Jarvis (2006) is co-author of The Blueprint for Life/Work Design, which “identifies core career management competencies with associated performance indicators at four developmental levels across the lifespan” (p. 8). Jarvis talked about the impact of an inefficient process of matching workers to workforce skill gaps and stated, “Canada invests heavily to support individual, groups and regions in need … even minimal losses on these huge investments can cost government, corporations and communities dearly” (p. 2). Jarvis further stated, “Increasingly, the Blueprint and the Standards and Guidelines are being adopted across a broad spectrum of agencies, from educational and training institutions, public and private, through government, business and community-based organizations across Canada” (p. 8). Information was not readily apparent to distinguish where the stakeholders in Manitoba are involved for implementing either Blueprint or the Standards and Guidelines.

Table 1 is the first in a series that are presented as a summary at the end of each literature review topic. Table 1 shows the potential EC’s work conditions and looks at how well organizations provide for their employees. The tables are modeled upon the colours presented in Beck and Cowan’s (1996) integral spiral and are offered in the same developmental order as seen in Figure 4. The spiral levels are key to understanding the tables, as each shows a progressive movement up the developmental scale and captures a current picture of conditions. The employment systems spiral presents a framework for the discussion of the health and well being of the organizations within which the ECs work. The level of human resource activity in each of the participant’s workplaces will undoubtedly be an indicator of the ability for the rural and northern EC to do their job.