IEP Award in Employability Essentials
Who is this Program for?
• Employability Practitioners
• IEP Members and Capability Partners
The IEP Award in Employability Essentials has been designed with new starters in mind, to help them develop the skills they need more quickly, but will also serve as an ideal refresher for practitioners who may not have received a formal sector induction or are looking to improve their overall knowledge to better support participants.
Program Overview
The IEP Award in Employability Essentials offers a unique opportunity for employability practitioners to undertake a series of informative modules that will provide solid sector knowledge and advice on how to practise in the employability sector.
The program consists of 19 themed interactive modules, each with its own knowledge check so all learners, no matter where they work, receive the same learning with their understanding being assessed in a consistent way, ensuring a benchmark for practice.
On completion of the program, learners receive a Certificate of Achievement and digital badge that confirm that the holder has met the basic standards required to operate effectively within the employment support services sector, as recommended by the Institute of Employability Professionals.
Structure and Timings
Employability Essentials is an eLearning program. All learning takes place online through the IEP LMS and the average time taken is 17 hours. Each module is ‘bite-sized’, taking approximately 30-40 minutes to complete.
Subjects Covered
The Role of the Employability Sector
Explore the purpose and evolution of the employability sector in Canada, its impact on social and economic outcomes, and the importance of practitioner professionalism.
The Participant Journey
Follow the participant journey through employment services, from intake to outcomes, with a focus on building trust, identifying barriers, and tailoring support.
Participants and their Barriers
Learn to identify, categorize, and respond to a range of participant barriers that impact employability, using realworld examples, case reflection, and practical strategies.
Caseload Management
Understand how to effectively manage diverse caseloads by balancing risk, volume, and support needs, while maintaining practitioner well-being and service quality.
Learning Disability
Build your confidence supporting individuals with learning disabilities through inclusive communication, adaptive strategies, and practical employer-facing approaches.
Physical Disability
Learn how to identify and address barriers faced by individuals with physical disabilities and support inclusive workplace practices and effective accommodations.
Sensory Impairment
Explore how sensory impairments affect access to work and services and apply communication strategies and accommodations that support participant and employer success.
Understanding Neurodiversity
Gain practical tools and insights to support neurodivergent individuals, reduce stigma, and apply inclusive strategies that benefit both participants and employers.
An Introduction to Emotional Intelligence
Understand the role of emotional intelligence in frontline employability work, and explore techniques to strengthen empathy, self-regulation, and connection with participants.
Developing Coaching Skills
Learn how to apply coaching strategies in employment services to build trust, strengthen participant ownership, and improve outcomes through purposeful dialogue.
Reasonable Accommodations
Understand your role in supporting and facilitating accommodations through inclusive planning, participant advocacy, and employer collaboration.
Issue-specific Barriers
Explore how justice involvement, substance use, domestic violence, and caregiving challenges impact employability, and learn how to respond using trauma-informed, inclusive, and participant-centered strategies.
Writing an Effective Resumé
Learn how to help participants build strong, customized resumes that reflect their skills, experience, and goals with formats that fit diverse employment histories.
Mental Health and Well-being
Explore how mental health impacts employability, reduce stigma, and build supportive spaces for disclosure, resilience, and recovery-oriented service delivery.
Self and Time Management
Strengthen your ability to manage time, energy, and competing priorities in a busy employment services environment, while building habits that support personal sustainability.
Increasing Personal Impact
Build confidence and clarity in your professional identity, and apply tools to strengthen your communication, credibility, and ability to influence outcomes.
Employer Engagement
The role of a practitioner consists of many varied skills. One of the most critical skills is the ability to engage with employers to introduce and promote the services of program providers. This module will outline what effective employer engagement looks like, ways to source vacancies and win work, and the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed for success.
Building Self-resilience
Strengthen your resilience by learning how to manage stress, navigate emotional challenges, and build habits that support wellbeing and long-term performance.
Employer Engagement
Learn how to build strong relationships with employers, identify workforce needs, and position jobseekers effectively while promoting inclusive, sustainable hiring practices.
Navigating Disclosure, Employment Law, and Ethical Practice
Navigate the intersection of ethics, disclosure, and employment law in Canadian practice, and gain the tools to support rightsbased, participant-led decision-making.
Pricing
The IEP Award in Employability Essentials is free for IEP Members as part of their membership package.