When employability skills assessment is formally established, not only for secondary school graduates, but also for the adult population, counsellors would be key agents either in handling the assessment or in directing people to the appropriate institution. They would also be involved after the assessment by providing advice on orientation or remedial measures and possibilities.

This discussion highlights the importance of labour market information to the career and employment counselling function. In many circumstances, counsellors are responsible, not only for providing information, but also for interpreting the information, guiding clients through the information sources and finding ways and means for them to use information for their own benefit.

An accessible and relevant service

Currently, counselling is provided in public education institutions (schools, colleges, and universities), CECs, community centres, and private organizations. Access to counselling services outside the education system and outside private fee-for-service practice is based on the type of income support received -- UI recipients are directed to CECs, social assistance recipients to community agencies -- not on an identified need. The UI system plays a major filtering role. Those not receiving income support, but who may nevertheless be in need of counselling to make a successful transition into employment may never receive it, because the mandate of the system does not accommodate them. Adults entering or reentering the labour market, recent immigrants, or workers willing to change career or forced to change by structural adjustment may have no place to go, except at high cost.

48. We recommend that career and employment counselling be provided on the basis of clients' actual needs, not the kind of income support they receive. This means that the type of needs assessment currently provided by CECs should be available to all those who require it.

A career counselling service must be accessible and relevant for everyone in need of it. The service must be available in places that individuals are likely to visit when in transition and where counsellors are trained to understand and assist the diverse potential client population. In its discussion paper, the Canadian Guidance and Counselling Foundation states:

The challenge [of improving career counselling services] might be met through a restructuring of existing community-based services to offer strengthened career counselling services. A structure which is efficient and within reach of community-based organizations is that of Skill Clinics.