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HISTORY
History and Mandate
ENET Educational Society is a professional association founded in 1985 as the Agency Placement Officers’ Network (APON). In 1991, the association transitioned to NETWERCC (Networking, Education, and Training for Workers in Employment, Rehabilitation, and Career Counselling) which was incorporated as a non-profit society in May 1992. In 1998, NETWERCC led the way in recognizing success and exemplary service in the career development field by creating the Netty Awards. These awards are presented annually in five categories – Career Practitioner of the Year, Project of the Year, Mentor of the Year, Humanitarian of the Year, and Funder of the Year. In 2002, the Internationally Trained Professionals (ITP) Conference was launched. Practitioners meet professionals who specialize in assisting foreign trained professionals to access the Canadian job market. With the retirement of its Executive Coordinator in late 2005, the association formally transitioned from NETWERCC to ENET (Employment Network, Education, and Training for Rehabilitation and Career Development Practitioners).
ENET’s mandate is to provide a central networking, education, and training service to develop the knowledge and skills of its members, thus enhancing their effectiveness for serving their clientele. ENET has an active board of directors and co-executive coordinators, comprising of leaders in the career development community who are committed to serving members and career professionals throughout all regions of British Columbia.
Commitment to Collaboration and Professional Development
Since its earliest years as APON, and during later years as NETWERCC, ENET has been grounded in a philosophy of collaboration. We have worked tirelessly with countless other organizations (regional, provincial, national, and international) to ensure that career practitioners are recognized as professionals and are equipped to fulfill all of their responsibilities.
ENET has coordinated training and professional networking events for career practitioners for over two decades. Through our website, broadcast emails, publications, and contributions to policy initiatives, we have collaborated with other stakeholders to ensure that career practitioners are well informed and fully equipped to handle all of their professional roles.
Under the leadership of Ellen Edwards (Former Executive Coordinator) and Audrey Pons (President), NETWERCC partnered with Douglas College to offer the first comprehensive certificate program for career practitioners (now known as the Career Development Practitioners Certificate Program), a program which was later adopted by the University College of the Fraser Valley and incorporated into the Career Development Facilitator program when it was offered at Capilano College. The Douglas College program raised the bar for professional training in our field, and Audrey Pons, President of ENET, continues to teach in it. In addition, this particular program at Douglas College was both honoured and recognized by the Career Management Association of BC with the 2007 Team Excellence Award for their inspirational leadership and excellence in contribution to BC's career development community. This recognition is directly related to the research and initiation of the first program of its kind and the ongoing input that ENET has on the Douglas College Advisory Committee for the CDP Program. ENET has also been instrumental in the ongoing Job Club Leadership Training, which is now coordinated by Sue Brady, the first ENET Coordinator.
ENET’s training events on timely topics are scheduled monthly throughout the Lower Mainland, and, on demand on Vancouver Island, in the Fraser Valley, and in the Interior region of BC. These training days provide an ongoing arena for the exchange of information relevant to our sector. We are the only group providing such a comprehensive and consistent program of professional development for career practitioners and rehabilitation professionals, and our programs have been closely linked with the certification process for the Canadian Association of Rehabilitation Professionals (CARP). Events have been coded to suit CARP certification requirements, and also the Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Practitioners, in anticipation of pending certification within BC (i.e., to make it easier for participants to track their continuing education credits). We have also collaborated to offer specialized courses for Vocational Rehabilitation Consultants and have coordinated workplace tours for career practitioners, to create closer links with the employer community.
