February 2010 is our annual National Membership Drive Month. 

Become a new member!: Anyone joining IPMA-Canada in February will have a May 2011 renewal date - in other words, they receive 14 months of membership for the cost of 12 months.  There will also be a draw of all new members - prize to be determined.

Sponsor a new member and enter the draw! Current members are eligible to enter a draw for a complimentary registration to the 2011 National Training Conference in St. John's. Your name will go into this draw as a sponsor for every new member you bring into the association - ie. if you sponsor 5 new members, your name goes in the draw 5 times.

Help your Chapter! Half the national membership fees goes to your Chapter in February to build local programs.

IPMA is an international human resources association with locations in 27 countries worldwide. IPMA-Canada has been in existence, under various names, since 1906 and has members in every province. The Mission of IPMA-Canada is "to promote excellence in the practice of human resource management." Remember, that as a member of IPMA-Canada, you are entitled to membership rates at all National and Chapter events.

IPMA-Canada has an International Certification Program that sets a standard that will be recognized worldwide and highlights the transferability of skills between Canada and the USA. For more than a decade, IPMA-Canada has offered the only national Certification and Recertification program. Members qualified to use the IPMA-CP designation are recognized by IPMA-Canada, employers and peers as having met the highest current professional standards in human resource/personnel management. Our strong affiliation with IPMA-US and the recently acquired certification reciprocity has enhanced our opportunities for growth and the kinds of services that we are able to offer our members. More information on our International Certification is available on our website or through local chapters.

Human Resource managers and professionals have a tremendous responsibility and opportunity to influence change and to manage their organization’s human resources well. In order to add value to your organizations you must constantly anticipate future needs, matching your skills to those needs. You can increase your skill base by exercising continuous learning, and taking advantage of the many professional development options and conferences available. As HR professionals move from managing the compensation systems of organizations to becoming strategic partners who advise senior managers, developing the required skills is imperative. The senior managers within your organizations shouldn’t feel that they need to go outside of the organization to get help. With all the information, resources and developmental opportunities available to you through IPMA-Canada, acquiring the necessary skills is easy.

It is our goal to support our members as they meet the challenges of the modern work place and to make our website a place where information regarding professional development opportunities and certification can readily be accessed.

In closing I thank all of you who are members for your ongoing support and I encourage anyone who is not a member to consider joining this very dynamic group of Human Resource managers and professionals from across the country.

For further information on membership in IPMA-Canada, please direct any questions you may have to any member of your local Chapter's Executive Group or you may wish to call the IPMA-Canada National Office at 1-888-226-5002 or e-mail me.

Carol Hopkins, IPMA-CP
Executive Director,
IPMA-Canada