How Well Does Work-Based Education Meet the Needs of At-Risk Youth? At-Risk Youth Speak Out

• In Event: Innovative Methods for Studying Children’s Self-Efficacy, Self-Regulation, and Self-Determination In and Out of School Settings

Abstract

Introduction: Work-based education (WBE) is a frequently recommended solution for engaging at-risk youth in school and facilitating successful transitions into work. WBE refers to interventions that facilitate learning by placing youth in supervised practica in workplace contexts for all or part of their educational program (Bailey, Hughes, & Moore, 2004). These learning experiences include workplace mentoring, paid work experience, and cooperative education (Smith & Betts, 2000). Although most provinces in Canada advocate WBE for at-risk youth, little is known about the views of these youth on WBE programs.

Purpose: Our purpose is to report findings from interviews with seven at-risk youth, participants in WBE programs. We provide descriptive accounts of how re-engaged youth perceive WBE programs designed to facilitate their transition to work and of how they recommend adults improve these programs. Our long-term goal is to answer the vexing question: Which WBE programs are most likely to contribute to at-risk youth making successful transitions into meaningful work?

Theoretical Perspectives: For some at-risk youth, school itself is a context of adversity (DeLuca et al., 2010). Socio-personal, economic, and health factors also contribute to some students being at-risk. Organization for Economic and Cultural Development reported that “the global economic crisis has hit youth very hard” especially at-risk youth; employment outcome data show only about 40% of at-risk youth are employed as young adults (Scarpetta et al., 2010. Researchers suggest schools must provide at-risk youth with a protective context where they can experience resilience in response to adversity and risk (e.g., Masten et al., 2008; Ungar, 2005). We investigated whether at-risk youth view WBE as such a context.

Method: We conducted interviews with seven at-risk youth in Ontario, Canada who had been recommended by their WBE educators, who worked in exemplary programs, as having experienced success in WBE after being disengaged in regular academic programs. Questions focused on the youths’ perspectives on re-engagement through WBE and asked about what they perceived as responsive to their needs and what they thought should be changed. Data were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Standard methods of qualitative analysis were used to generate themes for each individual followed by cross-case analyses.

Findings and Significance: Preliminary analyses yielded five themes. The first theme, in the words of one interviewee, was “Co-op gets you out of the boring school” and “kicks you in the butt to do better in school.” Second, the students described what they learned including “responsibility” and that “in the real world, they don’t put up with anything.” Third, they described how they learned in WBE including “hands-on learning” and “what you are interested in.” Fourth, they felt like they “belonged” and were “valued” in their workplaces. Finally, the at-risk youth described “getting a jumpstart on the work environment.” All seven interviewees described traditional schooling as an adverse context and identified aspects of WBE that had contributed to their “turn-around” or re-engagement with school. Listening to these at-risk youth provides information about what keeps them in school that is not available from any other source.

Authors

• Connie Elizabeth Taylor, Queen's University

• Nancy L. Hutchinson, Queen's University