Article 2010

Learning in the workplace: Fostering resilience in disengaged youth

DC
DeLuca, Christopher
 HN
Hutchinson, Nancy L.
 DJ
Delugt, Jennifer S.
 BW
Beyer, Wanda
 TA
Thornton, Antoinette
 VJ
Versnel, Joan J.
 CP
Chin, Peter
 MH
Munby, Hugh
Work
Journal · Vol. 36 · Issue 3 · pp. 305-319
Abstract

Objective: International reports on school-to-work transition make it clear that worldwide youth are at-risk for educational disengagement and are three times as likely to be unemployed as their adult counterparts. Work-based education (WBE) is one of the most frequently recommended solutions for youth disengagement which suggests that WBE serves as a protective factor and encourages resilience in at-risk youth. The objective of this study was to describe and compare the experiences of two at-risk youth enrolled in WBE. Participants: Two 18-year old at-risk youth enrolled in WBE were chosen for study because they were learning in workplaces judged likely to promote resilience. Both had been disengaged from school prior to enrolling in WBE. Method: Each multiple-perspective case study includes the perspective of the youth, the workplace employer, and the work-based educator. Data consisted of ethnographic observations and interviews conducted at the workplace, and with the teacher in the school. Results: Each case study highlights how supportive adults and an at-risk youth engage in interactions that facilitate the emergence of resilience in the workplace. Conclusions: In these two cases, risk and resilience are context specific, suggesting that at-risk youth may require tailored workplace programs to meet their career development needs. © 2010 - IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Author Keywords

workplace learning resilience at-risk youth Work-Based Education disengagement

Index Keywords

Employment Teaching learning female human male Humans adolescent Article Students student Canada teacher methodology Mentors
Author Affiliations
Faculty of Education, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
School of Occupational Therapy, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
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