- Parenting and Family information:
- YH Two youths are parents, although neither has primary custody of
their children. All six are single, and have lived on their own (away
from childhood home) between 3 days and 6 years. Two reported
growing up in a rural environment, the other 4 in a urban or town
environment. Those growing up in rural environments, and those who
are parents, confirmed that transportation and child care have been
barriers to finding upgrading programs and employment.
- T One youth is a parent, all youths are single. Only one youth is living
independently of family. Three youths are rural, three are urban, and
three did not specify. Transportation was identified as a major barrier
for rural youth, although Tracks outreach program does seek to lower
this barrier.
- Past Upgrading:
- YH Two youths had participated in upgrading type programs. One
was in a paid program in Alberta, but did not complete the highschool
equivalency goal because the funds were insufficient to cover
daily living expenses. The other had participated in Katimavik, but
did not complete the experience due to social anxiety and other
mental health issues.
- T Three youths had participated in upgrading programs. One had been
placed in an alternative school after being expelled from the local
high school, dropped out, and later made a short attempt at upgrading
with Georgian Literacy. The second had enrolled at the Adult
Learning Centre in Collingwood, but dropped out to look for work.
The third (an OSSD graduate) received a workplace scholarship and
student loan to learn AUTOCAD at Georgian College, but this
schooling was interrupted by assault charges and a subsequent return
to Collingwood.
- Job experience:
- YH Job experience includes: food industry, retail, factory work, and
outdoor maintenance and/or farm work. All of the participants were
interested in "better jobs" - defined as paying at least $9.00 per hour,
with benefits and some security. (See discussion of jobs, Focus
Group question 17 [page ] for further details).
- T Job experience primarily in construction and outdoor labour/farm
work, with some retail and food industry work. Group expressed desire
for better jobs, but also sense of futility at finding work in
Collingwood area .
- Remarks:
- The groups were quite similar in composition, with three exceptions.
First, the Collingwood group reflected a more rural working
environment and a lower general level of grade attainment. Second,
living arrangements obviously differed - the Youth Haven group in
Barrie were living independently, if transiently so, and the
Collingwood Tracks group were predominantly living still with
family. Finally, the Youth Haven group was more likely to report
mental health issues, possibly because their lives are in more
immediate crisis than those still living at home.