The Bill Law Award Event and Celebration

The Bill Law Memorial Student Award has become a highlight of the NICEC calendar of events. The Award is a legacy and tribute to the work of Dr Bill Law, Founding Fellow of NICEC, who died in April 2017.  His work was recognised internationally and was significant in its impact on the way that career development is conceptualised and practised. The Award celebrates emerging innovation within the career development sector and importantly, the relationship between research, theory and practice.

During this event the winner of the 2022 Bill Law Award will be announced and celebrated. NICEC is passionate about supporting future career researchers and thought leaders in our field, so the entrants are recent students who have completed a programme of career related study which comprises a piece of evidence-based research. The Award seeks to strengthen the link between research and innovative practice.

During this event we are delighted to have one of NICEC’s International Fellows – Serena Hopkins - provide a keynote address talking about ways we can strengthen the relationship between research and practice. All short-listed candidates for the Bill Law Award will also have the opportunity to share the headlines of their research, before we announce the winner.

Here is the full agenda:

17:00 - 17:10 - Introductions to The Bill Law Award- Nicki Moore

17:10 - 17:55 - The Power of Conducting Research on the Frontlines - Sareena Hopkins

As researchers, we hope our work makes a difference – that it uncovers new truths, results in innovation and, ultimately, influences practice. As career professionals working on the frontlines of service delivery, we hope our practice is impactful, evidence-based, and underpinned conceptually. In this session, I will share findings from several Canadian research projects in which frontline career professionals became members of our research team, actively involved in conceiving the research questions, co-constructing the methodology, implementing the protocols, and making sense of the data. The results were remarkably positive and, in some cases, surprising!

Sareena Hopkins is  Executive Director of the Canadian Career Development Foundation (CCDF),  working in Canada and internationally to strengthen the reach and impact of the career development sector by moving from ideas to action in areas of public policy, research and development, capacity building, and advocacy. Sareena is on the Board of the International Centre for Career Development and Public Policy, an International Fellow of NICEC and the recipient of the International Gold Medal for Leadership in Career Development.

 
17.55 - 18.15: Three-minute theses: All shortlisted candidates present their research – chaired by Julia Yates

18.15 - 18.30: NICEC Chair to announce the awards (highly commended and winner) - Gill Frigerio