Career Development Practice Certificate Program

Do you want to work in the career, employment or vocational rehabilitation fields, but don’t want to leave your current job to study? Are you currently working in this area and want to upgrade your skills and knowledge? Then this is the program for you!

Program overview

The Career Development Practice (CDP) certificate program will help you develop the competencies, knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to work effectively with a diverse client population. You will learn techniques to work with individuals and groups, and how to use assessment tools. Labour market trends, career transitions, resource materials and the Canadian Standards and Guidelines are all included in the program content. 

This part-time program is available entirely online in an asynchronous learning format. Courses run for two to four weeks and involve interactive discussions, live content and videos. These courses are actively facilitated by instructors, so students are expected to log in/ participate regularly. 

Program admission is available throughout the year, and you may start the program at any time and start with any course. You will be given a maximum of three years to complete all the courses in the program. Visit the Schedules & Booklist page for up-to-date schedules, registration information, booklist and FAQ. 

The Career Development Practice Certificate was developed by Douglas College in partnership with BC Career Development Association (formerly ENET). An active advisory committee provides guidance to ensure quality and current course material.

Please review the FAQ below for more details.

Skills for Success training information

If you are looking for information on the Training Group's Skills for Success/Essential Skills Certificate please find it here, Skills for Success/Essential Skills Practitioner CE Certificate Program.

Further your studies

Courses may be transferred to other post-secondary institutions in British Columbia:

  • University of the Fraser Valley offers 12 credits for completion of the CDP Program towards a degree in Adult Education.
  • Vocational Rehabilitation Association of Canada (VRA) has approved all courses for continuing education towards the Registered Rehabilitation Professional (RRP), Registered Vocational Professional (RVP) and Registered Community Support Specialist (RCSS) Designations.

The Ethics (CDPP 267) and Theories (CDPP 750) courses in the CDP program meet the minimum education requirements for certification as a Certified Career Development Professional (CCDP) by the BC Career Development Association.

Frequently asked questions