INTRODUCTION

This report outlines the results of the “Pathways to Work Research Project”. It was a nine month project that examined the issue of workforce attachment of Discouraged Job Seekers in Kings County, Nova Scotia. The focus of inquiry was primarily from the perspective of Discouraged Job Seekers. A literature review revealed that this approach with this population is rare, if it exists at all, as no matching research reports could be found.

Two researchers engaged in this unique research project and the findings are shared in this document. We learned a considerable amount from listening to Discouraged Job Seekers and those involved in helping people in Kings County find jobs. We heard about the barriers they experienced in trying to find work and developed with them recommendations that would help reduce or remove the barriers. It is our conclusion that a re-visioning of relationships and approaches is needed for the implementation of what we recommend.

We have adopted a social justice framework: that all citizens should have equitable access to resources available in society. Our theoretical approach is to use ‘resiliency’ as identified by Dr. Michael Unger, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Although much of resiliency research is focused on youth, Dr. Unger has also focused on the impact of turbulent times in career choices[1].

In the context of exposure to significant adversity, resilience is both the capacity of individuals to navigate their way to the psychological, social, cultural, and physical resources that sustain their well-being, and their capacity individually and collectively to negotiate for these resources to be provided in culturally meaningful ways.[2]

In our research, it became evident that Discouraged Job Seekers live with considerable adversity. In our research, we listened to the barriers that helped create the adversity. We recommend tools and processes to facilitate Discouraged Job Seekers more effectively navigating their way towards jobs. We also identify resources that can assist in sustaining their well being. We recommend ways Discouraged Job Seekers can develop their capacities individually and collectively, to negotiate for the supports they need to become more successful job seekers.

One tool we are using to communicate the essential principles of what we learned is terminology: we use terms such as ‘collaboration’, ‘bridge building’, and ‘job finding community’. These terms reflect that it is a process of engagement with Discouraged Job Seekers that is needed. We do make specific recommendations, but our overarching recommendation is the creation of processes that give Discouraged Job Seekers a voice and active involvement in the development of the tools and resources that will help them.

We encountered many caring people through our work on this project, who helped us create a ‘temporary neighborhood’ that allowed us to connect with the Discouraged Job Seeker. It is lessons and support from them, as well as the courage of the Discouraged Job Seeker to trust us and speak their truths that allowed us to accomplish the task we undertook. As part of the re- visioning that is required, we are recommending that all people engaged in supporting people who are looking for work see each other as members of a community connected to each other, and to the Discouraged Job Seekers. We call this community the “job finding community”

We listened to 31 participants. The participants’ experiences are found here, in their words. Reflecting their right to confidentiality, the participant names used in the report are not the actual names of the people who participated in the research.

We were asked to listen to the ‘perceived barriers’ of Discouraged Job Seekers, and then identify if their perceptions had accuracy. After that, we were asked to recommend tools to address the understanding we had of the barriers. When we could, we consulted with relevant members of the job finding community, read policy manuals and used other methods to confirm their perceptions. Every perception in essence is true: it is perception. Why the perception exists is another, more complex consideration. Often Discouraged Job Seekers’ perceptions were accurate in that the barrier existed, and, if possible, we make recommendations to remove the barriers. One example is the difficulties in obtaining easy access to transportation to the agricultural fields to pick berries: that barrier is there. Ways to offer reasonable cost transportation to the berry fields needs to be developed. Other times we found that the resource the participant experienced as not existing did in fact exist. The reason the participant had the perception was that they did not know about the existence of the resource, in spite of trying to find it. This led us to identify lack of communication as a primary factor in many of the perceived barriers. Developing more effective communication strategies is a tool to address those barriers. Other times the resource that the participant identified as not being available did in fact exist, but was not accessible by the participant. Expanding eligibility criteria is a tool to address those barriers. In this report, we name the barriers as the participants identified, then indicate our findings about the barriers.

The specific recommendations we make are numerous, but our primary recommendation is the development of collaborative processes which include all members of the job finding community. We look to those members of the job finding community who have the ability to create a more welcoming environment to consider how they can do so. Members of the community include:

  Policy makers
  Employment Support workers
  Employers and employees
  Government workers
  Workers and volunteers involved with community organizations supporting       Discouraged Job Seeker
  Family and friends
  Community members

However, the key ingredient to developing successful strategies for addressing the issue of employability is the inclusion of those whose voices were plainly heard in our research project: Discouraged Job Seekers.

As is demonstrated throughout this report, Discouraged Job Seekers have the essential knowledge, insight and ability to identify barriers and recommend ways forward that would effectively support them in their job seeking efforts. We outline what was needed in order to hear them: the developing of a respectful trusting relationship, starting with where they felt safe and supported. Such conditions do exist in pockets in the job finding and general communities. However, they are not enough, nor easily accessible. The development of respectful and collaborative relationships with Discouraged Job Seekers is the key factor in creating successful approaches to employability. This report addresses what we were told when we did develop relationships with Discouraged Job Seekers. It recommends what is needed to facilitate the return of Discouraged Job Seeker to the path of finding the jobs they so clearly want and deserve.