Blueprint

for Life/Work
Designs
www.blueprint4life.ca
1-888-533-5683

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Career Development Matters
Career development is about growing through life and work; about
learning, experiencing, living, working and changing; about creating
and discovering pathways through one’s life and work. When
intentional, career development is about actively creating the life one
wants to live and the work one wants to do.

The Blueprint for Life/Work Designs will help make career development
intentional for more people.

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 The Meaning of “WORK”
“Work is undeniably one of the most essential of all human
activities. For a start, it is the basis of economic survival of
individuals… and society. Beyond this, an individual’s job
structures much of her or his time and, one hopes, provides
a source of personal fulfillment. An occupation also shapes
one’s identity and, in the eyes of others, largely determines
an individual’s status or position in society”

Work, Industry, and Canadian Society, Krahn & Lowe. 1996

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Most of Canada’s youth are likely to experience:

• a succession of up to 25 different jobs

• in a variety of occupations
• in up to 5 different sectors of the economy
• a variety of concurrent work roles (multi-tasking)
• planned and unplanned gaps of “no work”
• they will need to manage numerous transitions between
work and learning

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 Resource Benefits for using the
Blueprint
• Canada is shifting to a new and better paradigm for Career
Development (Life/Work) that will address the current
needs for the world of work.
• Learning to design one’s Life/Work more intentionally has
the potential to save billions of dollars in both the private
and public sectors.
The Question…
Can we afford to keep going along the way we are when
we look at the current “transition around work” statistics ?

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 Loss of Productivity
Reduction in International Competitiveness

• 64% of workers say they would start over again if they

could
• over 50% of workers admitted they ended up in their
current jobs through chance or the advice of others
• Canada’s second quarter GDP in 2002 was $1,138.2
billion
• a 1% increase in productivity would result in $11 billion +
in goods and services

Statistics Canada, CANSIM II, Consolidated federal, provincial, territorial, and local government revenue and expenditure, August 2002

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 Education Funding
• $64.1 billion was invested by all levels of Government on
primary, secondary and post-secondary education
• almost 50% of post-secondary students drop out or change
programs at the end of their first year
• almost 25% of secondary level students drop out of school
prior to certified completion nationally
* Poor recognition for school relevancy is the most
commonly cited reason for “at risk” youth
• a 1% savings in increased efficiency equates to $640 million

Statistics Canada, CANSIM II, Consolidated federal, provincial, territorial, and local government revenue and expenditure, August 2002

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 Health Care Funding
• over $76.9 billion invested by all levels of Government
• consider the impact of physical and emotional health (lost
work days/stress) on citizens and families spending 1/2
their conscious in work environments they dislike
• if 1 out of every 100 people availing themselves to health
care for potential stress related illness were happier and
healthier in their work…
• $769 million annually could be saved

Statistics Canada, CANSIM II, Consolidated federal, provincial, territorial, and local government revenue and expenditure, August 2002

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 Social Services
• $113 billion invested by all levels of Government.
• inability to locate and maintain suitable and fulfilling
learning and work opportunities is a major contributing
factor for recipients.
• a 1% saving on investment equates to $1.13 billion

Statistics Canada, CANSIM II, Consolidated federal, provincial, territorial, and local government revenue and expenditure, August 2002

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 Protection, Prisons and Corrections
• over $15 billion invested by all levels of Government
• a contributing factor of many individuals running afoul of
the law is the inability to connect with life and work roles
that appeal to them
• a 1% reduction in expenditures equates to $150 million

Statistics Canada, CANSIM II, Consolidated federal, provincial, territorial, and local government revenue and expenditure, August 2002

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 Training Investment Losses
• on average, it costs approximately $25,000 to train
someone to full productivity in a job
• thus, the average cost of 40 people changing jobs can
directly and indirectly impact employers up to
$1,000,000.00
• annually, more than 4000 people change jobs, after 1 year
or less in any moderate sized Canadian city
• direct and indirect costs could conservatively add up to
more than $100 million nationally.

Statistics Canada, CANSIM II, Consolidated federal, provincial, territorial, and local government revenue and expenditure, August 2002

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 Employment Insurance
• Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) paid a
total of $9.5 billion in the year ending March 31,2001 to
about 650,000 EI Income Benefits Program recipients
(who received an average of 18.5 weeks of payments)
• if Canadians were more self reliant and effective at
managing their own work and learning opportunities in
transition to and from work and learning, EI payments
would decrease.
• a 1% improvement would equate to $95 million in saving.

Statistics Canada, CANSIM II, Consolidated federal, provincial, territorial, and local government revenue and expenditure, August 2002

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 Lost Government Revenues
• over $432 billion was collected by all levels of
Government in the past year in revenues from income tax,
property taxes, consumption taxes, health premiums, social
insurance contributions, etc.
• if Canadians were more self reliant and effective at
managing their own work and learning opportunities in
transition to and from work and learning, all levels of
government could anticipate increased revenues.
• a 1% improvement has the potential to generate $4.3
billion to government revenues.

Statistics Canada, CANSIM II, Consolidated federal, provincial, territorial, and local government revenue and expenditure, August 2002

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 Costs of Career Indecisiveness
– These figures suggest the
Costs of Career Indecisiveness Potential
magnitude of potential gains Gains (at 1%)
(assuming 1% in improvement) if
Canadians were more self-reliant Lost Productivity $11.0 Billion
Education Funding $ .64 Billion
and better able to manage their
Health Funding $ .77 Billion
work and learning opportunities Social Services $ 1.5 Billion
(careers). While more difficult to Protection, Prisons and Corrections $ .15 Billion
quantify, non-monetary issues Training Investment Losses $ .01 Billion
(such as reduced self-esteem, Employment Insurance $ .01 Billion
Lost Government Revenues $ 4.3 Billion
family breakdown, substance
abuse, etc.), represent even greater TOTAL $18.38 Billion
costs to Canadian society. Annually

Statistics Canada, CANSIM II, Consolidated federal, provincial, territorial, and local government revenue and expenditure, August 2002

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The Blueprint for Life/Work Designs:

* Maps out the life/work competencies Canadians need to

proactively manage their career building process, from kindergarten to
adulthood;

* Provides administrators and practitioners with a

systematic process of developing, implementing, evaluating and
marketing career development programs or redesigning and enhancing
existing programs;

* Enables researchers and practitioners to determine the

extent to which clients/students have acquired competencies

* Enables career resource developers to design products,

programs and services to address specific competencies and users
to identify competency “Blueprint Coded” resources

Most importantly:

* Provides a common language across Canada for the

outcomes of career development initiatives
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Overview of the Blueprint Framework

3 Areas of the Blueprint:

A. Personal Management
B. Learning and Work Exploration
C. Life / Work Building

* A total of 11 Competencies fall under the 3 areas

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 The Big Picture
Competencies by Area and Level
COMPETENCIES LEVEL I LEVEL II LEVEL III LEVEL IV
AREA A: PERSONAL MANAGEMENT
1. BUILD AND MAINTAIN A 1.1 Build a positive self-image 1.2 Build a positive self-image 1.3 Develop abilities to maintain a 1.4 Improve on abilities to
POSITIVE SELF-IMAGE while discovering its influence and understand its influence positive self-image. maintain a positive self-
on self and others. on one’s life and work. image.
2. INTERACT POSITIVELY AND 2.1 Develop abilities for building 2.2 Develop abilities for building 2.3 Develop abilities for building 2.4 Improve abilities for building
EFFECTIVELY WITH OTHERS positive relationships in one’s positive relationships in one’s positive relationships in one’s positive relationships in one’s
life (I). life (II). life and work. life and work.
3. CHANGE AND GROW 3.1 Discover that change and 3.2 Learn to respond to change 3.3 Learn to respond to change 3.4 Develop strategies for
THROUGHOUT ONE’S LIFE growth are part of life. and growth (I). and growth (II). responding to life and work
changes.
AREA B: LEARNING AND WORK EXPLORATION
4. PARTICIPATE IN LIFE-LONG 4.1 Discover “lifelong learning” 4.2 Link life-long learning to one’s 4.3 Link life-long learning to one’s 4.4 Participate in continuous
LEARNING SUPPORTIVE OF and its contributions to one’s life/work scenario, both career building process. learning supportive of
LIFE/WORK GOALS life and work. present and future. life/work goals.
5. LOCATE AND EFFECTIVELY 5.1 Discover and understand 5.2 Locate, understand and use 5.3 Locate, interpret, evaluate 5.4 Locate, interpret, evaluate
USE LIFE/WORK INFORMATION life/work information. life/work information. and use life/work information and use life/work information
(I). (II).
6. UNDERSTAND THE 6.1 Discover how work 6.2 Understand how work 6.3 Understand how societal and 6.4 Understand how societal and
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN contributes to individuals and contributes to the community. economic needs influence the economic needs influence the
WORK AND SOCIETY/ the community. nature and structure of work nature and structure of work
ECONOMY (I). (II).
AREA C: LIFE/WORK BUILDING
7. SECURE/CREATE AND 7.1 Explore effective work 7.2 Develop abilities to seek and 7.3 Develop abilities to seek, 7.4 Improve on abilities to seek,
MAINTAIN WORK strategies. obtain/create work. obtain/create and maintain obtain/create and maintain
work. work.
8. MAKE LIFE/WORK ENHANCING 8.1 Explore and improve decision 8.2 Link decision making to 8.3 Engage in life/work decision 8.4 Incorporate adult life reality into
DECISIONS making. life/work building. making. life/work decision making.
9. MAINTAIN BALANCED LIFE AND 9.1 Explore and understand the 9.2 Explore and understand the 9.3 Link lifestyles and life stages 9.4 Incorporate the “balanced
WORK ROLES interrelationship of life roles interrelationship of life roles to life/work building. life/work“ issue in life/work
(I). (II). building.
10. UNDERSTAND THE CHANGING 10.1 Discover the nature of 10.2 Explore non-traditional 10.3 Understand and learn to 10.4 Understand and learn to
NATURE OF LIFE/WORK ROLES life/work roles. life/work scenarios. overcome stereotypes in overcome stereotypes in
life/work building (I). life/work building (II).
11. UNDERSTAND, ENGAGE IN 11.1 Explore the underlying 11.2 Understand and experience 11.3 Recognize and take charge of 11.4 Manage one’s life/work
AND MANAGE ONE’S OWN concepts of the life/work the process of life/work one’s life/work building building process.
LIFE/WORK BUILDING building process. building. process.
PROCESS 17
 4-Stage
Learning Process Taxonomy
(at each of the four levels)

 Acquisition
 Application
 Personalization
 Actualization

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 Stage I: Acquisition

• Student acquires knowledge and understands the

knowledge acquired. This stage presents the
student with the information that may later serve
as the basis for behaviour, learning integration,
and self-actualization.

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 Stage II: Application

• Student demonstrates acquisition by putting into

action knowledge acquired. Moving from the
dimension of know-ing into the dimension of
know-how characterizes this stage.

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 Stage III: Personalization

• Student integrates acquired and applied

knowledge and re-examines and evaluates that
knowledge. At this stage, student will either make
the learning his/her own or reject it. Skill becomes
part of who he/she is.

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 Stage IV: Actualization

• At this stage, the student/graduate is approaching

full potential. Transforming, inventing,
conceptualizing and creating occur at this stage.

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 Résumé Writing
• Acquisition  • Learning different résumé
styles
• Application  • Writing a résumé following
a specific model
• Personalization  • Changing résumé to reflect
new position
• Guiding others in writing
• Actualization 
résumés

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 Competency 8:

Level 1: Explore and improve decision making.

Stage I ACQUISITION
8.1.1 Understand how choices are made.
8.1.2 Explore what can be learned from experiences.
8.1.3 Explore what might interfere with attaining goals.
8.1.4 Explore strategies used in solving problems.
8.1.5 Explore alternatives in decision-making situations.
8.1.6 Understand how personal beliefs and attitudes
influence decision making.
8.1.7 Understand how decisions affect self and others.

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 Competency 8:
Level 1: Explore and improve decision making.

Stage I ACQUISITION (8.1.1-7)

Stage II APPLICATION
8.1.8 Assess what might interfere with attaining
one’s goals.
8.1.9 Apply problem-solving strategies.
8.1.10 Make decisions and take responsibility for
them.

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 Competency 8:
Level 1: Explore and improve decision making.

Stage I ACQUISITION (8.1.1-7)

Stage II APPLICATION (8.1.8-10)

Stage III PERSONALIZATION

8.1.11 Examine one’s problem-solving strategies and
evaluate their impact on the attainment of one’s
goals.
8.1.12 Evaluate the impact of personal decisions on self
and on others.

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 Competency 8:
Level 1: Explore and improve decision making.

Stage I ACQUISITION (8.1.1-7)

Stage II APPLICATION (8.1.8-10)

Stage III PERSONALIZATION (8.1.11-12)

Stage IV ACTUALIZATION
8.1.13 Engage in a responsible decision-making
process.

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 Measurable Standards
Competency 8:
Explore and improve decision making.
Level III: Engage in life/work decision making.

8.3.8 Explore how being positive about the future

and its uncertainties may lead to creative and
interesting possibilities/alternatives.

Possible standard for grade ten students:

Students will be able to explain HB Gelatt’s 4
“rules of the road never taken” and describe a
personal metaphor for their own life/work journey
(river, sea, roller coaster, dice, etc.).

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 Objectives of the Blueprint:
• To help individuals and organizations understand that career
development is about growing through life and work. When
intentional, career development is about actively creating the
life one wants to live and the work one wants to do.
• Describe the career development competencies and
indicators needed by Canadians in various stages of their
lives to help individuals plan their Life/Work more
intentionally.
• To help organizations promote and measure personal
growth.
• Provide a common career development language across
Canada.

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 What is the Planning Process for the
Blueprint for Life/Work Designs?
The Blueprint is a national competency framework
designed to help individuals better manage their lives
and work.

By suggesting a comprehensive Planning Process,

the Blueprint also aims to help practitioners and
organizations assess, develop and design programs,
services and products that will help Canadians
develop those competencies in the various settings in
which career development interventions occur.

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 Blueprint Planning Process
Planning Programs and Services

Step 1
Assessing
Clients’ Needs

Floating Step I
Floating Step II

Step 4 Step 2
Obtain ing Support

Organizational
Marketing and
Strategizing

Strategizing Revisiting

Readiness

Assuring
Programs and Services One’s Mandate
Improvements

Step 3
Assessing
Programs and Services

* Adapted by Lorraine Haché of OPTIMUM Human Resources and taken from 31

Choosing Interventions: The Process (1998) of the Canadian Career Development Foundation.
 The Question…?
The question… Can we afford not to commit human and financial
resources to develop a comprehensive Career Development
culture ?

WE need a concerted effort to:

• recognize that human resources are our single greatest resource,
• to increase our understanding of career development and it’s
potential,
• use human resource research, tools and interventions more
effectively,
• and to adopt a process for promoting, developing and tracking the
benefits of a career development culture for Canadians.

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 The Question…?
…continued
The question… Can we afford not to commit human and financial
resources to develop a comprehensive Career Development culture

• We need programs and resources based upon:

– clear measurable outcomes,
– accountability to the individuals, parents, businesses,
organizations and the governments who benefit by fund
them.
• WE need to recognize that:
Career Development = Human Resource Development and
better Economic Development

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Blueprint
for Life/Work
Designs
www.blueprint4life.ca
1-888-533-5683

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