A unique series of youth career expos and parent information sessions will offer Island youth an opportunity to learn more about career options and assist parents who are interested in becoming career allies with their teens. The career expo is a project of Workplace Education PEI and is sponsored by the Youth Employment Strategy and the PEI Department of Education.
"The Government of Canada is committed to helping young people make a successful transition into the workforce," said Shawn Murphy, Member of Parliament for the Hillsborough constituency. The Youth Employment Strategy is a federal program that enables young people to acquire the skills, knowledge, experience and opportunity to participate in the world of work. "I am very pleased to announce that Human Resources Development Canada is making a financial contribution that will enable these Career Expos to take place in both Summerside and Charlottetown," said Joe McGuire, MP for Egmont, "and I would like to take this opportunity to wish all the participants the best of luck in their career aspirations."
The youth expos will feature a number of career presentations, representing various occupations and industries. Career information will include industry from the fields of natural and applied sciences, trades, health and medicine, sales and service, arts and crafts, as well as education. Industry presentations will address the concepts of transferable skills and continuous learning.
"The labour market has changed significantly in the past number of years," said Education Minister Jeffrey E. Lantz. "Most people entering the workforce today will have a multitude of jobs, in a variety of workplaces during the course of their careers. It is essential that youth and parents are exposed to the opportunities that are available."
All Grade 11 students have been invited to the expos which are being held from April 29-May 2 in Summerside and Charlottetown. Expo organizers also hope to attract youth who are not within the traditional education system. Several youth servicing agencies have received information packages on the expos.
Roxanne Carter-Thompson, executive director of the Adventure Group, says the project is meeting an identified need. "Educational opportunities such as the Career Expo provide valuable insight into the diverse choices that exist in the work world," said Ms. Carter-Thompson. "I hear from many young people who are struggling to make decisions about their futures. Having front-line workers, from a variety of fields, speak about their personal career journeys may provide the inspiration that will encourage some youth to finish school and pursue further education that will lead to their chosen field of interest."
In addition to the youth career expos, a series of evening workshops are planned for parents who are interested in becoming career allies for their teens.
"We know that parents significantly influence work values and career choices of their teens," said Christine Clements, Career Expo coordinator. "These workshops are designed to introduce highly successful strategies to parents who wish to be more active and effective supporters of their teens."
The parent sessions will be interactive and will include specific examples of simple and yet very effective strategies on how to become a career development ally. Workshop facilitator is Lorraine Haché, a former teacher and guidance counsellor in the New Brunswick school system and professor at the Université de Moncton. The parent workshops are free and open to the public. All parent workshops take place at 6:30-8:30: April 29 at the Best Western, Charlottetown; April 30 at the Rodd Marina Resort, Montague; May 1 at École Évangeline in Wellington (French presentation); and May 2 at the Loyalist Country Inn, Summerside.
The Government of Canada, through its Youth Employment Strategy, is providing $41,513 towards the costs of the career expos.