The Joint Career Development Program (JCDP) is a one-of-a-kind program which allocates more than $1 million worth of training every year to members covered by the CT Collective Agreement. This funding was secured in the collective agreement by ACFO-ACAF in 2016 and the program is co-managed by ACFO-ACAF and the Office of the Comptroller General. Originally launched in September 2017, the program has seen thousands of members from more than 60 departments receive training. In 2023-24, more than 3,000 members benefitted from the program.
With the ratification of the new CT Collective Agreement last year, the funding provided for the Joint Career Development Program (JCDP) was increased to $1.47 million. This unprecedented investment in community development and training was a hard-fought win for the collective bargaining team and – thanks to their hard work – we are excited to announce changes to the way ACFO-ACAF delivers professional development as well as new training offerings coming in 2024-25!
The Joint Career Development Program continues to expand and evolve. This year, we’re pleased to announce the addition of a spring term!
Details regarding the fall and winter terms will be posted later this spring.
Development Day – June 25 | In-Person
How to participate: Direct registration
Eligibility: All ACFO-ACAF members in the Western region
CPD hours: 5.5
More information and registration coming soon!
Classroom-style and experiential learning | Virtual and in-person components
How to participate: Spring term lottery
Eligibility: All ACFO-ACAF public service members
Number of spots: 4
CPD hours: 5
Want to work on your presentation skills? Eager to be part of ACFO-ACAF’s flagship development day? Four members will be selected via the Spring Lottery to take part in Spring Tune Up. The selected members will participate in a presentation skills bootcamp, then an in-person practice session in Ottawa, before delivering their 15–20-minute presentations at a special CT Community Showcase Stage at Spring Tune Up on May 23!
Experiential learning | In-person
How to participate: Spring term lottery
Eligibility: All ACFO-ACAF public service members living and working outside the NCR
Number of spots: 12
The highly-sought-after Interchange Programs are back for 2024-25!
The NCR Interchange Program takes a group of CTs who live and work outside of the National Capital Region to Ottawa-Gatineau for a week to help them better understand the realities and challenges of working in a national headquarters or central agency.
Members selected for this program will have all travel and accommodation expenses covered while they participate in the interchange.
Classroom-style learning | In-person or virtual (TBD)
How to participate: Spring term lottery
Eligibility: All ACFO-ACAF public service members
Number of spots: 32 (TBC)
CPD hours: 20
This pilot program will offer support to members who are preparing for language testing. Selected members will first complete a language assessment then be placed in a group with others at the same level to complete prep courses later in the year.
As this is a pilot, details will need to be confirmed, but selected participants will receive 20 hours of classroom training in a group with other participants preparing for the same level testing. Costs for the initial assessment, all materials, and the course time will be covered.
We expect the assessments to take place in the spring with training being offered in the fall, but dates will be confirmed based on instructor availability once the assessments are complete.
Places in the JCDP experiential learning programs and classroom-style courses are awarded via lottery.