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- 1. PHILLIP JARVIS We need more graduates launching successfully Phillip Jarvis is Director of Inspire Partnerships at Career Cruising. Programs he has authored or co- developed have helped students, teachers and parents in most Canadian schools and in thousands more across the U.S., the U.K., France, Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands and Germany. As millions of young Canadians head back to class this fall, thousands more will find themselves facing their first September outside of the education system. For many, this will mark the start of years spent grappling with precarious employment, low-wage jobs and a sinking feeling they have been led astray. Roughly 1 in 3 young people, even those with degrees, fail to transition smoothly from school to work. Many begin their careers in low wage jobs unrelated to their studies and interests. They spend years unsure how, or if, they will ever land a “good” job, pay down student debt, and buy a house, a car, or build a life like their parents did. Too often, this “failure to launch” is regarded as a personal failing, one brought about by a lack of self-discipline, poor planning, or an overall sense of entitlement. But, this is a societal issue — one that affects all of us. Unemployment, underemployment, employee dissatisfaction and disengagement already cost Canadians tens of billions of dollars each year. And given our aging population, we need to get the right young people in the right jobs as early as possible in their careers. Today’s school leavers will, over the next 50 years, become our community, business, and government leaders. They will also carry the primary burden of taxation. Those who spend their early adulthoods drifting between unemployment and underemployment risk a lifelong hit to earnings and lifestyle. That hit will be felt by our society as a whole. Yet, there is no consensus on whose job it is to guide young people through this increasingly difficult transition. I believe it has to be everyone’s job. Canada needs a cohesive talent and workforce development framework. Educators, employers and governments must collaborate like never before to prepare our youth for early career success. At present, too many young people make critical life decisions in a virtual information vacuum. As a result, many have developed skills the workforce doesn’t need, as, bizarrely, many firms hunger for qualified labour. Students are in school from the time they start kindergarten until they enter the workforce. Yet, teachers rarely have the training, time and resources they need to help students explore career possibilities and prepare for jobs. Meanwhile, many Canadian companies have all but abandoned our young, offering fewer entry-level jobs and reducing their investment in employee training by 40 per cent since 1993. This is a national problem that requires a national effort to find a solution. With the federal election looming, it is imperative we choose leaders who are willing to build bridges between educators, employers, local and provincial governments to develop
- 2. talent and workforce development strategies that work. For inspiration, we can look to our neighbours. In the United States, real progress is being made on this issue under national leadership and, interestingly, some Canadian expertise. In 2013, I helped organize thought exchanges between stakeholders in Ottawa and at three high-profile U.S. conferences, including Harvard’s University’s Pathways to Prosperity Conference. Over 500 education, government, business, community and career leaders were invited to reflect on this issue, submit their solutions, then vote for those they considered best. The highest rated solutions were: joint initiatives between educators and employers to provide work- and project-based learning; enhanced career and labour market information that is accessible and available to students and their families; a move away from the “college for all” mentality in favour of emphasizing all learning pathways to in- demand careers; and “village-style” school-to-work transition programs that bring together educators, parents, employers and community agencies. Using the Inspire platform from my company, Toronto-based Career Cruising, programs addressing these goals have been rolled out to date in 25 regional or statewide deployments in 10 states and New Brunswick. Just as technology has upended the job market in many industries, it can also help us find solutions. I have seen success with experiential learning programs and online career information that lets young people learn about the realities of the job market. Meanwhile, systems that tailor individual learning plans to fields of interest and demand, and connect students with potential employers, have inspired even the most dejected students to get more engaged in school while reaching for – and attaining – immediate employment success after graduation. The world has changed since the Great Recession. Canada needs a coordinated effort to prepare our young workers to thrive in a 21st Century economy in which the traditional pathways to career success no longer apply. We need all students graduating into good jobs that are aligned with their interests, aspirations, and training. It truly takes a village to not just raise children, but to ensure they have the resources to build happy, healthy, productive adult lives — most of which will be spent at work. What is good for them is good for all of us. In fact, it is essential to our economic and social prosperity.