Preface to the Second Edition

It has been five years since the printing of the first Making Career Sense of Labour Market Information (MCS). To use a single, but conspicuous, example of change that has occurred since then, notice that there was not one Web site in the first edition. The number of books providing information about careers and the labour market information (LMI) now available to the general public on government and private Web sites is staggering, and in spite of the fact that the amount of information is increasing, each year it gets more user friendly.

LMI has increased its profile in education, the workplace and the community.

Career development in educational institutions from kindergarten to grade 12 and in post-secondary programs has taken a spotlight, and LMI for youth is being produced on the Internet and in youth magazines, such as The Edge. LMI is key in the assessment and training of employees and in the movement of workers within the labour market. Volunteer work in the community has experienced increased credibility and is accepted as providing critical skill development and therefore has a viable impact on the labour market.

With more information readily available every day, there is a challenge for practitioners (and their clients) not to be so overwhelmed by information that they ignore it all together. Practitioners in different regions and working with different client groups will have distinct needs in LMI. The key to successful use of LMI is zeroing in on the information that is most relevant to each person's unique situation. MCS has been written to help practitioners who have little knowledge of, or experience with, LMI. The labour market and the factors that influence it are introduced along with implications of labour market trends for practitioners and anyone trying to make informed career decisions. The intended audience for this book includes employment and career practitioners in public and private agencies, educational institutions and resource centres; private placement consultants; career resource producers; and human resource professionals.

There are diverse approaches to Career Development (e.g. socio-dynamic theory, social learning theory). Although each has merit, the use of this book is not tied to any one theory. Whatever approach is taken, LMI can enhance the career building process by grounding exploration and choices in solid information.

MCS tries to explain what LMI is and how to avoid some of the pitfalls of interpretation and subsequent use. The use of LMI in career decisions is only one part of a larger puzzle of necessary information for informed career decisions, and therefore it is very important to keep in mind two key points when dealing with LMI:

• Labour market information can be a valuable asset in career decision making, but only if it is grounded in meaning for the user.
• Labour market information can be used most effectively by those who question it.

So, in using this book, I invite you to consider, question and challenge what you read in order to help clients find, assess and integrate LMI into a holistic, meaningful, career decision-making experience.

Elaine O'Reilly, January 2001