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The Career Internship Program re-imagines the way we deliver career education, connecting students to their vast potential – and provides a replicable model for other high schools

By Adriano Magnifico

High schools often proclaim graduation as the key measure of high school success. Overall grad rates continue to rise throughout the country. The Government of Manitoba reported that the provincial rate has steadily climbed over the last 10 years from 71% to 87% and continues to inch ahead. In May, the Toronto Star reported that Ontario’s graduation rate increased from 68% in 2004 to 85.5% in 2016. But too many students meander towards graduation with a sole focus on accumulating credits, rather than on building a strong base of knowledge and skills that will help them thrive in post-high school life. And most schools don’t like to admit it, but they drag a lot of kids over that finish line.

While graduation is an important milestone, it is NOT the finish line. In an ultra-competitive global economy with ever evolving work cultures, the high school experience must be a springboard for life and career possibilities. Too many high school graduates today have no idea what to do with their lives and have done minimal prep for life after grad. High school students generally turn to the guidance counsellor for career advice. Trouble is, those university/college talks, online assessments and career symposiums have a needle-in-a-haystack effect. Pick something and go for it? What if it’s the wrong call? What if a student simply can’t decide what to choose?

Back in 2000, Christine Esselmont, a student at River East Collegiate in Winnipeg, wrote an editorial in the school newspaper that defined a student’s career conundrum: “All high school students would benefit greatly from a program where you’re able to try a variety of different careers throughout the year…. Fully understanding what future careers involve is the only way to make a decision about what you want to do with the rest of your life.” Christine’s insight is especially apt in 2016, with work and careers in a continual state of upheaval. Now, more than ever, schools need to offer career programming to help students make proactive and intelligent decisions about their proper fit in the world.

Adapting to a changing world

The single path to a single career is becoming a thing of the past. Career pundits and economic think-tanks prognosticate that today’s worker will likely change career paths at least a dozen times as jobs evolve and others die out. Digital applications and technologies, artificial intelligence, automation, The Internet of Things and global competition are changing the way people explore, seek and land jobs. Any journalist, postal worker, lawyer, teacher, financial advisor, professor, factory worker or truck driver can speak to workplace tensions over job security, pensions, global competition, living wages or precarious employment.

The Google-sponsored Economist Intelligence Unit report, Driving the skills agenda: Preparing students for the future, details problem-solving, teamwork and communication as high-in-demand skills at workplaces and frequently lacking in young workers; and also identifies digital literacy, creativity and entrepreneurship as essential skills for the network-filled world of the future. Sitting in rows, staying in one building, reading obsolete textbooks or putting away distracting smartphones upon entering a classroom do not address these needs.

Serious disengagement out there

Research reveals that half of Canadian high school classrooms are intellectually disengaged. Winnipeg’s Louis Riel School Division’s 2014 and 2015 Tell Them from Me surveys follows this disturbing trend – just under 50% of its high school students are disengaged in their studies. Disengaged students become disengaged employees.

When students connect to experiences and opportunities that help them figure out who they are, what they’re capable of becoming, what skills they have and who values their skills beyond school walls, school work becomes powerfully relevant and, not surprisingly, extremely engaging.

Everyone is eligible

Since 1995, the Career Internship Program (CIP), located at Windsor Park Collegiate in the Louis Riel School Division, has earned local and national awards for its innovative curriculum design, student-centered pedagogical format and personalized career focus.

CIP is inclusive – any grade 11 or 12 in the regular academic program is eligible. When schools develop new programs, organizers usually target resources towards a particular demographic, often at-risk or gifted students. CIP targets the average student who makes up the vast majority of every school population and for whom no unique or specialized programming exists.

CIP systemically injects innovative career-visioning into traditional high school timetables. The program targets any grade 11 and 12 student and is not prescriptive. Each student chooses courses and activities that meet his/her need, all intertwined within a traditional academic timetable.

Since 1995, 97% of the 2,000+ graduates have recommended the program to peers. Kaila Reger, 2005 CIP grad and current Project Manager at Eccol Electric, says that “CIP was the best decision I made in high school. So often schools focus on academics and fail to teach students about important soft skills. CIP bridged important skill gaps that helped me end up with the career I have today. »

CIP has many classrooms

CIP students participate in many out-of-class experiences for course credit: designing a hovercraft to compete in a CME competition, joining a Junior Achievement Chapter, completing job shadows and internships, participating in Toastmaster’s training, volunteering everywhere, coaching a community club hockey team, attending Chamber of Commerce/professional association meetings or implementing lean start-ups – any activity that ignites personal curiosity and engagement with the community. All students are encouraged to step off the beaten path and explore the unknown. Neuroscientist Gregory Berns discovered that the brain grows and rewires its potential for creativity and new possibilities when people attempt novel challenges and engage in new activities.

The Internet becomes a space to develop a personal brand, and to discover the potential of digital tools to aid assignments and community projects. Students persevere through challenging interdisciplinary partnership projects that test their mettle. Curiosity, diminished through a compartmentalized school system, re-emerges with a veracity that builds confidence and character.

1998 CIP grad Michael Wasylyk recalls that CIP allows “you to paint a picture that you can leverage and understand throughout your life. In CIP, I wrote a biz plan and started a skating school called Canadian Bladex that was successful and revealed to me that I could do anything. »

The CIP model has evolved into four other high schools in the Louis Riel School Division. One CIP hybrid, The Imagine Program, has taken off in Nelson McIntyre Collegiate. A participant and 2016 Loran Scholar, Bilal Ayyache, says, “I’ve learned how to lead, work on teams, be creative and come up with innovative ideas, things you don’t get in the regular courses. Imagine helped me discover things about myself I never knew; I created an amazing story that caught the attention of the Loran Scholar interviewers. It has changed my life.”

Re-imagining career education

Life and work are experiencing a cultural and technological shift at a breathtaking pace, the type of global transformation we have not seen since the last century’s Industrial Revolution.

Strategic, systemic career development can be a powerful catalyst for linking school to self-awareness, skill development and professional networks. Only when students authentically experience a multitude of career possibilities and understand the evolving demands of workplaces, can they truly envision possibilities for life and work, what Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee dub the“second machine age.”

The Career Internship Program offers a way to re-think the way we deliver career education, connecting students to their best selves and their vast potential in a hyper-connected world. And, the program’s longevity has allowed it to iterate and pivot into a replicable model for high schools.

It’s time to re-imagine the way high schools do career education. Our students are depending on us.

AUTHOR BIO

Adriano Magnifico is the Career and Entrepreneurship Consultant in the Louis Riel School Division located in Winnipeg, MB and the creator of the Career Internship Program. He can be reached at adriano.magnifico@lrsd.net.

Youth can do and want to do more than just work at a fast-food restaurant or a café. Why don’t we do more to support them in turning their own ideas for employment into action?

By Yuan Shi

When you hear the words “youth employment,” what comes to mind? Perhaps high school students aspiring to be either doctors or engineers? Maybe teenagers who work at a McDonald’s or Starbucks? The United Nations defines youth as persons between the ages of 15 and 25. According to Statistics Canada, the youth unemployment rate in Canada was 13.3% in October 2015. As of June 2015, youth unemployment rates in the European Union were 20.7% and 49% in Spain. Many people think that working to pay tuition or saving up for travel plans is the most common way that youth engage with employment. As such, they don’t realize the negative impact of high youth unemployment rates. Likewise, they underestimate the power of a highly productive youth workforce.

In October 2015, I attended a youth forum called « The New Era of Employment and Education: Solutions for Change » in Barcelona, Spain. The conference gathered 75 young professionals and senior experts throughout the world to exchange ideas, share experience and build a global network to contribute to tackling the issue of youth education and unemployment.

What I found unique about the forum was that 16 youth-led community projects, initiated by over 30 young leaders, were selected to compete for financial and technical support. The projects ranged from social media information sharing platforms and professional development programs to education models and collaborations with businesses. It was interesting to note that 73 out of 75 program participants were from developing nations, with only two people from North America. It was equally interesting that 70% of the presenters were female. The youth presenting their projects have been leading small but powerful social programs in their local communities and making genuine contributions.

The competition winner was a recent medical school graduate – Swekshya Neupane from Nepal. During the 2015 Nepal earthquake, she witnessed the poor state of child health care in rural communities. This inspired her to initiate an educational project called « Health for female community leaders. » According to her presentation, the percentage of child mortality in Nepal was 54 per 1,000 live births and most health facilities only provided services to the rich, those living in the capitals and to males. There were many social reasons that caused this imbalance. The accessibility of health-care infrastructure in rural communities, a lack of transportation, and multiple barriers to affording health-care expenses are some good examples. Another major contributor to the social imbalance was the lack of knowledge young rural mothers had regarding the health care of their children, along with their attitudes towards health care. Neupane’s project focuses on connecting and mobilizing young doctors to implement an educational series for mothers assisting them in delivering adequate baby care and recognizing and reacting appropriately to emergency situations.

Spending four days with young leaders was an inspirational experience which reminded me of a term I had heard a few times – soft power. This term was initially coined by political scientist Joseph Nye as the ability to attract and persuade. Shashi Tharoor, in his TED Talk, called it, “the ability of a culture to tell a compelling story and influence others to fall in love with them.”

Neupane’s story is admirable and a perfect example of soft power. The reach of her positive impact spans not only the communities she works with, but also the professionals she engages and the individuals and families whose lives have improved on a daily basis. Now, as a result of participating in the youth forum, she has impacted young leaders who dare to make a difference in this era of instability.

The young leaders who presented at and attended the forum clearly demonstrate that active and effective youth engagement in the job market is a key way to address both current and future employment issues. The question becomes, how can we, as community organizations, corporate representatives, educational institutions, educators and student services staff, support youth employment? How do we create opportunities for students to develop agency and build their own ideas?

An example from my own community set the stage for students to tackle current issues. The University of Alberta’s Undergraduate Research Initiative and Kule Institute for Advanced Study collaborated on an event called “Tomorrow’s Ideas, Now (TIN): Connecting Communities.” The goal was to support students in building connections with local communities, and working together to develop projects that can break down stereotypes and implement tangible contributions. At the end of the project development day, event organizers and facilitators provided monetary awards and resources to help students get their ideas started.

Youth unemployment has been a topic for decades. Youth can do and want to do more than just work at a fast-food restaurant or a café. Youth are the future soft power for communities. They can better understand the special concerns and doubts that their fellow peers are experiencing. Why don’t more institutions, educators and community organizations support youth with accessible opportunities and platforms where they can truly turn ideas into action?

Yuan Shi, works as the Engagement Facilitator at the Undergraduate Research Initiative which is part of the Career Centre at the University of Alberta. For the past five years, as a youth herself, she has been highly involved with diverse community engagement initiatives.

An exploration of practical steps to promote resiliency among Chinese international students – the largest group in Canada

 By Alexander Huang

The process of crossing borders for post-secondary purposes can be fraught with notable challenges. As Popadiuk and Arthur[1] emphasize, international students may encounter stressors that can similarly affect host culture students, such as academic and relational concerns, while also facing issues that are promoted by contextual and social changes. Prominent hindering experiences amongst the international student community include the loss of an established support network, the experience of ethnic discrimination, language acquisition difficulties, and cultural adjustment struggles.[2][3][4][5]

China has accounted for the largest influx of international students within Canada; students from China represent approximately 32.42% of the entire international student body, a population that is estimated to include roughly 290,000 individuals[6] spread across the various Canadian post-secondary campuses. Consequently, unique hindering experiences among Chinese international students have been studied, which can include barriers to engagement with host nationals, familial issues, challenges with help-seeking behaviours, and existential or life struggles.[7][8][9] These general and distinct challenges can easily give rise to an image of a vulnerable population, and indeed, research tends to depict international students as being more vulnerable towards developing psychological or mental distress.[10] However, in spite of these potential challenges, growing research has begun to highlight the possibility for positive transitional experiences, thus illustrating the capacity for individuals to adapt and thrive; in essence, to be resilient. In support of previous research, my graduate work, where I interviewed post-secondary Chinese international students about facilitating and hindering events related to their transition, appears to reinforce the belief that resiliency can be promoted through significant experiences, such as interactions with family and friends, encounters with institutional supports, turning points, and the acquisition of a purpose.

Family and friends

Resiliency research points to the importance of having supportive members who can assist in enabling one to develop positive adaptation skills.[11] In addition to offering reassurance, supportive family and friends can, more significantly, become models of resiliency so that individuals can learn to better address their own challenges. As one interviewee outlined, the experience of witnessing a paradigm of resiliency helped to promote the construct within her own circumstances, particularly as it related to finding work as an international student:

[A] really close friend…she’s trying to find a job here. For one year, she’s still not really settled down, but she’s still trying…and it makes me feel…nothing to lose…And also you feel companionship…I’m not alone trying…even though I get jobless, I’m not alone.

Simply observing a friend’s determination appeared to provide not only a sense of normalization towards one’s struggles surrounding the acquisition of work within a foreign country, but more importantly, the impetus towards continued persistence despite obstacles such as unfamiliarity with workplace norms, lack of work experiences in Canada, and inherent language barriers.

Capitalizing on institutional supports

When family and friends are not readily available, post-secondary institutions offer a plethora of resources which can assist with promoting resiliency. Although there may be some reticence regarding specialized forms of help-seeking,[12] some of the Chinese respondents discussed their experiences with select resource providers when they were unable to address a particular issue on their own. It was through these encounters that the individuals were afforded the opportunity to build relationships that not only addressed feelings such as loneliness, isolation or confusion, but also enhanced their knowledge within the host culture and nurtured a sense of safety and security to adopt novel behaviours. For example, one of the participants emphasized her meeting with a career advisor, who highlighted the importance of acquiring Canadian work experience and explained Canadian workplace expectations. Thus, the participant was encouraged to expand her behavioural repertoire in order to address her concerns. This incident offered clarification regarding requirements and expectations, and helped the individual “navigate through” the Canadian system, as opposed to being obstructed by it.

Turning points

A critical event for some respondents related to an instance where they had a decision to falter or to endure. One respondent conveyed this experienced moment of despair that produced a sense of perseverance:

I told myself I have my responsibility…I have my duty…my duty is I have to study here and I have to get my Master degree, so I cannot [say] ‘oh, because I get homesick, I want to go back to China’…I cannot do it because…I have responsibility to…study hard, and study here.

In the moment, the self-talk emphasized an obligation towards completing her pursuits and to not waver from the goal of attaining her degree within a Canadian post-secondary institution. Such expressed thoughts and goal reminders, therefore, can act as an additional motivating force that moves one beyond “being stuck” towards the possibility of flourishing.

A sense of purpose

A final notable experience relates to the discernment of a purpose. For some students, this event occurs through active participation with organizations that can expand one’s identity within, and perhaps beyond, the post-secondary context. Participation can stimulate a sense of belonging that facilitates a greater connection towards the larger host culture due to being a “part of something.” For example, one interviewee discussed her engagement with a club that promoted feelings of satisfaction and purpose, and combatted the fear of “becoming lost” among the vast population within the university context:

[It’s] not that significant overall, maybe compared to classes…but…you feel like you have a job…you have…a lot of potential to really develop yourself…you have purpose in this campus.

Although deemed as mundane, the experience of becoming involved with a club generated a reason for studying abroad, one that seemed to extend beyond the role of a student. This felt sense appeared to urge the participant to contribute her skills and resources, and as she described it, she was able to discover and develop her “niche” in the process. Not surprisingly, such purposeful action seemed to facilitate her transition process.

Practical implications

The intention of this research is to highlight the potential capacity for Chinese international students to thrive and lessen the emphasis on hindrances and challenges. As career practitioners, it is imperative that we continue to recognize and acknowledge the successes of these individuals – amidst the potential turmoil, there are glimmers of positive experiences that can promote resiliency. Career practitioners in particular can stimulate this construct in the following manner:

• act as a conduit of information to help international students navigate a foreign country;
• conceptualize the entirety of transitional experiences (by attending to both hindering and facilitating ones) so that individuals are not simply mired by their challenges, rather, they can also acknowledge helpful events that can stimulate their ability to thrive; and
• advocate and implement ideas expressed by the international student community so that they can contribute and generate a sense of purpose, as opposed to feeling isolated and separated from the host culture.

Although the post-secondary transition process can be challenging for international students, it can also be seen as a rewarding enterprise where there is an opportunity to showcase one’s ability to grow and to thrive.

Alexander Huang is a Personal Counsellor at St. George’s School, a university preparatory school in Vancouver, BC. He has worked previously as a transition co-ordinator and learning resource teacher, assisting high school students and international students with diverse learning profiles. A research area of continued interest remains secondary and post-secondary students’ transitional experiences.

[1] Popadiuk, N. & Arthur, N. (2004). Counseling international students in Canadian schools. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 26(2), 125-145.
[2] Andrade, M. S. (2006). International students in English-speaking universities: Adjustment factors. Journal of Research in International Education, 5(2), 131-154.
[3] Bodycott, P. & Lai, A. (2012). The influence and implications of Chinese culture in the decision to undertake cross-border higher education. Journal of Studies in International Education, 16(3), 252-270.
[4] Poyrazli, S. & Kavanaugh, P. R., (2006). Marital status, ethnicity, academic achievement, and adjustment strains: The case of graduate international students. College of Student Journal, 40(4), 767-780.
[5] Yeh, C. J., & Inose, M. (2003). International students’ reported English fluency, social support satisfaction, and social connectedness as predictors of acculturative stress. Counselling psychology Quarterly, 16(1), 15-28.
[6] Canadian Bureau of International Education. (2014). Canada’s performance in international education. Retrieved December 27, 2014 from Canadian Bureau of International Education: http://www.cbie.ca/about-ie/facts-and-figures/.
[7] Brown, L. & Brown J. (2009). Out of chaos, into a new identity: The transformative power of the international sojourn. Journal of the Society of Existential Analysis, 20(2), 341-361.
[8] Moores, L., & Popadiuk, N. (2011). Positive aspects of international student transitions: A qualitative inquiry. Journal of College Student Development, 52(3), 291-306.
[9] Yan, K., & Berliner, D.C. (2011). Chinese international students in the United States: Demographic trends, motivations, acculturation features and adjustment challenges. Asia Pacific Education Review, 12(2), 173-184.
[10] Moores, L., & Popadiuk, N. (2011). Positive aspects of international student transitions: A qualitative inquiry. Journal of College Student Development, 52(3), 291-306.
[11] deTerte, I., Becker, J., & Stephens, C. (2009). An integrated model for understanding and developing resilience in the face of adverse events. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 3(1), 20-26.
[12] Brown, L. & Brown J. (2009). Out of chaos, into a new identity: The transformative power of the international sojourn. Journal of the Society of Existential Analysis, 20(2), 341-361.

Career counselling can assist youth with mental illness to challenge cultural scripts and become successful in their careers

By Christa Boychuk 

Individuals are more vulnerable to the onset of mental illness during late adolescence and emerging adulthood (ages 14 to 29). Mental illnesses vary from anxiety to schizophrenia and are often associated with formal medical diagnoses, and can result in social and vocational deficits that limit opportunities for young individuals to develop their career.[1][2][3][4]

Magnifying the challenges encountered by young individuals with mental illnesses are cultural scripts, or “the range of possibilities for an individual in a given cultural milieu to perceive, think, feel, and act in ways that are experienced and seen by others as being normal.”[5] Though mental illnesses are influenced by complex factors, many non-mentally ill individuals believe that those with mental illnesses can recover through their own efforts, without medical or psychosocial interventions by “pulling themselves up by their bootstraps.” Such cultural scripts can marginalize individuals with mental illnesses and constrict their educational, employment and financial opportunities.

Cultural scripts and the career development of Canadian young adults

Young adults may start to work part-time jobs or volunteer after school to develop their work experience and abilities, to prepare for adult work roles. In their educational paths, they may try out different options that prepare them for various types of work. This exploration allows a young individual to connect their experiences with their interests and competencies to develop their career identity.[6][7][8]

Career development is associated with participation in post-secondary education, as a growing number of young adults seek advanced education.[9][10][11][12] In addition, young adults tend to live with their parents after completing their education, in order to repay debt and obtain employment.[13]

Overall, the cultural script of the career development of Canadian young adults is marked by a prolonged and indirect transition from adolescence to adulthood, characterized by career planning, career exploration, post-secondary education and the search for independence.[14][15][16]

Career development script applied to Canadian young adults with mental illnesses

The cultural script of the career development of Canadian young adults poses challenges to the career development of individuals with mental health problems. According to Caparoso & Kiselica (2004), most young adults with mental illnesses do not complete post-secondary education nor develop a career identity after illness onset due to barriers such as:

• Early dependence on government disability assistance;
• Limited availability and quality of vocational services for those with mental illness;
• Belief by some health practitioners and family that post-secondary education and competitive employment may create stress and prevent full symptom recovery; and
• Social stigma.

 
Limited employment and social experiences encountered by young individuals with mental health problems constrains vocational decision making due to having few successful decision-making experiences and lack of decision-making competence.[17]

Young adults with mental illnesses often perceive few career options, engage in few decision-making tasks and are frequently limited to few career and educational options that lead to residential and financial dependence.[18][19]

Implications

The cultural script of the career development of Canadian young adults presents challenges to individuals with mental illnesses. This script is based on limiting assumptions that reinforce negative stereotypes that individuals with mental illnesses are incapable of obtaining and maintaining careers and experience a lifetime of limited career prospects.

Career counselling can provide a suitable context for young individuals with mental illnesses to challenge career-related scripts and facilitate career decision-making competence by providing an environment that instills hope, facilitates self-awareness, challenges negative thinking and facilitates goal planning.

Challenging cultural scripts in the career counselling context    

Often clients with mental illnesses enter into career counselling lacking self-awareness and having limited career decision-making skills, as they are often disengaged from education and employment. As a result, career clients with mental illnesses often lack hope and engage in negative patterns of thinking. Career counsellors can assist clients in challenging career-related scripts and promoting their career decision-making competence using the following suggestions.

• Cultivate collaborative and supportive therapeutic relationships with clients through the use of open-ended questions during sessions, be prepared to discuss clients’ mental health concerns and open and willing to discuss and challenge mental healt-related biases;
• Facilitate clients’ self-awareness through written narratives that encourage clients to explore their values, skills, interests and how these have influenced their career development;
• Assist clients in identifying and addressing their career development challenges through Socratic Questioning, a psychotherapeutic approach used to challenge the accuracy and completeness of a clients’ thinking and helps them move towards their goal (Medical University of South Carolina, 2016). This approach can help clients challenge their maladaptive thinking and develop critical thinking skills pertaining to their career development issues; and,
• Stimulate clients’ career exploration and planning through vision boards, career literature, completion of online career inventories (e.g. Career Fitter and Career Cruising), career assessments (e.g. Strong Interest Inventory, Career Values and Motivated Skills) and identification of potential supports, education and training opportunities.

 
Conclusion

The cultural script of the career development of Canadian youth presents challenges to young people with mental illnesses, as this script is based on limiting assumptions that reinforce negative stereotypes limiting their career development. Despite these challenges, career counselling can provide a suitable environment for mentally ill youth to challenge career-related cultural scripts, build their career decision-making competence and encourage career exploration and planning.

Christa Boychuk is a PhD candidate in Rehabilitation Science at Queen’s University in Kingston, ON. Her research and clinical practice interests include the employment experiences of individuals with mental illnesses. You can contact Boychuk by email at christa.boychuk@queensu.ca.

[1] Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychology, 55(5), 469-480.
[2] Gewurtz, R., Kirsh, B., Jacobson, N., & Rappolt, S. (2006). The influence of mental illnesses on work potential and career development. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 25(2), 207–219.
[3] Mental Health Commission (2013). Making the case for investing in mental health in Canada. Mental Health Commission for Canada.
[4] Arnett, J. J. (2014). Emerging adulthood: The winding road from the late teens through the twenties (2nd edition). Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.
[5] Chentsova-Dutton, Y. E., Ryder, A. G., & Tsai, J. (2014). Understanding depression across cultural contexts. Handbook of depression, p. 5.
[6] Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychology, 55(5), 469-480.
[7] Arnett, J. J. (2014). Emerging adulthood: The winding road from the late teens through the twenties (2nd edition). Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.
[8] Konstam, V. (2007). Emerging and young adulthood: Multiple perspectives, diverse narratives (2nd edition). New York, NY: Springer International Publishing.
[9] Andres, L., & Adamuti-Trache, M. (2008). Life-course transitions, social class, and gender: A 15-year perspective of the lived lives of Canadian young adults. Journal of Youth Studies, 11(2), 115-145.
[10] Beaujot, R., & Kerr, D. (2007). Emerging youth transition patterns in Canada: Opportunities and risks. PSC Discussion Papers Series, 21(5), Article 1, 1-40.
[11] Borgen, W., & Hiebert, B. (2006). Career guidance and counselling for youth: What adolescents and young adults are telling us. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 28, 389-400.
[12] Uppal, S., & LaRochelle-Côté, S. (2014). Overqualification among recent university graduates in Canada. Statistics Canada.
[13] Beaujot, R., & Kerr, D. (2007). Emerging youth transition patterns in Canada: Opportunities and risks. PSC Discussion Papers Series, 21(5), Article 1, 1-40.
[14] Andres, L., & Adamuti-Trache, M. (2008). Life-course transitions, social class, and gender: A 15-year perspective of the lived lives of Canadian young adults. Journal of Youth Studies, 11(2), 115-145.
[15] Beaujot, R., & Kerr, D. (2007). Emerging youth transition patterns in Canada: Opportunities and risks. PSC Discussion Papers Series, 21(5), Article 1, 1-40.
[16] Borgen, W., & Hiebert, B. (2006). Career guidance and counselling for youth: What adolescents and young adults are telling us. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 28, 389-400.
[17] Caparoso, R. A., & Kiselica, M. S. (2004). Career counseling with clients who have a severe mental illness. The Career Development Quarterly, 52, 235-245.
[18] Caparoso, R. A., & Kiselica, M. S. (2004). Career counseling with clients who have a severe mental illness. The Career Development Quarterly, 52, 235-245.
[19] Rinaldi, M., Perkins, R., McNeil, K., Hickman, N., & Singh, S. P. (2010). The individual placement and support approach to vocational rehabilitation for young people with first episode psychosis in the UK. Journal of Mental Health, 19(6), 483-491.

By Pauleen Payne (Editorial Support: Linda Johnson)

Youth between the ages of 18-34 are over represented in the Canadian criminal justice system and require unique career support for them to be successful on their career paths

Young adults with a criminal record present a unique set of challenges to career development professionals. According to Public Safety Canada, over 23% of men and 4% of women between the ages of 18-34 have criminal records and these numbers are growing due to legislative changes, which have doubled the waiting time to apply for a record suspension and quadrupled the application cost.[1] The 18-34 year age group is overrepresented in the criminal justice system, making up 65% of criminal cases but only 29% of the overall population.[2] These formative years are integral to the development of a career path and a criminal record can become a significant barrier to employment at this life stage. Therefore, effective career support for this marginalized group is critical.

Advice from a career professional[3]

Amanda Stumpf, an employment consultant (job developer) with Lutherwood Employment Services in Kitchener, ON, has 12 years’ experience supporting clients in finding work. She emphasized that realizing success with this population demands strong interpersonal and counselling skills on the part of the career professional, involves a long-time commitment, includes the use of outside resources to provide wrap-around support and requires a solid understanding of the labour market.

Strong interpersonal/counselling skills

Stumpf emphasized the importance of building a strong connection with clients to lay the foundation for success. She pointed out that empathy and understanding for the client is just the beginning. Clients with criminal records often feel overwhelmed and have feelings of shame, anxiety and hopelessness. As clients feel the ongoing support of the career professional, an environment of trust is established. The relationship grows and clients’ self-confidence and belief in themselves develop, resulting in the clients feeling motivated to move forward.

To build rapport between counsellor and clients, Stumpf uses several tools including:

• Motivational interviewing: giving autonomy (control) to clients to make their own decisions
• Narrative analysis: listening to clients tell success stories and realize their skills
• Pros and cons list: listening to clients reflect on the benefits and costs of all choices and thus decide what is most important
• Draining the pool of anxieties: encouraging clients to express the roots of their anxieties thereby freeing themselves to move forward

Stumpf lists important career professional attitudes core to supporting this demographic:

• A belief in the potential of each person to find gainful employment
• A non-judgmental approach
• A dedication to serving your clients

A career practitioner’s guide from the Government of Alberta on working with diverse clients, What Works: Ex-Offenders, supports Stumpf’s relationship-building approach, emphasizing, “Growth occurs in situations where clients feel trusted and empowered.”

A long-term commitment

Stumpf gets to know her clients over a period of weeks and months through the Youth Job Connection Program. She gets to know their goals, strengths, abilities and personalities. She sees each client several times a week in the beginning, noting that a commitment from clients is critical to success. She meets for a variety of reasons including:

• Investigating job goals: discussing what type of work clients would find most desirable
• Discussing the job search: asking clients to plan work search tasks and following up
• Developing marketing materials: working on clients’ resumes, cover letters, etc.
• Supporting employment: continuing to meet as often as needed (daily, bi-weekly, weekly) while clients are working, to validate their feelings and offer encouragement

Wrap-around support

Clients with criminal records will require support outside of a career practitioner to help them successfully find and maintain employment. Stumpf notes it is common for clients to have faced tremendously stressful life circumstances. These outside services can help clients see a wider window of opportunities and feel hope for their future.  Some of the services Stumpf has referred clients to include:

• Housing, food hampers, clothing, laundry, walk-in clinics, dental clinics
• ID documents
• Personal counselling services
• Literacy and computer skills
• Education counselling (Stumpf has not yet had any clients with a criminal record who have post-secondary education)
• Credit counselling

What Works: Ex-Offenders adds that clients will also often need transportation, work clothes and a bank account in order to secure employment. A continuum of services including health care and child-care support may also be required.[4] Ultimately, agencies need to co-ordinate the provision of these services so that the process is efficient and any associated stigma for the client is minimized.[5]

The strong link between low literacy and crime needs to be acknowledged. Daily life is harder for people with low literacy, so they are more likely to feel frustrated and dissatisfied. They struggle with problem-solving skills, tend to be less active citizens and feel like outcasts. With literacy and other training, they develop a more positive self-image and feel proud of what they have achieved. Their new skills and self-esteem help them avoid one of the main causes of criminal activity – unemployment. Literacy improvement and other educational and training advancements can be lengthy so support during this period is important.[6]

Labour market knowledge

Clients’ anxieties about the job search can be significantly decreased with the knowledge that the career practitioner has a solid understanding of the local labour market and connections with employers who do not require criminal record checks. Stumpf highlights the importance of understanding job duties and working conditions at various jobs that match with clients’ skills and personalities. Stumpf’s list has grown over many years of watching and listening closely for employers who do not ask for criminal records checks – it is not a topic discussed openly – and often focuses on three main sectors that she knows offer job opportunities to clients with criminal records:

• Manufacturing
• Construction
• Food Industry

Helping people with criminal records move forward in their career is tough; employment options are limited and clients often face a multitude of other barriers. Hopefully, the advice in this article can help career professionals to better serve this vulnerable section of the population.

What can your staff and organization do to better equip and prepare to effectively support people in this unique situation?

Pauleen Payne is currently enrolled in the Career Development Practitioner program at Conestoga College. She is interested in supporting clients with criminal records and other significant challenges to employment. Payne volunteers at the Lutherwood Employment Centre in Kitchener, ON and has a background in managing an adult ESL program as well as teaching at all age levels.

[1] McMurtry, R., Doob, A. (2015, June 17). Making pardons tougher to obtain is harsh and unfair
TheToronto Star.  Retrieved April 13, 2016 from: http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2015/06/17/making-pardons-tougher-to-obtain-is-harsh-and-unfair.html
[2] Adult Criminal Court Statistics in Canada, 2013-2014.   Majority of Adult Court Cases Involve Young Adults. Retrieved March 14, 2016 from: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002x/2015001/article/14226-eng.htm
[3] Stumpf, A. (2016, March 8) ¬In Person Interview
[4]Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services (n.d.).  Employment Supports and Related Services.  Retrieved March 13, 2016 from: http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/publications/social/sarac/related_sarac.aspx
[5] Myers, K., Smith-Fowler, H, Leonard, D., Conte, N., Gyarmati, D. (2011). Career development services and skills development programs: Gaps, innovations, and opportunities.  Social Research and Demonstration Corporation final report.  Retrieved March, 16, 2016 from http://www.srdc.org/uploads/cds_report_en.pdf
[6] Literacy and Policing in Canada (n.d.) Target Crime with Literacy (n.d.) Retrieved March 13, 2016 from: http://policeabc.ca/files/factsheets_englishPDFs/Ch02FactSheet02.pdf