice. You will examine the New Brunswick Portrait of a Learner and see how the development of global competencies and SEL support its goals. Practical examples of how to intentionally incorporate these strategies in your K-12 classroom are provided. Further, you will learn about how to document and assess this type of learning.  This module should take approximately 2 hours to complete.