Toronto Star: Canada lags in career training
Canada lags in career training
Jul. 12, 2006. 01:00 AM
CAROL GOAR
If someone intervenes at the right time, an academically gifted young woman who is reluctant to aim higher than her parents expect can be gently dissuaded from going to hairdressing school.
If someone intervenes in the right way, a young man who's a whiz with computers, but hates writing essays, can be spared the misery of trying to become a lawyer.
If someone acts soon enough, a kid whose grades start dropping can be prevented from making a bad choice; a teenager who is about to drop out can be convinced to give school another try; a youth who is drifting aimlessly can be pointed in a positive direction.
The trouble is, that "someone" may not be there — or may be too busy dealing with drugs, violence or students' personal crises to step in.
"Most young Canadians don't have adequate access to career development services to help them choose the best paths to a successful working life," says a report just released by Canadian Policy Research Networks. "There is limited awareness of the benefits of career development and no national career development strategy."
The Ottawa think-tank took its cue from young people. It invited 150 of them to participate in a national dialogue last fall. One of the frustrations that bubbled up was that they didn't know where to turn for advice about the job market, didn't know how to navigate the passage from school to work, and didn't think kids going into the trades were getting a fair break.
The study confirmed most of that. It also found that the quality of the services that do exist varies immensely.
A generation ago, this might have been acceptable. Baby boomers generally found their way into a career by luck, chance or trial and error. Guidance counsellors were considered a frill in many schools.
Today's kids don't have the luxury of blundering into the right job and staying put. Their working life will consist of a succession of careers. For them, finding and training for employment will be an essential skill.
That is why the report recommends that career development begin no later than Grade 6. Waiting until late high school is neither fair nor realistic, says co-author Donnalee Bell. It isolates students from the outside world and puts too much onus on parents, who lack the tools, to provide them with up-to-date information.
The study also suggests that every teacher be required to take at least one course in career development. That way, he or she will be able to get students started on the right track and steer them around avoidable obstacles.
One of the think-tank's strongest proposals is that the provinces share their knowledge. Until 2003, no attempt had ever been made to bring them together. It was left to a voluntary organization, the Canadian Career Development Foundation, to convene a national symposium on workforce development and lifelong learning.
Finally, it urges policy-makers to look beyond the formal education system. High-school dropouts desperately need training opportunities. University and college graduates often need help finding work in their field. And adults whose skills are obsolete or minimal need to know how to go about improving their qualifications.
Bell doesn't know how much all of this would cost, but concedes the price would be substantial. On the other hand, she points out, it costs a huge amount to squander talent, let kids fall by the wayside and allow the gap between rich and poor to widen.
Other countries see the value of investing in career development.
Norway requires that every school offer students individual guidance in drawing up a career plan, beginning in elementary school. All teachers are involved in the process. Work experience is incorporated into the curriculum.
Scotland has the largest publicly funded organization in the world dedicated to all-age career planning. The aim of Careers Scotland is to produce an economically resilient population, capable of adjusting to changes in technology and global markets.
Australia links local employers to students, aged 15 to 19, to give young people a taste of working life, give educators feedback about how well they are preparing students for employment, and give businesses a chance to build a relationship with teenagers in their community.
Alberta and Quebec are the Canadian leaders. Alberta has just put in place a comprehensive program to ensure that citizens of all ages have access to career development services. Quebec has overhauled its education system, integrating career counselling into its curriculum from the earliest grades.
Ontario is one of the laggards. The average high-school guidance counsellor, who handles everything from discipline problems to teen pregnancy, is responsible for 500 students. At the elementary level, the ratio is 1 to 5,000.
A few school boards have broken away from the pack, but most are waiting for leadership from Queen's Park.
It's a tough job market out there. No young person should enter it blindly.
(The study is available at http://www.cprn.com).
Jul. 12, 2006. 01:00 AM
CAROL GOAR
If someone intervenes at the right time, an academically gifted young woman who is reluctant to aim higher than her parents expect can be gently dissuaded from going to hairdressing school.
If someone intervenes in the right way, a young man who's a whiz with computers, but hates writing essays, can be spared the misery of trying to become a lawyer.
If someone acts soon enough, a kid whose grades start dropping can be prevented from making a bad choice; a teenager who is about to drop out can be convinced to give school another try; a youth who is drifting aimlessly can be pointed in a positive direction.
The trouble is, that "someone" may not be there — or may be too busy dealing with drugs, violence or students' personal crises to step in.
"Most young Canadians don't have adequate access to career development services to help them choose the best paths to a successful working life," says a report just released by Canadian Policy Research Networks. "There is limited awareness of the benefits of career development and no national career development strategy."
The Ottawa think-tank took its cue from young people. It invited 150 of them to participate in a national dialogue last fall. One of the frustrations that bubbled up was that they didn't know where to turn for advice about the job market, didn't know how to navigate the passage from school to work, and didn't think kids going into the trades were getting a fair break.
The study confirmed most of that. It also found that the quality of the services that do exist varies immensely.
A generation ago, this might have been acceptable. Baby boomers generally found their way into a career by luck, chance or trial and error. Guidance counsellors were considered a frill in many schools.
Today's kids don't have the luxury of blundering into the right job and staying put. Their working life will consist of a succession of careers. For them, finding and training for employment will be an essential skill.
That is why the report recommends that career development begin no later than Grade 6. Waiting until late high school is neither fair nor realistic, says co-author Donnalee Bell. It isolates students from the outside world and puts too much onus on parents, who lack the tools, to provide them with up-to-date information.
The study also suggests that every teacher be required to take at least one course in career development. That way, he or she will be able to get students started on the right track and steer them around avoidable obstacles.
One of the think-tank's strongest proposals is that the provinces share their knowledge. Until 2003, no attempt had ever been made to bring them together. It was left to a voluntary organization, the Canadian Career Development Foundation, to convene a national symposium on workforce development and lifelong learning.
Finally, it urges policy-makers to look beyond the formal education system. High-school dropouts desperately need training opportunities. University and college graduates often need help finding work in their field. And adults whose skills are obsolete or minimal need to know how to go about improving their qualifications.
Bell doesn't know how much all of this would cost, but concedes the price would be substantial. On the other hand, she points out, it costs a huge amount to squander talent, let kids fall by the wayside and allow the gap between rich and poor to widen.
Other countries see the value of investing in career development.
Norway requires that every school offer students individual guidance in drawing up a career plan, beginning in elementary school. All teachers are involved in the process. Work experience is incorporated into the curriculum.
Scotland has the largest publicly funded organization in the world dedicated to all-age career planning. The aim of Careers Scotland is to produce an economically resilient population, capable of adjusting to changes in technology and global markets.
Australia links local employers to students, aged 15 to 19, to give young people a taste of working life, give educators feedback about how well they are preparing students for employment, and give businesses a chance to build a relationship with teenagers in their community.
Alberta and Quebec are the Canadian leaders. Alberta has just put in place a comprehensive program to ensure that citizens of all ages have access to career development services. Quebec has overhauled its education system, integrating career counselling into its curriculum from the earliest grades.
Ontario is one of the laggards. The average high-school guidance counsellor, who handles everything from discipline problems to teen pregnancy, is responsible for 500 students. At the elementary level, the ratio is 1 to 5,000.
A few school boards have broken away from the pack, but most are waiting for leadership from Queen's Park.
It's a tough job market out there. No young person should enter it blindly.
(The study is available at http://www.cprn.com).
posted by Tina Kyrtsos and Mario Ferrer at 7:04 AM
1 Comments:
It seems to me that the most important part of career planning is knowing how to recognize that start of excitment that happens when you hit on something that's right for you. I call it career planning from the inside out. As a coach, I would love to see all kids get a chance to practice using their own instincts when choosing a career.
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