by Rick Waters Labour Market Information Analyst Canada Employment Centre We've all heard how tough it is to find a job in today’s market. And, we've probably heard how only the lucky few will get good, permanent jobs, jobs that are full-time, and that offer good working conditions, pay, and benefits. But how dows the word on the street stack up when compared to the facts? Here are a few “Career Fictions”, and the facts that go with them. Career Fiction Number Gze: There ave fewer fobs to g0 around today than there were in the good old days. ‘The Facts? In 1966, 54.8 per cent of Canadians over the age of 15 had 2 job. In 1995, 58 percent of Canadians over the age of 15 had a job. Surprised? Probably because you hear how high unemployment is today. Well, in 1966, the average unemployment rate in Canada was 3.4 per cent, and of course, it’s about 9.6 per cent now. The reason is that a higher percentage of the working age population is looking for worx, mostly because in the 1976s, married wornen began to enter the workforce in large numbers.The unemployment rate is a measure of how many people who want to work are unable to find jobs. But the first number, called the employment to ‘population rate is 2 measure of how well the economy provides jobs for the entire populatica. Career Fiction Number Teva: Only those people witbout a geod education are actually having trouble finding good jobs. The facts? Mzay of the so-called Generation Xers, those people age 30 tw 36, are very well-educated, but are either unemployed, or doing low-skilled jobs. The reason is that when they entered the labour market, Canada was in the midst of a bad recession, and the market had already been saturated by the so-called Baby Boom Generation. Another reason that they may be unemployed is that the skills that they have are not the ones that are in demand in the labour market. {t's a good idea to find out what skills are in demand before you decide on a training course. Career Fiction Nuober Three B doesn't seem to inalter whether you bave a university or college degree, you will still bave trouble ins the job market. The facts? From 1989 to 1994, the number of jobs available for those without high school graduation fell by 30 percent in Canada. During the came time, the number of jobs for those who had a University or College degree increased by 20 percent. Everyone has heard of someone who has a degree in Arts, and is now unemployed, or doing a menial job. An Arts degree provides a person with important transferrable skills; literacy, communications, computer skills, and teamwork skills. In order to get a job, Arts graduates often go on to take courses at BCIT cr Capilano College which give them the skills to get their feet in the door. Later, they can use their degree as a promotability factor to ielp them advance to better jobs. Before you make importanit decisions about your career, make sure you get the facts you need, and don’t believe everything you hear on the street. eT Pt i (teacher) in collaboration with CP students his year at Sentinel Secondary Schoo) in West Vancouver, over 50 Grade 11 and 12 students are expanding their education to include at least 100 hours of work experience in our community. Students select this course for several reasons, but mostly because they want to connect Gmneceuaber rr Earle Pod MEY EEL what they are interested in, which is sometimes what they are studying, to the world of work. For example, in the school's Career Preparation Program, some students are pursuing intensified studies and experiences in Graphic Arts and Design, and others in Marketing. These students supplement their in school classes with specific work experience in these fields. Other students are involved in a Computer Science Mentorship CO- OP Progrun where they are paired with a SFU student mentor on the job sight. Other students prefer to pursue a variety of experiences and are often placed in areas of personal interest and ability. No matter what the reason is or what the focus may be, all these students profit from irae be ve Asset extending their learning beyond the clissroom. In a recent in- school survey, the students fisted a variety of examples of how they are benefiting from their experiences, Nahal-Hashemi is a marketing : student placed at Mailboxes Etc. in West Vancouver and she spends i her day doing a variety of tasks : from book keeping to packaging i parcels and selling stationery. i When asked what she will ? remember about her experiences, i even years later, she replied, “I will definitely remember being i trusted with important respor~“dilities.” She praises the Career Preparation Program because it, “allows students to i experience the real world among real people.” Similarly, Emma Louise Tang i celebrates her learning at Canada i Trust because working with the JEREMY DALTON, MLA for West Vancouver ~ Capilano Supports “EDUCATION FOR EMPLOYMENT” As father of thre ee eA _Jeremy Dalton with siudenis at Handsworth e school-aged children, Jeremy Dalton understands the necessity of quality education. “Our children require an effective education today so they can compete in the job market of tomorrow. Only by heeding the voice of business and working with employers can we ensure a relevant education system that reflects the current needs of our students.” Join with us in supporting “Education for Employment” at the Capilano College Open House “College in a Day”, on Friday, March 29th. Come see for yourself how the enthusiasm for learning and the energy of business can build a brighter future FOR QUR CHILDREN. public has taught her, “bow to be calm and patient working with a i variety of people." She says she will never forget, ‘the extreme nervousness [she] had the first day of work.” Looking at her success on the job, she has definitely grown past this ! Jeremy Phipps works with kids as he teaches Karate to 4 - 19 year -old boys and girls, His sentiments about working with young people echoes the sentiment of the teachers working with these and other quistanding Career Prep- aration students. He states, “I like seeing children progress and creating a positive atmosphere and environment for them to cume to.” We - students, educators and employers - all agree that combining work experience with education creates exciting and beneficial learning for everyone involved.