Definitions

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C
Capital An overall term to describe the machinery, equipment, factories, buildings, tools and other structures or facilities used to produce goods and services.
Career (a) A person’s sequence of occupations, jobs and positions held over time. (b) A person’s chosen profession or occupation.
Career development The process of developing goals and strategies to pursue a career. A person may base that process on information acquired through research about the career and through a self-assessment of one’s skills, personality, learning style, personal values and interests.
Census A survey of all Canadians conducted every five years by Statistics Canada. The census questions provide information on basic demographic characteristics, such as age, sex, marital and common-law status, household relationships and mother tongue. The most recent Census was completed in 2016.
Certificate A formal document showing that a person has become qualified in a skill or other area of achievement, normally as the result of completing one year of full-time study or the approved equivalent of part-time study
Certification The issuing of a formal document that shows (“certifies”) that the holder has acquired a particular set of skills, knowledge and abilities. Certification is usually received after a person has completed a prescribed combination of education, training and experience in a particular area of study.
Competencies Ability to apply knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform an occupation. Competencies can be obtained through formal or informal education, work experience or other means.
Constant (real) dollar A means of reporting economic data by adjusting dollar values to remove the effects of price changes for a good (e.g., a litre of gasoline) or service (e.g., renewing a driver’s licence) over time.
Contract work Work undertaken by a person through a contract with an employer, full- or part time for a stated period, often on a designated task. A contract worker (or “contractor”) may be self-employed or may work for a company that has a contract with another business. The contractor supplies goods or services at an agreed price. Contract work typically involves working without employment benefits or deductions.
Credential A certificate or letter stating that a person is qualified in a particular skill or knowledge area.