Good afternoon,
Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this online consultation on addressing the challenges faced by rural youth aged 15 to 17 in preparing for and accessing decent work.
I’d like to first say that agriculture is not my area of expertise. However, I can speak to education and supporting youth in the transition from school to work process. My academic and professional background is in children’s rights advocacy. Through my professional experiences, I’ve worked on designing and implementing programs that support youth in accessing services, engaging in education, building self-advocacy and self-determination skills, preparing for work, and problem solving. I currently am the program director for a nonprofit organization. A branch of our work is supporting youth with disabilities, ages 14-25, prepare for and transition from school to adult life (post secondary education, employment, and independent living). I work directly with these youth on youth leadership, youth engagement, and employment related programs. The youth I work with face a different set of challenges than rural youth including poverty, trauma, disconnected from education, disability, etc. The feedback I am providing is based on my current work and previous professional experiences working for nonprofits and working for the International Labour Organisation’s Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour.
How can policies and programs overcome the challenges?
Policy and programming must include youth voice at every stage of development from identifying challenges to creating interventions, to implementing solutions. Without including them throughout the process, we risk missing an essential piece of the puzzle. By listening to their hopes, goals, concerns, and fear from the beginning, we ensure that we are designing programming that meets youth where they are and policies that support what they experience more fully.
How can education and vocational training be improved to support youth?
Aligning and integrating vocational exploration and training (starting at a young age) with education is key. Schools are a great place for youth to gain exposure to employment options and begin to build the necessary skills to work. One challenge with integrating the two is that educational policies often dictate that schools meet certain standards. As such, schools may push back that they don’t have the time and/or capacity to include vocational exploration and training into an already full curriculum. Vocational exploration and training programs need to take into account the challenges that schools face and include strategies that align with what the school is already teaching. If a school is unable to add vocational training classes due to scheduling conflicts or time restraints, then the programming created needs to include ways that the schools can adapt the vocational exploration and training into what they are already teaching. For example, a history class could include lessons on the history of agriculture and how agriculture practices have transformed over time. A geography class could include lessons on weather, climate change, etc. Exposure to employment options must start early and be integrated into schools.
What are the skills and support youth need?
In order for youth to be successful in academic and employment settings, they need to build self-advocacy and self-determination skills. Programming that supports these skills is impactful for youth because they are able to advocate for their needs and make decisions about their own lives. These are skills that will follow them throughout their lives. Often times, parents, elders, teachers, etc. assume the decision making role for youth while they are young and still in school. Once they get older, exit school, and begin to work they are expected to assume this role. Therefore, it is important to ensure that schools and programs provide youth with opportunities to build self-advocacy skills and practice self-determination early on so that they are prepared to drive their transitions from school to work and advocate for what they need along the way. Additionally, building problem-solving skills is very useful to youth because it provides them with the tools and skills to address conflicts they face at school, at work, and in the community.
Youth can learn about employment options and begin to build the skills to work when they are still in school. However, students must also have access to paid work-based learning experiences before they exit the school system. Research shows that participating in work-based learning experiences while still in school is one of the strongest indicators of post-secondary success. It is important to note that work-based learning experiences should be aligned with their education so that they are able to continue to expand their knowledge base while also building the skills needed to be successful in employment.
One approach that is used with students with disabilities is developing a transition plan. Starting early on, the student works with members of the school staff and family to develop a career goal and identify the steps and services needed to reach this goal. Services may include vocational training, child care, mental health, etc. Then the student and school partner with community organizations that provide the services outlined in the plan. This approach has been effective because it is individualized to meet the unique needs of each youth, centers around the youth’s voice, and promotes collaboration between youth, schools, families, and the community.
What does the school to work transition look like and what works effectively to support youth during the transition?
The school tow work transition looks very different for each youth. We all experience many transitions throughout our lives and this is one of the most challenging transitions. One of the most powerful ways to support youth through this transition is by tapping into their peers. Peer-to-peer mentorships and support is an extremely effective strategy because a peer not only understands, but has experienced some of the same challenges. Learning from a peer that has successfully made the transition to work is incredibly impactful and helps to mitigate some of the fears and concerns that youth experience. Peers are very honest with each other about their experiences and can speak to each other in ways that adults can not. They are also more apt to reach out to a peer for help when faced with a challenge during the transition because they are more approachable and come from a place of understanding.
Thank you again for the opportunity to contribute.
Kind regards,
Sarah Grime
Sarah Grime