Experiential Learning and Pathways to Education for Canadian Youth

Experiential Learning and Pathways to Education for Canadian Youth By the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations Submitted to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in March 2018. [...] CASA envisions a country made available during the first year of an where all youth, students, and recent grad- uates who want to work have opportunities apprenticeship, as well as in the Journey- to do so, where they can make the most of man year. [...] One study in On- shows steady increases in the average annual tario highlighted the need for more post-sec- earnings for graduates with college diplomas, ondary graduates in the coming years, project- apprenticeships, and university degrees in the ing that by 2032, Ontario “will need 77% of our years following the completion of their pro- workforce to have post-secondary credentials grams. [...] Furthermore, stu- Additionally, while government has taken dents place very little value on unpaid work, steps to increase the number of experiential but the number of students participating in learning opportunities available to students, unpaid work placements independent of their 56% of students still report that the reason program exceeds the number of those par- they are not pursuing these op [...] Type of work placement students believe to be most valuable in helping them find a job post-graduation Paid work in field of study, 9% independent of program 5% Paid work, part of 37% academic program 12% Paid work, unrelated to field of study Unpaid work, independent of program 37% Unpaid work, part of academic program 3 CASA | ACAE Supporting In-Study Work Opportunities Students have long looked