One study (Peruniak, 2004) was helpful as it looked specifically at the needs of the EC in rural settings. Peruniak presented findings from the National Consultation on Career Development in Rural Settings. In the report’s conclusions Peruniak depicted, a strong message from the sample of practitioners:

Some of the major challenges facing them are short-term solutions to unemployment on the part of employment agencies, a narrow definition to “career”, trouble getting out of the office to develop collaborations in the local community, and a role that reacts to problems rather than prevents them. (p. 5)

A fairly current view of EC standards is presented in Snapshot (Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Development Practitioners [CSGCDP], 2004) and reminded us, “The main goal of the Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Development initiative is to spell out the competencies that service providers need in order to deliver comprehensive career services to clients across the lifespan” (p. 4).The gap in employment standards and training support for ECs was highlighted in the Phase one Introduction where the report stated, “There is a growing demand for career services and currently there is little regulation of the nature, quality, and accessibility of services or of providers” (p. 2). With the criticality of the western skills shortage, it is becoming increasingly important that appropriate steps are taken to ensure solid attachment to jobs.

Another view is seen by Audrey Stechynsky (1999), who presented a holistic view of the EC who is trying to bring hope to the job seeker. Stechynsky illustrates that counsellors are caring people who try to maintain their own boundaries, while determining how to help or refer the individual to a more appropriate service. No doubt, the EC hopes to help individuals, or they would not have been attracted to this type of a career. The point to consider, though, is that these ECs are working against the odds in communities where the labour market statistics and worker employment demographics are two to four times worse than in other parts of the province. Mendelson (2004) punctuated this fact in summarizing his report: “The increasing importance of the Aboriginal workforce to Manitoba and Saskatchewan cannot be exaggerated” (p. 38).