Affiliations: Faculty of Education, Queen's University, Kingston,
Ontario, Canada | School of Occupational Therapy, Dalhousie University,
Canada
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Nancy L. Hutchinson, PhD, A314
McArthur Hall, Faculty of Education, Queen's University, 511 Union Street,
Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7M 5R7. Tel.: +1 613 533 3025; Fax: +1 613 533 6584;
E-mail: [email protected]
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.
