13.4 – Work with Youth at Risk

Purpose & Context

Career Development Professionals (CDPs) reflect on their own values and beliefs and seek to understand those of their clients. CDPs challenge their own assumptions and avoid stereotypes that might negatively impact the well-being of the client and the outcomes of career development interventions.To prepare for working with youth at risk, CDPs develop an understanding of the challenges and barriers this client population faces and how this may impact expectations regarding work, education and training.

Effective Performance

Competent career development professionals must be able to:

P1. Identify challenges and barriers youth at risk may experience, for example:
- Low-wage and low-skilled work
- Poverty
- Experience with child welfare services
- Experience with the youth justice system
- Lack of support system
- Lack of work experience
- Limited education
- Homelessness or inadequate housing
- Mental health issues, e.g. substance abuse
- Lack of role models
- Lack of permanent address
- Financial pressures
- Limited access to social programming due to age limits
- Low self-esteem
- Dysfunctional family dynamics
- Bullying
P2. Identify documents, tools and resources to overcome potential barriers, for example:
- Employment programs for at-risk youth, e.g. paid pre-employment training, job matching and paid job placements,
  mentorship opportunities, education and work transition support, entrepreneurship centres, youth centers
- Data on trends, changes, gaps and emerging opportunities in labour market to identify future job opportunities,
  e.g. apprenticeship in the trades
- Professional service providers specialized in delivery of services for this client population
P3. Reflect on how the career development approach may be tailored, for example:
- Explain legal protections relevant to the client, e.g. Canadian Human Rights Act
- Deliver training to support job search activities, e.g., résumé writing, employment interviews, life skills,
  literacy (digital, financial, numeracy, language)
- Access to short-term work experience
- Access to mentoring initiatives
- Access to volunteer opportunities
- Access to paid and unpaid apprenticeships, co-op placements and internships
- Build networking opportunities
- Increase employer awareness of programs and incentives to assist them in hiring youth
- Communicate benefits gained by employers who hire youth
- Communicate with respect to build trust
- Use of informal, rather than formal, assessment tools

Knowledge & Understanding

Competent career development professionals must know and understand:

K1. Legislation impacting youth at risk, e.g. Canadian Human Rights Act
K2. Sources for tailored support for youth facing barriers
K3. Alternative service providers that may meet client needs exceeding CDP’s competency and capacity, e.g. community
supports, emergency and transition housing
K4. Factors that create inequalities for youth, e.g. social systems, socio-economic factors
K5. Work development for youth at risk research, e.g. prevention research programs, policy driven research, theoretical
perspectives and intervention approaches, evidence-based educational and employment focused programs

Contextual Variables

Competent career development professionals must be able to perform this competency in the following range of contexts:

CDPs serve clients with diverse worldviews. Clients’ worldviews may influence their career choices and decisions. CDPs must reflect on these worldview factors to develop culturally sensitive and effective interventions.

CDPs serve clients who may present with complex barriers and challenges, including those stemming from discrimination and systemic inequalities. Clients often navigate contexts where opportunities are limited due to these factors.

CDPs serve clients who may present with past experiences of trauma and exclusion that may affect clients’ trust in career services. CDPs should approach their work with sensitivity to these histories, fostering an environment where clients feel safe and supported.

Glossary & Key References

Terms

Industry-specific terms contained in the standard defined here, where applicable.

Youth at risk: youth exposed to conditions that may impact their ability to successfully achieve educational and employment outcomes, e.g. homelessness, physical and emotional abuse or neglect, hostile school environment, alcohol and drug abuse, mental health issues.

Information Sources and Resources for Consideration

Shepard, Blythe C. & Mani, Priya A. Eds. Career Development Practice in Canada. Toronto: CERIC Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling, 2014. ISBN: 978-0-9811652-3-3.

Zunker, Vernon G. Career Counselling: A Holistic Approach 9th edition. Boston: Loose-leaf Edition, 2016. ISBN-10: 978-1-305-40106-8.

Context Rating Scales

Criticality

Q: What is the consequence of a professional being unable to perform this skill according to the standard?

Moderate risk: CRITICAL

Frequency

Q: How frequent and under what conditions is this skill performed?

Routinely, regular course of procedure

Level of Difficulty

Q: Under routine circumstances, how would you rate the level of difficulty in performing this skill?

Moderate difficulty or complexity

Time Required to Gain Proficiency

Q: What is the average length of time or number of repeated events that are minimally necessary for an individual to become proficient in performing the skill to the standard?

A competent career development professional requires a minimum of one year of experience with at least 40 different clients, representing a broad range of individuals, including youth at risk.

Autonomy

Practitioners typically perform this competency without supervision, and alone.

Automation

It is unlikely that this competency will automate.

Requisite Work Aids, Tools, Equipment or Materials

None