The Role of Carers and Caseworkers in the Transition from School-to-Work for Young People in Care

Abstract

Educational attainment and work outcomes for young people in state care are often poor, leaving them ill-prepared to live independently as adults (Biehal, Clayden, Stein, & Wade, 1994; Courtney, Dworsky, Lee, & Raap, 2010; Elze, Auslander, Stiffman, & McMillen, 2005; Jackson & Ajayi, 2007; Wade & Dixon, 2006). Most encounter obstacles to finding and sustaining employment in the early years after care (Cheung & Heath, 1994; Dworsky, 2005; Jackson & Cameron, 2012; Mendes, 2009) and have compromised employment pathways such as under-employment, low rates of pay and slow employment progress (Dixon, 2006; Goerge et al., 2002; Hook & Courtney, 2011). This thesis is concerned with the school-to-work transition for young people in care and how they develop ideas and plans about future work options. This process is also known as career development. Career development is a life-long process related to choosing an occupation and lifestyle (Brown & Brooks, 1990; Hartung, Porfeli, & Vondracek, 2005). It involves self-knowledge, knowledge of the world of work and true reasoning (Parsons, 1909; Patton & McMahon, 1999), and may be influenced by a range of individual and environmental factors (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1996). There is a general view of the centrality of career engagement to adult self-sufficiency and functioning (Astin, 1984), but little is known about the career development process for young people in care.