Kompass Blog

If you’re thinking about exploring a new career path, you’re not alone. An Indeed Canada survey from 2019 found that 38 per cent of Canadian workers had made the leap to a new field and another 35 per cent were considering doing so. Given the career change culture of the past few years, those numbers have likely increased.

But transitioning to a whole new field can be a challenge. To do it successfully, you need a well-crafted resume that effectively communicates your skills, experiences, and passion for that particular sector.

Mediation is not a regulated field in Canada. There is no specific degree, diploma, or certificate you must have to start a career in mediation.

That said, most successful mediators have earned designations through the ADR Institute of Canada (ADRIC)—the country’s leading alternative dispute resolution organization.

If you’re just starting out in the field, you’re probably aiming for the Qualified Mediator (Q.Med) designation. This is ADRIC’s entry-level credential, and you don’t need any professional mediation experience to earn it.

You do, however, need to meet certain educational criteria. And that’s where Kompass can help. Our accredited courses fulfill the basic and specialized mediation training components, so you can be fully prepared to get your Q.Med.

Updated September 2023

Mediation and arbitration are not currently regulated in Canada, this means you don't have to hold a designation to practise as a mediator or arbitrator in Canada. However, earning a designation from the well-respected ADR Institute of Canada will give you credibility as a professional in the field.

You should also know that family mediation is treated differently than other forms of alternative dispute resolution. If you want to provide court-connected family mediation services, you typically need to become certified through an organization like Family Mediation Canada or the Ontario Association for Family Mediation.

In this post, we take you through the different designations that are available from each organization, what it takes to earn them, and how Kompass can help.

Learning doesn’t stop once you enter the workforce—at least not if you want to become successful. After all, no one begins their career knowing everything they will ever need to know. The work world is constantly changing, and technologies and methodologies in use now may be irrelevant or outdated in a very short time.

To move forward in your career and reach your goals, you need to make professional development a priority. Whether you take classes or workshops, participate in mentoring programs, or attend industry conferences, it’s critical to continue learning and improving.

Here’s why.

The field of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is not regulated in Canada. There is no official body that governs the conduct of ADR professionals.

However, the ADR Institute of Ontario (ADRIO) plays a key role in setting educational and ethical standards for mediators and arbitrators throughout the province. Membership is voluntary, but comes with a number of benefits.

If you’re a manager or administrator in an area like health care, law enforcement, human resources, or education, your team members are likely interacting with mentally ill individuals every day—even if they don’t always realize it.

Unfortunately, many people don’t know the signs of mental illness and aren’t sure how to respond when they encounter someone struggling with it.

Mental health training in the workplace teaches employees to recognize and understand common mental health conditions. This can be valuable for anyone, but it’s especially important for community-serving employees who frequently deal with individuals with mental health challenges in the course of their work. That includes healthcare providers, teachers, police officers, librarians, and HR professionals.

Keep reading to learn more about the importance of mental health training in the workplace and how it can benefit your team.

Many people aspire to become managers. They want the added challenge, authority, and salary that comes with moving from team member to team leader. They work hard, put in the time, and get that promotion.

Photo: Janet Guaca, online project management expert and educator

Even as pandemic restrictions ease, many organizations are sticking with remote or hybrid working arrangements. A recent Statistics Canada surveyfound that 25 per cent of Canadian adults still work from home at least part of the time.

We developed the Online Project Management certificate to help team leads and managers thrive in this reality. 

This week, we interviewed the instructor, Janet Guaca, a virtual project management expert with over 20 years of experience in the field.

She walks us through some key challenges project managers are facing right now, and how this course can help.

Are you eager to take on a new challenge in your human resources career? Ironically, HR professionals spend much of their time helping employees with their career development, but they often neglect to devote the same care and attention to their own advancement.

The good news is that there are concrete steps you can take to improve your HR skills, impress your boss, and get where you want to go.

Read on for eight practical tips on how to advance your HR career.

Over the last few years, we've seen a tremendous increase in corporate training programs in diversity and inclusion. Leaders are finally recognizing the critical importance of fostering a genuinely inclusive workplace culture.

The problem is, management often lacks the skillset and knowledge needed to recruit, nurture, and retain a diverse workforce.

Pamela Perez has built a career around helping companies navigate this challenging process. She has a proven track record in human resources, with a specialization in diversity and inclusion training, coaching, and consulting.

And now, Pamela has signed on to teach the new Diversity and Inclusion certificate at Kompass Professional Development.

We interviewed her this week to learn more about her background and what skills she'll be teaching in class. Read on for the highlights.