On Their Own?: Making the Transition from School to Work in the Information Age

K. Lynn Taylor is coordinator of the Instructional Development Program
in the Centre for Higher Education, University of Manitoba.

The demands of the Information Age have fundamentally changed the needs
of young adults with respect to both education and their transition from
school to stable employment. On Their Own? presents a comprehensive,
research-based model of the complex dynamic that characterizes the
school-to-work transitions of young adults in Canada, and recommends
strategies for facilitating the transition process. The book draws on
the experiences of 324 participants who had been out of school for five
years, and on the perceptions of their parents, teachers, and employers.

One of the book’s most disturbing findings is that there is a serious
gap between what young adults think is required for a successful
transition from school to satisfying and sustained employment, and what
is actually required. Generally speaking, young Canadians (and their
parents) have unrealistic expectations with respect to career
development. There is an urgent need for more effective career education
at the middle-years level. More specifically, the integration of various
forms of work experience into the educational experience of all young
people is identified as a critical factor in successful transition
patterns. Deeply entrenched inequities with respect to socioeconomic
status, gender, and ethnicity also need to be addressed.

This book challenges governments, employers, educators, parents, and
students to work together to develop innovative strategies for
supporting young adults in their school-to-work transitions.