Resources & Training

Success Factors of Foster Youth in Postsecondary Education

_{New Research on Success in Post-Secondary Education by Foster Care Alumni in Ontario indicate these are the top 5 Success Factors:}

1. _{Caring, Coaching Adults – caring teachers, professors, foster parents, social workers, church friends, and non-biological parents that demonstrated coaching was the top factor that participants credited for their success in higher education.}
2. _{Resistance – resistance to the negative stereotype of their biological parents, to their expectation of failure by others, to the stigma of insignificance, and to the feeling of “othering” (where you’re made to feel like you’re somebody other than the rest) was the 2^nd reason why participants felt they were able to succeed. They didn’t accept the norm forecasted for FCA, but resisted it to succeed.}
3. _{Determination – in many cases, participants described how their determination to succeed was so important that they didn’t see any other option. Success was not optional, but mandatory if they were ever going to get past things.}
4. _{Experience – due to lack of family privilege and participants’ necessity to survive, they lacked the experience to understand what works and what doesn’t for higher education. However, when they finally got to experience a taste of post-secondary education, it helped them to understand there was a different life. Experiential learning in college and university was something participants indicated helped them to succeed within their programs and is something they wished more of.}
5. _{Career Clarity – the more FY participants obtained clarity on their career prospects through post-secondary education, the more it impacted their success. Even with less career planning support than their non-FY peers, the little they were able to obtain provided an immense amount of motivation to succeed.}

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Listen to the Podcast Recording with Wolfgang Vachon on “Discussions about Child and Youth Care”.

Child Welfare PAC – Advisory Member

Child Welfare PAC Canada is working with any post-secondary partners in Canada who wish to increase social mobility for current and former foster kids.

Finances are a significant, but not only, barrier to post-secondary studies faced by people raised in care. Inspired by existing programs in British Columbia and Manitoba, Child Welfare PAC has created 210+ tuition free opportunities at an additional 15 schools in 5 more provinces. Our end goal is similar opportunities at all post-secondary schools coast-to-coast.

For further details on initiatives, go to the Child Welfare PAC website.

Exploring former Youth-in/from-Care Learners in Canadian Postsecondary Education and Work-Integrated Learning – Panel Symposium

In October 2022, Sean coordinated a 2-Part symposium through CEWIL Canada with key researchers and leaders in Canada that are working on solutions for former Youth-In-Care.

Part 1: Explores the challenges and barriers that former youth in care face in the post-secondary landscape with direct implications on WIL

Part 2: Explores actionable next steps and exemplars on how to best support former youth in care students.

Supporting Former Foster Care Students in Postsecondary Education in Canada:

An Institutional Campus Support Proposal

A Master’s Capstone Thesis – Wilfrid Laurier University

Sean Elliott – Capstone Project (google.com)

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Career Development and Career Planning Resources

Career development and planning involves steps and needs that can be explored by asking 4 questions:

1. Who Am I? (strengths, interests, skills, experience, education, qualifications, values, needs, personality types)
2. What Are The Options? (labour market information, career profiles and prospects)
3. What Do I Need to Do? (career plan, exploration, research, and resources)
4. How Can I Manage This for the Future? (what are the challenges that need to be overcome to build experience?)

Building a career plan cannot be done well without exploring all of these questions at some point. Look at your strengths and what you’re good at (i.e., Who am I?). Consider the Labour Market Information (i.e., What are the options?). Build a plan of action (i.e., what do I need to do?), and don’t forget to make the most of your career (i.e., How can I manage this for the future?).

Check out Career Coaches Corner to explore how Personality Dimensions can help identify your personality type and how that can relate to your career pursuits and working with others.

Additional details can be discovered by working with a qualified career consultant and through some proven assessments.

Educational Credentials

Let your learning lead you to the work.

What are some of the traditional types of credentials that have been proven over many years include:

• Diploma
• Apprenticeship
• Certificate (Entry Level) / Foundation
• Degree
• Graduate Certificate
• Honours Degree
• Master’s Degree
• PhD / Doctorate

• > developing and supporting a community of Canadian CEWIL researchers,
• > coordinating the national CEWIL research agenda through connections provincially, nationally and internationally,
• > serving as a resource hub for CEWIL research and researchers,
• > providing evidence-based research to inform Board and committee decisions for the CEWIL community, and
• > increasing the profile of CEWIL research through a variety of communication channels locally, nationally and internationally.

For more details on Research initiatives by CEWIL’s Research team, go to the website section on CEWIL Research & Resources.

Join Sean Elliott & Dr. Kathleen Clarke as they present at this year’s EWO (Experiential & Work-Integrated Learning Ontario) 2021 Conference. The focus on “The Road to Economic Recovery” is a great professional development virtual conference series.

Register at Conference 2021 – EWO.

Presentation:

WIL Within Ontario’s College Sector – Discovering the Impacts and Outcomes
Sean Elliott & Dr. Kathleen Clarke, CEWIL Canada

New Publication on Work-integrated learning within Ontario’s college sector (Chapter 14) in The Practice of Co-op and Work-Integrated Learning in the Canadian Context – released January 2022 through CEWIL Canada.

Presentation at CEWIL Canada’s Research Webinar Series on February 17, 2022 at 12:00 p.m. EST. Register Here.