CEO’s Note

By Beth McMahon

Welcome to our first edition of the CIP Planning Schools & Education Reference Guide! I have long dreamt of this resource, knowing that it would be valuable for a profession that is committed to ongoing learning and has such a breadth of interests and expertise.

In this issue, you’ll find listings of all the accredited university planning programs across Canada and more learning opportunities for your continuous professional learning requirements. We’re hoping this feature will grow and become a valued tool for meeting your educational training needs, as well as those interested in joining the profession.

With the release of CIP’s Strategic Plan in July 2022, the Institute prioritized ‘Career Support for Life’ with a focus on 1) supporting aspiring planners, so they can have long, effective, satisfying careers and, 2) career development, delivering quality resources and professional development opportunities.

To advance these, we extended free student membership to all students, regardless of their program or location, and our student members now exceed 1,400. We’re also delivering more educational opportunities through the national conference, free webinars, and targeted programs like the Emerging Leaders Program and The Path: Your Journey Through Indigenous Canada. This year alone, CIP has issued approximately 3,300 learning units to our members on a wide range of topics and I’m confident that this number will grow in 2024.

But we’re not done yet – CIP is committed to expanding our career-support programs, so watch this space for more initiatives and content coming soon!