- President’s Report: A New Chapter Takes Flight
- APCDA Committee Council Greatly Appreciates New Recruits
- Members from 9 Countries Discuss APCDA DNA
- Introducing the APCDA Simplified Chinese Glossary
- Who Will We Make Room For?
- Area Council Report – August 2026
- Investing in People. Strengthening Our Profession.
- New APCDA Resource: Career Center Checklist
- APCDA’s New President-Elect: Ms. Effrosyni Parampota
- Strengthening Career Development Training through CDCP Accreditation
- Highlights and Lessons Learned from 2026 Conference
- APCDA Area Update – May 2026
- Scholar Highlight: APCDA 2026
- Connect, Reflect, Inform — Grow a Global Community, The Vision that Emerged from APCDA’s 2026 Leadership Retreat
- APCDA Committee Council February Update
- Why Join an APCDA Committee?
- Using Your APCDA Member Benefits
- IAEVG Membership – A Benefit of APCDA Membership
- APCDA Logos for Members
Celebrating 10 years with APCDA and looking toward the future
By Poh Li Lau, PhD
On this October 1st, with utmost excitement and gratitude, I will assume my role as APCDA’s President. The timing of me accepting the role as President could not have come at a more fitting time, as it is my 10th year anniversary being a part of the APCDA community! In the blink of an eye the years have passed by. There were so many beautiful memories with the wonderful officers, co-chairs, leaders and members from all over the globe. The support I have received from the APCDA family has brought me here today. The experience working with the team on our 2026 APCDA Hybrid Conference in my home country has definitely been a great opportunity in learning about what leadership is truly about.
During my time as President-Elect, I had the opportunity to really think through what I would like to achieve as my time as President. I have narrowed down three main goals that I want to work on to bring APCDA to a more nuanced place in the Asia-Pacific region. Firstly, I aim to strengthen membership and promotion of APCDA in the Asia and Asia-Pacific region, particularly in countries such as Japan, South Korea and Indonesia. Secondly, I aspire to move the Asia Pacific Career Development Journal (APCDJ) forward by emphasizing getting the journal indexed and creating a legacy for APCDJ. Last but not least, I will focus on ensuring the scholarship program becomes more engaging (e.g., through presentations and internships) and reaches individuals who will greatly benefit from it. I look forward to working on these goals with the support of our APCDA officers and leaders.
Presently, I am thrilled and enthusiastic to work with the team for our coming conference in Singapore. The 2027 APCDA Hybrid Conference will be held at the Temasek Polytechnic in Singapore from April 6 until April 16, 2027. Our theme, “Enabling a Future-Ready Workforce”, is befitting with what’s happening across the globe, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. This theme serves as a bigger purpose: not merely preparing the future workforce for technological advancement, but ensuring that this new development and changes translate into creative innovation, continuous learning, confident adaptation and inclusive economic opportunity. I believe that together we could learn and shape our future workforce by sharing our ideas, policies and research during the conference.
I eagerly look forward to hearing from you through President@AsiaPacificCDA.org.
Thank you and wishing everyone a wonderful start to the month!
By Natalie Kauffman
Our APCDA Committee Council wanted to express our sincere appreciation to all our members and friends who recently completed the association’s Annual Survey. This Survey provided multiple new members across APCDA’s nine (9) committees, https://asiapacificcda.org/committees/, and a couple of Co-Chairs, too. We also wanted to send a SHOUT OUT to our one hundred twenty-five (125) 2026 Scholars.
Please meet some of our new committee members and find out more about our nine (9) committees . . .
Co-Chairs Dr. Narendar Chadha (& former APCDA President), Mr. Tuấn Anh Le (& Website Administrator), and Dr. Ma. Leonila “Nila” Urrea (& Treasurer), warmly welcome Dr. Barbara Hilton Suddarth, U.S.-TN, as a new Co-Chair to the Awards & Scholarships Committee.
Our sincere appreciation goes out to Dr. Chadha for his past committee leadership. We are currently looking to fill the Co-Chair for our Scholarships side of this committee. Please send your leadership interest to Committee Council Chair, (Bylaws@AsiaPacificCDA.org).
Please note the 2027 Submission Deadline for Awards is February 15, 2027 and for Scholarships is January 15, 2027.
- Mr. Allan Gatenby (also Accreditation Coordinator & immediate past APCDA President) and Mrs. Natalie Kauffman, (Committee Council Chair & Membership Committee Co-Chair), both Co-Chairs of the Bylaws & Policies Committee, also are delighted to share that they are currently working on revising the association’s POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL. Please contact them if you are interested in joining their efforts, (Bylaws@AsiaPacificCDA.org).
- Dr. Vandana Gambhir Chopra, Chair of the Ethics & Standards Committee is proud to share their newly developed Career Center Checklist for higher education settings. Available now in our website’s RESOURCES section, https://asiapacificcda.org/career-center-checklist. The committee is beginning Case Study Research with institutions using the Checklist. Please contact the Chair, Ethics@AsiaPacificCDA.org, if your institution is currently using the Checklist and would like to participate in the research.
Membership Committee Co-Chairs, Mr. Kunimitsu Kuki, and Mrs. Natalie Kauffman (also Committee Council Chair & Bylaws & Policies Committee Co-Chair), already have onboarded all four (4) of their new committee members: Dr. Lucila Bance, Philippines (also APCD Journal Editor and member of both the Awards & Scholarships and Ethics & Standards Committees); and Rosette Morga, Philippines; Dr. Elynor Sayson, Philippines; and Bory You (also Cambodia Area Representative and PR Committee member). All four have been introduced to the committee’s process of providing individual, engagement conversations and regularly scheduled Orientation & Meetup webinars.
BOLO (Be On the Look Out) for the Membership Committee’s 4th Community of Practice gathering scheduled for Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning, November 17/18. The topic and registration link for this event will soon be available.
- Our sincere appreciation goes out to both of our Co-Chairs for their past committee leadership. We are currently looking to fill both Co-Chair slots. Please send your leadership interest to Committee Council Chair, (Bylaws@AsiaPacificCDA.org).
- News Committee Co-Chair Ms. Momoko Asaka (also former APCDA President) warmly welcomes Tracey Campbell, Canada-Alberta, as Co-Chair. If you love to write and/or want to improve your writing, networking, and interviewing skills, please email and share your interest with the News Committee Co-Chairs at News@AsiaPacificCDA.org.
- The Program Committee bids a fond farewell and sincere appreciation to Co-Chair Dr. Sujata Ives. Co-Chairs Mr. Muhammad Basit Rana and Mr. Hassan Abdullah Syed are very hopeful in onboarding new members to a variety of opportunities that include the following.
Managing the webinars.
The listing of webinars from now until the end of October are now being marketed in this Weekly News issue, our website’s webinar page, https://asiapacificcda.org/live-webinars/. and in our website’s Member Portal calendar.
Planning and conducting the Life Skills Club.
The committee hopes you enjoyed and/or will soon be enjoying their NEW, last Friday evening (N America)/next Saturday morning (Asia Pacific) of every month, Life Skills Club. This newly developed webinar offering began in August and was moderated by Dr. Sujata Ives. It continues on Friday/Saturday, September 25/26 with a new moderator, Mr. Tuấn Anh Le (Awards & Scholarships Co-Chair and Website Administrator).
Developing and producing Podcasts and YouTube videos.
The committee’s Podcast subcommittee asks everyone to please connect and review all four (4) episodes of Season 6. click here: https://asiapacificcda.org/podcast-season-6 to hear and/or view the information.
- Public Relations Committee Co-Chairs Ms. Ani Titus, and Ms. Gaini Yessembekova (also Committee Council Representative) are thrilled to onboard several new members, but they are always open to warmly welcoming more. If you are interested in developing strategies to build awareness of APCDA in our region and the world, consider connecting with the committee co-chairs: PublicRelations@AsiaPacificCDA.org. Presently the committee is focusing on Social Media & Design, Advocacy, and Capacity Development
- Research Committee Chair, Dr. Serene Lin-Stephens (immediate Past President), and her committee are delighted to share that a new model for our APCD Journal articles to be cited is in the works and additional topics are always being discussed for further investigation. For example, how could ethics approval be possible for practitioners? Please contact the committee chair if you are interested in joining their efforts, Research@AsiaPacificCDA.org.
- BOLO for the September issue of the APCD Journal, https://asiapacificcda.org/journal/. The journal’s editorial board very much appreciates receiving, reviewing, editing, and publishing articles from our members and friends. Please connect to our previously mentioned web page and follow the easy, step-by-step submission instructions.
By Dr. Elisabeth Montgomery
At the August Members’ Forum, colleagues from across the region shared how our Collaborative Portrait resonates in their countries. Their active participation in discussing and refining it highlights their valuable role in shaping our shared vision.
In May, fourteen officers, board members, and staff held the annual APCDA Retreat in Kuala Lumpur to make a long-term plan for the organization. From the meeting emerged a hand-drawn portrait of who APCDA is becoming: a metaphor of climbing a mountain together, the statement Connect, Reflect, Inform, Grow a Global Community, and our DNA values. Members accepted the Portrait!.
- At the June 20 Annual Membership meeting, we brought it to you to review and reflect on for feedback. Leadership then met again to organize the values into five main categories.
- On August 20/21, we held a member webinar to review the Portrait and DNA one more time to make sure we covered a wide range of member perspectives.
Pooja Khanna read her interpretation of the drawing back to us better than we had drawn it. “The mist,” she said, “is the uncertainty we are navigating in a disrupted world. The upward climb is new technology and continuous learning. The holding of hands is facing it together.”
What came next was even more valuable.
Universal values, and local practice. Over and over, members took a shared value and showed us what it requires on the ground in their own country. Tsurayya Syarif Zain explained that in the Indonesian context, leadership means direction, accountability, and the effective implementation of programs and policies. Remy Rose Poblete told us that stronger ties with policymakers are what sustain career development initiatives in the Philippines.
From Guangzhou, ZhengXin made the session’s sharpest observation: many people understand what transformation is, but far fewer know how to transform. What we need, he said, is the action of transformation. Lina Kaing asked whether our value of Sense of Family might be defined, in practice, as respect and empathy.
Nila Vitug-Urrea named the pattern: connection and community within our own context, as we move toward intercultural collaboration. Values that travel are not values that flatten; each of us can put them to work at home.
Members questioned and dialoged about the values. Lee Richmanod, seeing the sixteen values for the first time, asked, “what truly distinguishes belonging from inclusivity from family?” Thuy Tran said plainly that sixteen were too many to hold but the group of five seemed better. Breakout Room 5 also named a value they thought was missed: collaboration. All questions and recommendation are now before the Board.
Members targeted some goals. Several members pointed to the value that travels furthest – financial stability. With strong leadership in place, everything else becomes possible; without them, we get stuck. Anusha Liyanage extended it toward strengthening partnerships with agencies beyond APCDA. And member Jennifer Luke stated that advocacy should be “making the kind of noise that leads policymakers to look at what career practitioners do, and to see why it matters.”
What happens now. The Board reviews all member input in October. We will draft our final values, and our five year goals. These will be distributed into all of our major Asia Pacific languages. We will then share these drafts with members for further input before finalizing them.
We invite ongoing feedback until October 1st, so please share your thoughts through our online platform or directly with your Area Representatives to stay involved in shaping our shared future.
In Singapore 2027, our collaborative work will frame APCDA’s fifteen-year milestone and future five year goals presented at the international conference in Singapore. We encourage you to stay engaged throughout this process and look out for updates via our communication channels, so you can see how your feedback shapes our direction.
Thank you for climbing with us!
By Matthew Sin
We are proud to announce the release of the APCDA Simplified Chinese Glossary, a landmark resource designed to bridge the gap between global career development standards and the diverse professional landscape of Greater China.
Developed by a dedicated task force of regional representatives and career development leaders from Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau, this glossary features 208 essential terms. Our approach prioritizes clarity and context, utilizing a rigorous three-layer methodology:
Layer 1 (Original English): Preserves APCDA’s foundational terminology for cross-cultural academic and professional reference.
Layer 2 (Chinese Context): Adapts terms to match local professional expressions in career counseling, education, and talent development.
Layer 3 (Localized Definitions): Rewrites and expands definitions to align with local professional practices while maintaining transparency through clear explanatory notes.
Organized by nine major themes rather than simple alphabetical order, this glossary is designed for intuitive navigation. It serves as a vital tool for practitioners, educators, and institutions in the region to engage more deeply with the APCDA community. We hope this resource fosters stronger connections and supports the growth of career development services across Greater China.
我们很高興宣布《APCDA 简体中文术语表》正式面世。这是一项具有里程碑意义的资源，旨在架起全球生涯发展标准与大中华区多元专业格局之间的桥梁。
该术语表由来自中国內地、香港和澳门的区域代表及生涯发展领袖组成的专项工作组精心打造，共收录 208 个核心术语。我们的编写方式优先考虑清晰度与语境，采用了严谨的三层方法论：
- 第一层（英文原文）： 保留 APCDA 的基础术语，供跨文化学术与专业参考。
- 第二层（中文语境）： 调整术语，以契合生涯咨询、教育和人才发展领域的本土专业表达。
- 第三层（本土化定义）： 重写并拓展定义，使其符合本土专业实践，同时通过清晰的注释保持透明度。
本术语表按九大主题而非简单的字母顺序编排，旨在提供直观便捷的查阅体验。它是该地区从业者、教育者和机构更深入地参与 APCDA 社区的重要工具。我们希望这一资源能够促进更紧密的联系，并支持整个大中华区生涯发展服务的成长。
Most of us can remember someone who made room for us.
A teacher who saw potential. A mentor who shared their time. A senior colleague who introduced us to a professional community. A conference where one conversation changed the way we thought about our work.
As our careers progress, we begin to realise that these moments were not small. Someone chose to open a door, and that opportunity became part of our professional journey.
Today, we have the opportunity to do the same for someone else.
For the 2027 APCDA Hybrid Conference, we hope to provide scholarships to 60 individuals from not-high income areas and conflict-affected regions, enabling them to participate in an international professional community that might otherwise remain beyond their reach.
These are students who could become tomorrow’s career practitioners, educators, researchers, counsellors, and leaders. Their circumstances may differ, but they share something important: the potential to contribute to the future of our profession.
Talent is Everywhere. Opportunity is Not.
A professional conference can mean something very different when you are at the beginning of your journey.
It is not simply about attending sessions. It can be the first opportunity to hear internationally respected professionals share their ideas. The first chance to discover how career development is practised in another country. The first conversation with someone whose work you have studied. The first professional connection that grows into mentorship, collaboration, or opportunity.
Most importantly, it can be the moment when a student begins to see themselves as part of a larger professional community.
Financial circumstances and geography should not decide who gets that opportunity.
From Experience to Legacy
APCDA brings together an extraordinary community of experienced practitioners, educators, researchers, and leaders. Collectively, our members hold decades of knowledge and experience.
Perhaps one of the most meaningful ways to use that experience is to ensure that the next generation has access to it.
The 2027 APCDA Conference Scholarship is therefore more than a fundraising campaign. It is an invitation to our professional community to invest in those who will carry the work forward.
A student scholarship costs APCDA about $150 USD. Smaller contributions add up and contributions of any amount will help us move towards our goal of supporting 60 students.
Who Will Be in the Room Because of Us?
Among these 60 students could be someone who goes on to build career services in an underserved community.
Someone who develops new approaches to supporting young people.
Someone who becomes a researcher, educator, counsellor, or leader who influences thousands of careers over a lifetime.
We cannot know where each journey will lead.
But we can help make sure that the journey has a place to begin.
The real measure of a professional community is not only what we accomplish during our own careers. It is also who we encourage, who we connect, and who we make room for along the way.
In 2027, let us make room for 60 promising scholars.
Let us give them access to our conversations, our knowledge, our networks, and our community.
Because someone once opened a door for many of us.
Now, it is our turn to open a door.
By Baktiar Hasnan
Executive Summary
Across the Asia-Pacific region, the world of work is changing rapidly. Artificial intelligence is reshaping jobs and recruitment, employers are placing greater emphasis on skills, governments are investing in workforce development, and education systems are responding to new economic realities. At the same time, concerns around youth employment, skills mismatch, career transitions and workforce mobility are creating new challenges. This article offers a window into these trends and the initiatives being developed across 14 areas/region to prepare people for a changing labour market.
Economic and Labour-Market Trends
The regional picture is mixed. Australia’s unemployment remained at 4.4%, despite employment growth, while Hong Kong recorded 4.3% year-on-year GDP growth in Q2, with unemployment at 3.7% but greater pressure on younger workers. Kazakhstan reported positive economic activity alongside 10.3% inflation, highlighting how purchasing power increasingly affects career decisions. Canada saw improving employment but continuing youth-employment concerns, while the United States reported cautious hiring and growing AI-related pressure on entry-level roles. Macau, meanwhile, is linking talent attraction directly to economic diversification.
AI, Skills and the Future Workforce
AI has become a defining regional theme. Singapore combines high AI adoption with human judgement and governance, while Japan sees automation as an opportunity for career counsellors to concentrate on deeper human interventions. Vietnam’s ambitions are particularly significant: by 2030, it aims to develop 100,000 digital technology enterprises and train more than three million digital workers. Malaysia similarly reports growing emphasis on AI literacy, digital capability and interdisciplinary skills.
Human Resource Development and Education
Investment in human capital is equally visible. Macau is expanding internships and AI-focused training; North India reports major initiatives around skills and AI-readiness; and South China reflects continued attention to education-to-employment transitions. In the Philippines, new school-counselling pathways and the recruitment of 10,000 School Counselor Associates represent significant investment in student support. Vietnam is integrating AI, computational thinking and technology ethics into education.
Strengthening Career Development Practice
Professionalisation is gathering momentum. Japan and Kazakhstan are emphasising practitioner quality and professional standards; Hong Kong is expanding inclusive, multi-stage career support; Indonesia continues professional collaboration and knowledge exchange; and Malaysia is strengthening links among career development, psychology, counselling and employability.
Across all reports, one message stands out; career development is increasingly becoming part of the region’s human-capital infrastructure, connecting economic change, education, skills, employment and lifelong adaptability.
Access reports from Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Macau, Malaysia, North India, the Philippines, Singapore, South China, the United States and Vietnam
By Arun Mittal
One of APCDA’s greatest strengths is the diversity of voices and experiences that come together at our Annual Hybrid Conference. To ensure that this diversity continues to grow, we are launching our fundraising initiative to support scholarships for the 2027 APCDA Annual Hybrid Conference in Singapore.
Our goal is to provide 50 scholarships, each valued at more than USD $240, to help make conference participation possible for those who might otherwise be unable to attend. These scholarships support students, student presenters, career development professionals from conflict-affected regions, and leaders from not high-income countries.
For many recipients, a scholarship is more than financial assistance. It is an opportunity to learn from global experts, share local perspectives, build meaningful professional relationships, and bring new ideas back to their communities. Last year, scholarship recipients represented 21 countries, and for many, the APCDA Annual Hybrid Conference was their first opportunity to participate in an international professional conference. Many past scholarship recipients have remained actively involved with APCDA as members, volunteers, presenters, and leaders, extending the impact of each scholarship well beyond the conference itself.
Every scholarship represents more than a conference registration; it is an investment in a future leader, educator, or practitioner whose work will influence countless others. Reaching our goal of 60 scholarships is only possible through the generosity of our members, partners, and friends. Whether you choose to sponsor an entire scholarship or contribute toward one, every donation helps ensure that another deserving voice is included in the APCDA community.
The strength of APCDA has always been its people. By supporting a scholarship, you are not simply helping someone attend a conference, you are investing in the future of career development across the Asia-Pacific region.
One opportunity can transform a career. One scholarship can inspire a community. Your generosity can make that transformation possible.
By Dr. Vandana Chopra Ghambir
What if you could review your entire career center, identify strengths and gaps, prioritize improvements, strengthen partnerships, and create a clear roadmap for growth—all with one practical tool?
The APCDA Career Center Checklist is a comprehensive resource designed to help institutions build, strengthen, and continuously improve career centers across diverse contexts and settings.
✨ How and When to Put This Checklist to Work?
- When building a new career center and looking for a roadmap to get started.
- When reviewing existing services and asking, “What should we improve next?”
- When developing strategic plans, annual goals, or future priorities.
- When preparing for accreditation, rankings, quality assurance, or institutional reviews.
- When seeking funding, resources, leadership support, or external partnerships.
- When bringing stakeholders together to create a shared vision for student success.
- Whenever your institution is ready to innovate, evolve, and take career development to the next level.
🎯 The Checklist Covers Three Essential Areas
- Needs – Understanding what stakeholders need from a career center
- Goals – Defining what a modern career center should strive to achieve
- Partnerships & Marketing – Building a strong career ecosystem and increasing visibility
Whether you are launching a new career center, enhancing an existing one, seeking funding, preparing for accreditation, or exploring new possibilities, this checklist provides a practical framework for action.
🚀 Explore the APCDA Career Center Checklist Today!
One Checklist. Multiple Possibilities. Lasting Impact.
APCDA members have spoken, and we are delighted to introduce Mrs. Effrosyni (Sini) Parampota as APCDA’s President-Elect.
Over the next three years, Sini will serve in APCDA’s leadership succession as President-Elect (2026–27), President (2027–28), and Past President (2028–29), helping guide the association through its next chapter. We are excited about the experience, dedication, and thoughtful leadership Sini will bring to this important role as APCDA continues to strengthen the career development profession across the Asia-Pacific region.
This election reflects the strength of APCDA as a member-led association. We are deeply grateful to every candidate who stepped forward to serve. Standing for election is a significant commitment, and every nominee demonstrated a willingness to contribute their time, expertise, and vision for the future of our profession. While there can only be one successful candidate, every person who accepted the nomination has helped strengthen our association.
We also extend our sincere thanks to all members who participated in the election. Every vote represents a shared investment in APCDA’s future and reaffirms our commitment to open, collaborative, and member-driven leadership. It is through this collective participation that APCDA continues to grow as a diverse and vibrant community of career development professionals across the Asia-Pacific region.
Congratulations once again, Sini! We look forward to your leadership as you begin this exciting journey and help shape APCDA’s future. We wish you every success in the years ahead.
Please note: Sini will continue to serve as Secretary through September 30, 2026. Her term as President-Elect will officially commence on October 1, 2026.
By Arun Mittal
APCDA has initiated an accreditation process for training programs designed for career development practitioners and offer a credential upon completion of the training program. We call these programs Career Development Credentialing Programs, so we call our process CDCP Accreditation. CDCP Accreditation has been designed to strengthen and recognize quality career development training across the Asia-Pacific region.
As career development continues to emerge as a critical profession in supporting individuals through education, employment, and lifelong career transitions, there is a growing need for training programs that meet recognized standards of quality and professional practice. APCDA’s CDCP Accreditation has been developed to address this need by providing an independent review and endorsement of career development training programs.
The purpose of accreditation is not to replace or compete with existing training programs. Rather, APCDA Accreditation serves as an added layer of professional recognition, enhancing the value and credibility of both established and newly developed programs. Training providers can continue to deliver their unique curriculum, methodologies, and learning experiences while benefiting from APCDA’s endorsement that their programs align with recognized career development competencies and professional standards.
Under this initiative, universities, professional associations, private training providers, government agencies, and educational institutions offering career development education may apply to have their programs reviewed. Accredited programs will demonstrate that they adequately prepare learners with the knowledge, skills, ethical understanding, and professional competencies expected of career development practitioners.
By Grace Koamesah
The 2026 APCDA Hybrid Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has been another unforgettable experience. Beyond the applause, a conference’s success is reflected not only in its sessions but also in the insights of its attendees. Following the event, attendees were invited to share their overall feedback through a post-conference survey in Whova. This summary presents the highlights of the survey results from 41 respondents who shared their insights on what they value most from the conference, as well as valuable improvements for future conferences.
Valuable aspects of the conference
Respondents were asked to rank the aspects of the conference that influenced their decision to attend (6 = Most important, 1 = Least important), with Presentation quality ranked as the most important aspect (4.20). This finding is supported by the open-ended responses where 46% of respondents commented that they gained valuable insights from presenters of diverse backgrounds and from the wide range of topics. The second highest-ranked aspect is Networking (3.82), and 60% of respondents appreciating the opportunity to connect with fellow career advocates and industry professionals across the Asia-Pacific region. The third most important factor was Overall cost (3.45). Many respondents highlighted APCDA’s sense of purpose and strong sense of belonging and camaraderie, noting that interactions with career practitioners from different countries reinforced the value of APCDA membership.
What should we do differently next year?
One suggestion was that all keynote speakers should be physically present. The APCDA Board stands by the decision to enable an excellent speaker who is unable to travel. Offering him the opportunity to provide a keynote remotely was an intentional act of inclusion. During the in-person presentations, the intention to select only “Dialogue” sessions on the first day was impossible to maintain as speakers had issues with their in-person attendance. Most of these sessions were presentations, which felt like false advertising. It was noted that the product marketing sessions were not clearly labelled. It was requested that there be more time for networking sessions. The quality of the tours and the efficiency of the registration process are also things that we hope to improve at future conferences.
The complete results of the survey can be found here: 2026 Conference Overall Survey Results
A Snapshot of Career Development Trends Across the Asia-Pacific Region
The career development landscape across the Asia-Pacific region continues to evolve rapidly, shaped by technological innovation, changing labour market demands, demographic shifts, and growing investment in workforce development. Reports submitted by APCDA Area Representatives highlight both shared challenges and unique regional responses, ranging from AI-driven transformation and skills development initiatives to the strengthening of professional career guidance systems. The following summary provides a snapshot of key developments across APCDA member countries and regions during the first half of 2026.
1. Labour Market & Economic Trends
Across the Asia-Pacific region, labour markets remain resilient yet are undergoing significant transformation. Hong Kong reported strong economic growth of 5.9% in Q1 2026, while Japan continues to experience severe labour shortages, driving wage increases and more flexible employment practices. Canada faces a mixed employment outlook with moderate unemployment and continued economic uncertainty. Australia’s labour market has softened slightly, particularly for youth, while Pakistan and South China are grappling with high numbers of young job seekers entering the workforce. Demand for talent remains strongest in AI, cybersecurity, digital technologies, sustainability, healthcare, logistics, and advanced manufacturing.
2. Education, Skills & Workforce Development
Governments throughout the region are investing heavily in employability and skills development. North India announced major investments in education, vocational training, and apprenticeship programs, while Malaysia continues advancing its National TVET Policy 2030. The Philippines introduced labour education into tertiary curricula, and Vietnam launched scholarship initiatives to encourage enrolment in science and engineering fields. Pakistan expanded digital, green, and AI-focused training, while South China intensified efforts to support graduate employment through job fairs and career planning initiatives.
3. AI, Technology & Future Work
Artificial Intelligence is emerging as a defining theme across the region. Vietnam estimates that over 20% of jobs may be affected by Generative AI, particularly in finance, information, and administrative sectors. Australia, Macau, Japan, and Hong Kong report increasing AI adoption in workplaces, recruitment, and career services. Organizations are focusing on balancing technological advancement with ethical, human-centred career support and workforce development.
4. Growth of Career Development Practice
Career development continues to gain recognition as a professional field. Kazakhstan launched a national professional development program for university career centre leaders, while Canada expanded its national certification and standards framework. Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Japan reported growing practitioner networks, professional learning opportunities, and stronger collaboration among educators, counsellors, psychologists, and employers. APCDA’s influence continues to support regional capacity building and international partnerships.
5. Regional Engagement & Career Initiatives
Universities, governments, and professional associations are increasing investment in career education and employability. Large-scale career fairs and industry engagement activities were reported in Macau, South China, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. Indonesia is preparing regional career development events, while APCDA conferences and collaborations continue to strengthen cross-border learning and professional exchange throughout the region. Together, these developments demonstrate growing recognition that effective career development is essential for economic resilience, workforce readiness, and lifelong learning.
by Elisabeth Montgomery, PhD
The APCDA 2026 Conference welcomed scholars from across the Asia Pacific and beyond as one shared professional community. Through conference sessions, informal exchanges, and guided conversations, scholars connected across regions, disciplines, and telling their lived experiences. Those attending the Conference in person brought their voices and inquiries forward, engaging leaders in fresh perspectives on career development, inclusion, resilience, and the future of work.
Within this wider scholar community, APCDA also welcomed Resilience Scholars whose professional commitment continues under conditions of conflict and disruption. Their presence deepened the meaning of inclusion—not as a separate category, but as a shared responsibility to create access, dignity, and belonging for all scholars.
This year, APCDA is especially honored to have recognize a past scholar Farha Bin Beshr of Yemen (Resilience Scholar in 2024) with the APCDA 2026 President’s Award for Advocacy. Farha’s work with AMIDEAST in Aden has supported students through international education advising scholarship pathways, intercultural exchange, and youth development. Her APCDA journey has also created a ripple effect: after receiving an APCDA Hybrid Conference Scholarship in 2024, she continued advocating for young professionals in Yemen, helping others connect with APCDA opportunities in 2025 and 2026.
Farha’s leadership reminds us that career development can become a powerful instrument of hope, access, and peacebuilding.
By Dr. Elisabeth Montgomery
In Kuala Lumpur on May 1, the full APCDA board, officers, and staff gathered to create a shared purpose, inspiring a sense of unity and collective pride in shaping our future. What emerged was more than a strategic plan. It was an articulation of APCDA’s DNA, our values, commitments, and aspirations that bind this Asia Pacific community together. We also articulated a calling: to connect, reflect, inform, and grow a global community of practice in career development.
There was something different about those of us in the room by the time the closing remarks began. Participants described it as a palpable shift in atmosphere that led to a deepened sense of trust and common purpose, transforming a routine governance gathering into something more like a founding moment by the end of a six-hour day at the Urban Living Residence in Kuala Lumpur. The APCDA 2026 Leadership Retreat set the course for everything the association intends to become.
The retreat brought together the full board, officers, and staff, with several participants connecting virtually and across time zones to address three interlocking questions: What do we truly stand for? How do we build structures that last? And who will carry APCDA’s mission forward into a rapidly changing career development ecosystem?
The image below is the answer the room produced together. It is the Collective Portrait of APCDA’s shared identity and the hub to which everything else in this article connects.
The APCDA Collective Portrait. At its heart, APCDA’s DNA and the values that define who we are is the path we walk together.
What APCDA’s DNA contains
The values radiating from the center of the Collective Portrait were named, refined, and arranged by the participants themselves as the retreat unfolded. From the emerging individual reflections, tested in collective conversation, we finally drew the vision together into a single picture. Three main categories of commitment come into focus:
How we belong to each other: Inclusivity & Belongingness, Sense of Family, Cultural Humility, Intercultural Exchange, Interconnectedness, and Diversity.
How we work in the world: Bridging Individuals, Employers, and Policy Makers; Advocacy; Interdisciplinary Appreciation; Research Driven; Ecological Mindset; Empowerment.
How we grow: Continuous Learning, Meaning, Impact, and Transformation.
The top of the Portrait features four words serving both as a vision and an invitation:
Connect. Reflect. Inform. Grow – A Global Community. In other words, expand our Global Community. These words are an open call to all members, emphasizing that our collective growth depends on active community engagement and shared effort.
Why a retreat and the emerging vision?
Years of growth in membership, conferences, and regional reach revealed structural gaps that routine board meetings could not address. We needed quality time together to develop clearer roles for leaders and staff, conference protocols stretched by complexity, a revenue model facing the limits of scalability, and the unanswered question of who would carry APCDA forward.
Sini Parampota and Allan Gatenby selected Role Biography (Long, 2026) as their leadership development method. We had practiced this last year with significant success. This socio-analytic approach encourages participants to examine their professional journeys by considering both the roles they have undertaken and those they aspire to pursue. This methodology surfaces the patterns, values, and motivations that conventional strategic planning rarely reaches. Members create safe space conditions for alignment and trust, making the visions of the DNA Portrait viable.
The people who made it happen. Lead facilitators Allan Gatenby (Past President) and Sini Parampota (Secretary) joined remotely. In the room: Elisabeth Montgomery (President & Co-Facilitator), Lau Poh Li (President-Elect & Host), Nila Vitug-Urrea (Treasurer), Roberta Borgen (Board/Committee), Natalie Kaufmann (Board/Committee), Brian Schwartz (Officer/Area Council), Baktiar Hasnan (Chair, Area Council). Staff team: Arun Mittal (Executive Director), Marilyn Maze (Finance), Emily Lizada, Tuan Anh Le, and Grace Koamesah (Association Assistants). Gaini Yessembekova (PR Committee) could not attend.
Three main themes ran through every stage: Leadership development, mapping directly onto the DNA values of Continuous Learning, Empowerment, Transformation, and Impact.
Key retreat outcomes and decisions
Beyond the Portrait itself, the retreat produced concrete decisions, each in service of APCDA values:
• Circle of Wisdom named and launched (Longevity, Continuous Learning). The fellowship program for past officers and award winners was formally recognized, will report directly to the board, and will award Fellowship badges.
• APCDA’s Accreditation program structure confirmed (Research Driven, Empowerment). The CDPA Accreditation program will operate outside the committee structure with a dedicated coordinator reporting to the board. The role may become paid as revenue allows.
Moving forward: Connect, Reflect, Inform, Grow
We built the APCDA Collective Portrait in one room one day, but for the vision to take hold, it has to travel across Asia Pacific’s many countries and contexts, into the daily working lives of members who could not be in Kuala Lumpur, and into conversations the board can convene but cannot have on its own. Our numerous Scholars and young practitioners represented at the Malaysia conference echoed the language of inclusivity back to us as they aspire to high engagement with strong interests in meaningful work. The very heart of our organizational DNA signals that our long-term vision resonates with the next generations.
Area Representatives: Bridges
APCDA’s Area Representatives sit at the most strategically important seam in the association: between the board’s initial collective vision and the lived reality of members in their countries, regions, and sub-regions. The retreat made clear that Area Representatives are our main strength for global unity. They are being asked to become co-stewards of the Collective Portrait by communicating our DNA values into local languages, stand as examples of stewardship, and who focus on our interwoven priorities. And to carry member voices back into the organization’s center. In practical terms, the months ahead will involve three things from Area Reps:
- Carrying the Portrait home. Each Area Representative will be equipped with a plain-language summary of the Collective Portrait, the DNA values, the key proposals (Circle of Wisdom and the CDCP accreditation structure). This includes the questions the leadership wants members to answer. A guiding question: which of the DNA values feel strongest in your context, and which needs more attention?
- Hosting local conversations and reporting back. Ahead of the June Annual Members Meeting, Area Representatives are encouraged to convene short virtual gatherings in their areas, small enough for real dialogue, yet large enough to surface a range of perspectives. And to bring those perspectives into the wider meeting, a survey feedback channel, to be confirmed at the June meeting, will give Area Representatives an ongoing route for emerging ideas.
- Identifying emerging leaders. Currently, the APCDA mentorship program has 8 of the 26 Area Representatives matched with mentors. Mentors are seasoned members and uniquely positioned to spot practitioners, especially younger ones, who would benefit from being invited to APCDA committees, conference roles, or the mentorship program. Engage in mentor-mentee relationships for 6 months and chart your changes.
For every general member, whether you have been part of APCDA for a decade or joined this year, the retreat opens a genuine invitation, not a ceremonial one. The Collective Portrait is unfinished by design, and the next stages depend on member voices. There are several concrete ways to take part:
- Attend the Annual Members Meeting on June 15–16.
- Join a task group or step into a committee role.
- Reach out to your Area Representative.
You do not need to be a board or officer to contribute. If a particular DNA value resonates with you, whether Advocacy, Research, Empowerment, Cultural Humility, or Ecological Mindset, there is almost certainly a place where that resonance can be put to work. If you have ideas, concerns, or a perspective you want carried into the wider conversation, your Area Representative is your most direct route to implementation. Their role is to listen as much as to inform.
The APCDA Leadership Retreat’s underlying conviction is that our strength lies in distributed leadership among our members who know and share career development in their contexts.
“Growing a global community” is not the board’s job. It is everyone’s!
By Natalie Kauffman
APCDA’s nine (9) currently active committee volunteer staff along with journal volunteer staff total almost 130 association members and span the following 25 countries and 2 SARs: Australia, Cambodia, Canada, China, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, KSA, Lebanon, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, S. Korea, Taiwan, United States, Vietnam, and Yemen
Awards & Scholarships Committee Awards Co-Chair (& former APCDA President), Prof. Dr. Narender K Chadha, shared the deadline for our 2025 APCDA Awards is fast approaching, Sunday, March 15th. The three (3) possible awards include: Outstanding Career Practitioner Award, Outstanding Educator of Career Professionals Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award. For further details on our association’s 2026 Awards Nomination Process, pease see: https://asiapacificcda.org/awards/
Scholarship Committee Co-Chairs Tuan Anh Le and Dr. Ma. Leonila V. Urrea (& current APCDA Treasurer) determined the selection criteria by which over 140 scholarship applications were evaluated and 123 scholarships were awarded. The Resilience Scholarship team have been virtually meeting with conflict-zone scholarship applicants. The committee will provide a Scholar Meetup in April to prepare scholars to take advantage of the conference and a video of the selected scholarship recipients which will be shown during the Awards Ceremony at our upcoming Malaysia conference.
Bylaws Committee Co-Chairs Allan Gatenby (also immediate past APCDA President, Accreditation Committee Chair, & Nominations & Elections Committee Chair) and Natalie Kauffman (also Committee Council Chair & Membership Committee Co-Chair) and the Bylaws team have met to discuss possibly adding five (5) additional components to APCDA’s Policy and Procedures (P&P) Manual. They cordially invite all interested association members to join them on Sunday evening, March 22/Monday morning, March 23 to begin to update APCDA’s P&P Manual. Whether you have previous nonprofit bylaws writing/editing experience or are interested in building your experience, your participation is warmly welcomed. If interested in attending, please email the Co-Chairs at Bylaws@AsiaPacificCDA.org.
Ethics and Standards Committee Chair, Dr. Vandana Gambhir Chopra and the committee team are gearing up for their Malaysia Conference presentation; an interactive session inviting career development professionals to collaboratively reflect on existing standards and ethical practices in the field. Participants will have the opportunity to share perspectives, identify emerging ethical challenges, and help strengthen a shared, values-driven professional framework.
News Committee Chair, Momoko Asaka, (& former APCDA President) invites submissions to APCDA’s Weekly News. Please link to the following and scroll down for the HOW To guidelines:
https://asiapacificcda.org/news/
Natalie Kauffman and Kunimitsu Kuki, Membership Committee Co-Chairs, and the Membership Committee have been enjoying meeting with NEW and potential APCDA members through individual and
group Orientations and Meetups. They are delighted to share that association membership is on the rise! Kudos to team members Alicia Ch’ng (also Awards & Scholarships Committee member), Ayza Figuro (also Philippines Area Representative), and Sarah McKinna for crafting and facilitating the recent Community of Practice gathering. Through small group discussions, more than 35 APCDA members were able showcase their respective Career Development AI CAPABILITIES & KNOWLEDGE. It also was a Gift that kept on Giving, multiple ongoing LinkedIn connections were forged.
Nominations & Elections Committee Chair (&), Allan Gatenby wants to remind us all, “it’s not too early to be thinking about running or nominating an association member for President!” You will begin to hear more about our association’s Nominations & Elections Process during the upcoming conference in Malaysia. Allan looks forward to virtually introducing some of the nominees during our annual June Membership Meeting.
Co-Chairs, Dr. Sujata Ives, Muhammad Basit Rana, and the Program Committee have been enjoying programming and providing podcasts and webinars. Webinars between now & the end of May are currently being marketed in our APCDA Weekly News, in our website’s Member Portal Calendar, and/or our website’s Upcoming Webinar page, https://asiapacificcda.org/live-webinars/.
Ani Titus and Gaini Yessembekova (also Committee Council Representative) Public Relations Co-Chairs, and the Public Relations Committee have been sharing as well as building their skills across three subcommittees formed late last year,
- Social Media & Design
- Advocacy
- Capacity Development
Research Chair, Dr. Serene Lin-Stephens, and the Research team continue to discuss research collaboration and how to categorize APCDA Conference topics to identify popular trends. Perhaps this is the time to join the team? Please email the Chair at Research@AsiaPacificCDA.org.
Dr. Poh Li Lau is editor of our APCD Journal (as well as our APCDA President Elect). Our Associate Editors include:
- Amberyce Ang, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore
- Sang Min Lee, Korea University, South Korea
- Serene Lin-Stephens, RMIT University, Australia
- Hsiu-Lan (Shelley) Tien, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan
Our Journal leadership kindly invite you to submit your article for the next Journal issue. To find out more regarding the guidelines for submitting articles, please connect to the following APCDA web page & scroll down to click and find out more.
In closing, our committees and journal warmly thank all their volunteer staff and cordially invite you, yes you, to attend their next virtual committee and/or journal gathering. Remember, the date of the next Bylaws Committee Meeting is Sunday evening, March 22/Monday morning, March 23.
At APCDA, much of the work is done by our Standing Committees (groups that continue year after year). All members are welcome to join.
Joining a committee is a great way to get to know other members personally and build global relationships, in addition to providing a really valuable contribution to the field of career development. Below are comments from the chairs of our standing committees about the unique benefits each committee offers.
Natalie Kauffman, Membership Committee Co-Chair
“APCDA offers a lot of services, more than most members know about. Members of the Membership Committee help others learn how to use these services and connects you to the new members and potential new members. You can build worldwide connections and help others to take full advantage of what APCDA has to offer.”
Kunimitsu Kuki, Membership Committee Co-Chair, Membership@AsiaPacificCDA.org
“Joining the Program Committee offers a unique opportunity to shape impactful professional development for APCDA members by identifying relevant topics, connecting with expert speakers, and facilitating engaging webinars. As a committee member, you’ll contribute to the continuous professional development of career professionals across the Asia-Pacific region, while also expanding your network and enhancing your professional skills.”
Syed Hassan Abdullah, Program Committee Co-Chair, Program@AsiaPacificCDA.org
“We invite you to join the Research Committee, where your experience can play a pivotal role in advancing the field of Career Development and driving impactful change. Collaborate with dedicated professionals to shape innovative research initiatives that enhance career pathways and empower individuals to achieve their goals. Together, we can inspire new ideas and foster a culture of research and innovation!”
Dr. Poh Li Lau, Research Committee Co-Chair, Research@AsiaPacificCDA.org
“PR Committee plays a key role in developing strategies to enhance APCDA’s visibility both in our region and globally. Additionally, you will have the chance to enhance your skills in virtual presentations, team-building, and project management—skills that are highly transferable and beneficial across various professional contexts. Most importantly, you will be making a meaningful contribution to raising APCDA’s profile.”
Gaini Yessembekova, Public Relations Co-Chair, PublicRelations@AsiaPacificCDA.org
“Our Ethics and Standards Committee is where your voice can truly shape the future! Imagine contributing to the very principles that guide our profession globally—standards that empower trust, integrity, and professional growth. Join us, and let’s set the gold standard together while building a network of passionate professionals dedicated to making an impact.”
Vandana Gambhir, Ethics and Standards Committee Chair, Ethics@AsiaPacificCDA.org 
APCDA is an association of people who love their work and are eager to share their expertise with others. It is our goal to make that sharing as easy as possible.
In November 2023, we moved to a new website and new member database software which offers a “Member Portal” to facilitate communication among members and displays our other member services. Your Member Portal is a vital part of the services offered by APCDA. The new software offers several valuable features that were previously scattered over 2 software systems.
Unfortunately, networking with each other became more difficult when we switched because we were not able to copy the photo and bio of our members to the new system. Have you updated your Member Profile in the Member Portal? If not, we urge to do this now. Another vital piece of information is the Country where you live. Unfortunately, our new software hides that information under Address. Since we do not communicate by mail, “Address” does not seem very important. But your Country is important (and your city). December is a month for giving. We hope all of our members will make it easier for other members in need of your advice and assistance to find you by adding a photo of your face, a bio describing your areas of focus, and your country. Please help us to make member networking easier.
Have you looked closely at your Member Portal? When we moved our website, we offered a Basic video to introduce the features to you. We have just added an Advanced video to explain in detail the many features which are unique to this new software and help you connect to each other. Special features of the Member Portal include:
- Member Discussion Space: You can find this under “Workspaces” in the Portal. We invite you to share any issue you may be facing at work. Ask for advice, and others who have experience in that area will join the discussion.
- If you prefer a more targeted approach, try searching the “Directory” for members who work in a similar setting. The Directory displays names, emails, and organizations for all of our members. One click takes you to the photo and bio for any member. Please feel free to reach out to other members who you think might have similar interests. We are all separated by large distances, but the member directory can bring us closer together.
- The Store lists past webinars. Most are free to members, and many of the presenters are famous in our field. It is a treasure chest filled with valuable information.
- My Account is the place to update your own information. Look for “My Profile” -> “Member Profile”, and don’t forget to make sure your Country is listed under “Contact Info.” My Account also contains certification of the webinars you attended and many other pieces of information about you and your membership.
Did you know that you automatically become a member of the International Association of Educational and Vocation Guidance (IAEVG) when you join APCDA? Each year, APCDA pays dues to IAEVG for all of our members.
IAEVG has a 75-year history of providing global leadership in and advocating for guidance by promoting ethical, socially just, and best practices throughout the world so that career, educational and vocational guidance and counselling is available to all citizens from competent and qualified practitioners.
Behind the scenes, IAEVG and many of its members have helped in the development of APCDA. When we want to develop resources for our members, such as our Ethical Guidelines, we turn first to IAEVG for guidance. As the oldest career development association that is truly international, the materials provided by IAEVG are very relevant and helpful in jump-starting our development.
Members are invited to download a copy of the Member Logo from the APCDA Website. The legal agreement published on our website makes it possible for our members to use this logo on your website, signature, or letterhead. We currently have five kinds of member logos:
- Individual Members
- Organization Members
- Lifetime Members
- Legacy Partner Lifetime
- Professional associations which offer Joint Membership with APCDA (Affiliates)
If you fall into groups 1 to 4, please go to our website at AsiaPacificCDA.org and click “Member Portal.” Choose Workspaces, and your member logos (as JPG or PNG files) should be waiting there for you to download. If you fall into the fifth group, you should have received the logo from us by email.
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