Career Services and Student Success in Canadian Postsecondary Institutions

This paper argues that while Career Clarity plays a major role in the performance and persistence of postsecondary students, opportunities for secondary graduates to clarify career directions when transitioning to postsecondary study are restricted. Ideally, colleges and universities should be organized to support career uncertain learners but research shows that unlike other jurisdictions only a minority of PSE institutions in Canada currently fulfill this role. The study of postsecondary career services models, however, suggests the Impressive Model of career services with its focus on proactively delivering services and developing partnerships with campus stakeholders could improve success for postsecondary learners.