Take Ontario’s Career Studies Out of the Past

High school students entering the job market either in the midst of their studies or after graduating are gaining critical exposure to the world of employment. Crafting resumes, preparing for interviews, and planning for the future are all important skills that are universal to every student.

Globalization and other technological factors have brought about not only new jobs but expanded the means by which applicants are expected to hunt for their employment. Applying online has become the norm, as well as many jobs at risk of being replaced by automation. The choices which students have to make in high school are pivotal for their employment prospects; the routes between college, university, workplace, or apprenticeship are locked behind which classes they’ll take and the grades they need.

Careers studies, a mandatory open course for all grade 10 students, attempts to help students persevere in this competitive job market. The vision of the class is a practical and well-rounded course for all students. Almost every student needs a job at some point in their life. Learning how to choose and achieve one path are all keys for the model graduate.

In practice, the class is severely lacking in skills, interest, and practicality. “[It’s] just a bunch of ‘get to know you’ sheets,” said a Grade 11 Sir Federick Banting Secondary Student concerning her time in career studies, “The class provides help with what you want to do in the future — but I would say it’s a pointless class.”

I distinctly remember a year ago in my careers class where we had to create resumes (which I never used because the format was not up to modern standards at all) and apply for jobs from a posted job listings bulletin.

Obviously, these skills rarely translate into our modern job market. Nearly half of hires (41%!) have found their role through online job postings such as Indeed or Linkedin. As well, trends are tending towards the importance of networking.

The accessibility and ease of networking have gained significant traction where it has become a buzzword within career-based social media. LinkedIn has over 400 million registered users; and as technology advances, this will only grow. It has become crucial to maintaining connections in the industry graduates want to pursue to further their own skills and potentially score on life-changing opportunities. One-quarter of recent hires have landed jobs through networking.

My class also spent a lot of time focusing on personality quizzes and intelligence exercises. While great sparingly, these are time-consuming, do little to help someone find a career, and are forgettable by most. I had to test ethics, personality, and preferences. The frivolous surveys cause a reputation of being a pointless and bland class.

The ministry of education should realize that this class has the potential for developing the best careers for students already planning ahead for post-secondary. Finding a job is not always easy if one is not well-connected or simply does know the proper means of doing so. If the ministry were to attempt to modernize their curriculum for the compulsory course such as the inclusion of social networks and online applications, students will enter the job market more confident and qualified.