Youth Unemployment and Localized Impact: A Career Studies Teacher's Story

The glo bal economic downturn and high youth unemployment have created a challenging context for Ontario secondary-school teachers to meet the compulsory half-credit career studies course objectives intended to support school-to-work (STW) transition. Bronfenbrener's (1979) ecological systems theory provided a clear framework to examine influe nces and knowledge one teacher used to support the teaching of career studies. The d ata showed that the teacher knew her local economy had been affe cted by the global economic downturn, and she described local business closures and the potential impact upon employment opportunities. The t eacher understood the impact upon her students and explained the importance of students understanding these connections. The ope n level of the career studies course necessitated the meeting of diverse student needs, including students with disabilities, widely ranging academic levels, and those at risk. Thi s study aids our understanding of how the GLC20 teacher might contribute to successful STW transition for all students in times of global high youth unemployment. ISSN 1918-5227 Pages 136- 157