Each year, for example, some 15,000 young people who leave CEGEP with a college technical diploma will embark on a professional career that we know will be marked by increasing alternation between work and continuing professional development in their chosen profession. Whether we are considering nurses (Murphy, Cross and McGuire, 2006), medical laboratory technicians, early-childhood educators, administrative, accounting or financial technicians, civil, mechanical or industrial engineering technicians or even lawyers, engineers or pharmacists, many of whom are now employed by companies, they will all see their career paths change profoundly (Conseil interprofessionnel du Québec, 2000; Garavan, Hogan and Cahir-O'Donnell, 2003; Roscoe, 2002). It has become necessary for people to update, develop and expand knowledge and skills throughout their careers if they wish to continue to practise their profession (Cheetham and Chivers, 1996). A new career model is coming into being and the number of hours spent on continuing professional development throughout a person's career will become just as important as the number of hours spent in initial training (Cervero, 2001). While the professional governing bodies are formally responsible for continuing education (Professional Code, section 86 paragraph J ^{Footnote 43}), the employers of these professionals tend to pay the cost of such activities and to add other ALT that better reflects their specific needs.

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