Skilled Trades Cards - Single Deck

The Trades Cards are an innovative career development tool that academic advisors, guidance counsellors and teachers use to prepare students for the future of work. 

Read more about the Challenge Method below:

The Shift

Economic, technological, and societal changes are making the concept of job titles obsolete. To prepare young people for the new world of work, academic advisors, parents, teachers and guidance counsellors need to move away from considering only the traditional list of jobs and careers, and direct their attention to the challenges, problems and opportunities that exist in the world.  Enabling this shift will allow students to approach the new world of work in a more effective way.

What is the Challenge Method?

One approach that moves us away from focusing on jobs is the Challenge Method. This approach helps youth see the bigger picture: the challenges, problems and opportunities that exist in society and the world of work.  While jobs and careers are likely to change, the challenges we are trying to solve will remain. In fact, as our perspective on certain issues evolves, new challenges to tackle will emerge as well. Examples of the most important challenges we will continue to face in the future include: redesigning the health care system, collecting and using big data, and managing the planet’s waste. These opportunities have the potential to create meaningful work for youth. When students identify and understand these challenges, they will open up their world and prepare to make a significant contribution to the workplace.

Challenge and Trades Cards

How can we help other young people focus on challenges? Parents, teachers and guidance counsellors can use the Challenges Cards and Trades Cards. This deck of 30 cards covers challenges in the future of work in the areas of health, technology, society, environment and the economy. The Challenge Cards were presented at the Career Pro Conference 2016, at Disrupt HR Ottawa 2016 and at Cannexus 2017. You can also see the Challenge Cards being used on TV Rogers on the francophone show Ta carrière, ton histoire or CBC Radio.