Transcript Economic Change - University of Northern British Columbia

Including Youth in an Aging
Society
Laura Ryser, Don Manson and
Greg Halseth
Overview
•
•
•
•
Rural and Small Town Restructuring
Demographic Changes
Methodology
Results
– Human capital
– Social cohesion and social capital
• Discussion
Rural Restructuring: Post 1980
• Industrial consolidation
• Labor shedding technology
• Fewer jobs for youth
– Less seniority / experience
– First to be laid off
– Low levels of education
– Prolonged unemployment
• Services reduced, regionalized, or closed
Youth and Community Renewal
• Youth inclusion can:
– Lead to life-long participation
– Sense of ownership in CED initiatives
– Greater sense of belonging
• Youth assets support renewal
– Aging population
– Fewer professionals / volunteers
Human Capital
•
•
•
•
•
•
Knowledge
Skills
Training
Work experience
Life experience
Volunteering
Social Cohesion and Social Capital
• Social cohesion
– Collective response to stress
– Relationships and social interaction
• Social capital
– Networks and trust
– Links to expertise, resources, and support
• Impacts ability of youth to respond to change
Human Capital Gaps I
Education
• Youth not completing high school
– Lack of homework clubs, tutoring, and
literacy programs
• Lack of high school courses
– Need investments in technology
Every other year they do Physics 12 because
they just don’t have enough kids to do it. (ID#2
Mackenzie)
To have a successful kid, you need to have a
well educated kid. There are gaps where
courses are not available because there aren’t
enough students, but even with the opportunities
for improved technology, the services could be
available. They are available in other
communities, but I have not seen them here in
Burns Lake. (ID#75 Burns Lake)
Human Capital Gaps I
Education
• Youth not completing high school
– Lack of homework clubs, tutoring, and
literacy programs
• Lack of high school courses
– Need investments in technology
• Lack of cultural / linguistic skills
– Need ESL programs / cultural programs
Human Capital Gaps II
Work Experience
• Lack of employment opportunities
• Lack of work experience programs
• Need to synthesize employment programs
with employer practices
• Need broader range of work experiences
Human Capital Gaps III
Personal Development
The school gets you prepared for some things.
It doesn’t get you prepared for the real world.
There are programs that are supposed to help
teach employment skills and things, but they’re
really theory based and not reality based. Kids
need to know how to go out and get auto
insurance, how to comparison shop, how to get
a bank account, how to go grocery shopping.
They need real life skills (ID#31 Quesnel).
Human Capital Gaps IV
Volunteer Experience
• Youth are underutilized
– i.e. delivering senior programs
• No community engagement strategy
• Need to adopt volunteer recognition / reward
programs
Social Cohesion / Social Capital
Gaps I
Developing Social Skills
• Difficulty interacting with peers
• Short-term funding for social skills /
relationship programs
• Social etiquette will help youth to build
relationships / networks
– To participate in community building,
governance structures
Social Cohesion / Social Capital
Gaps II
Opportunities for Social Interaction
• Lack of social / recreational programs
– After school / summer programs
– Affordable / free activities
• Need broader range of programs to reflect
diversity of youth interests
• Need networking opportunities for vulnerable
youth groups
Social Cohesion / Social Capital
Gaps III
Social Infrastructure
• Lack spaces where youth can interact
– Youth centre / recreation facilities
– Inconsistent hours of operation
– Lack of human / financial resources
– Leasing arrangements
– Repairs needed
• Lack of transportation
Effective public transit is needed because kids
hitchhike everywhere around here. To
swimming pools and summer camps. (ID#197
Hazelton)
Note: Hazelton lies along BC’s “Highway of
Tears” for missing children.
Discussion I
• Neoliberal policies have undermined ability to
nurture youth assets
• Youth assets are critical to support community
renewal
• Next generation of community builders
Discussion II
• Need to support student learning
• Need investments in technology
• Need a comprehensive approach to develop
human capital
– Investments in life skills to support transition
into adulthood
– Experiential learning opportunities for work
– Invest in many venues for learning (i.e.
volunteering, recreation, community
engagement strategy)
Discussion III
• Need consistent, frequent, and affordable
venues for interaction
• Invest in a diverse range of youth
infrastructure
• Provides a foundation for life-long
participation
Discussion IV
• Successful youth requires successful
programs
• Policy decisions to withdrawal limited
resources need to be reconsidered
– Need long-term stable resources to acquire
adequate human resources
• Pay attention to renewing capacity of
voluntary sector
– Incentive programs, training, financial
resources, and in-kind support
Community Development Institute
3333 University Way,
Prince George, BC, Canada
V2N 4Z9
http://www.unbc.ca/cdi
Dr. Greg Halseth, Acting Director
Phone: (250) 960 - 5826
Fax:
(250) 960 - 6533
Email: [email protected]