In a new Canadian Policy Research Network report, Harvey Krahn and Julie Hudson of the University of Alberta examine more than 2600 young people as they progress from high school to the workforce in Alberta. The main findings of the study relate to employment outcomes and job satisfaction – including the finding that 66 percent of those with a post-secondary certificate or diploma were satisfied with their jobs, compared to 56 percent of those without post-secondary credentials. The authors note that the participation rate for Aboriginal youth in post secondary education is still 'unacceptably low'. They also note that barriers such as parenthood, financial need, and uncertainty about aspirations and options can result in interrupted or uneven progress, so that policy-makers and educators should recognize the need for flexibility in the school to work transition.
A copy of Pathways of Alberta Youth through the Post-secondary System into the Labour Market, 1996-2003 can be downloaded from the CPRN website http://www.cprn.org/en/doc.cfm?doc=1568