Caroline Johnston has been with the Reboot Plus program since 2022 as a facilitator for the program. Her insider experience showcases the magic that is taking place within the program to date. She shares her participation in the program and what’s she’s noticing.
“Reboot Plus is a career and education exploration program designed to educate, inspire, and 
motivate students while they explore different career paths.”
Program Overview
“Reboot Plus enables students to identify their individual strengths, interests, and values through in-class vocational assessments, activities, and essential skills building. A component of the program involves learning from career professionals through guest speaker presentations and scheduled informational interviews. This allows students to gain insights from experts in various occupations and industries, helping them narrow down suitable career interests.”
Student Selection Criteria
“Students are selected based on specific eligibility criteria. They must be between 16-24 years old, are from diverse backgrounds, including atypical high school experiences, and seek more guidance and information in exploring careers and education paths.”
School Feedback
“The feedback from different school districts has been positive. We are seeing teachers recruit more students for each cohort as we continue to grow. Students find the program useful and insightful, graduating with more confidence and a clearer direction for their career and education paths. As a result, many new students have been referred by previous participants.”
Professional Feedback
“The professionals who participate in informational interviews have also provided positive and uplifting feedback. They enjoy meeting the youth and are impressed with the students’ enthusiasm, preparation, and questions.”
Surprising Outcomes
“What I find surprising is that, with hard work, perseverance, and persistence, most students successfully complete the 3-month program, developing an action plan outlining their short- and long-term career and education paths.”
Challenges Faced
“The youth come from a diverse background, from typical and atypical high schools, some experience mental health or learning challenges, and some are on the spectrum or have behavioral issues. Despite all their differences, the one common denominator is that they each share their career interests, visions, and dreams for their future.
As the program progresses, I see an increase in student commitment to the program, determination to complete the class assignments and final project, desire to do informational interviews, more independent career and education research, and a general increase in their overall confidence level.”
Unique Career Explorations
“The two most interesting careers students have explored are an Astrophysicist and a Lighthouse Keeper. In both cases, it required networking in my professional and social circle for referrals. Peter Wilkins, Manager of Reboot Plus, connected me with the Professor/Head of the Department of Physics & Astronomy at UBC. He participated in a Zoom informational interview with me and one of my students and it was fascinating for both of us. One of my close friends connected me with the Supervisor of Light station Operations at the Canadian Coast Guard with Fisheries & Ocean Canada. Our Zoom informational interview was also very insightful and awe-inspiring for me and my student.”
Personal Learning and Growth
“Since joining Reboot Plus, I have learned so much about the participants’ strengths, interests, values, and career interests. After doing so much research on different industries and occupations, and reaching out to so many career professionals, I have a better understanding of the labor market, the breadth of job roles, and the educational and work requirements for each position.”
Importance of Reboot Plus
“The Reboot Plus program is important as it adds a lot of value to students’ lives, as they navigate their career and education path in their final years of high school. It gives them hope, inspiration, and more confidence as they discover and explore careers that match their strengths, values, and interests. It also educates them on all the different career and educational paths.”
There are a few important takeaways for the students:
Vocational Assessments: Completing assessments such as the MBTI and Holland Assessment helps define their personalities, natural abilities, and how they present themselves to the world.
Industry and Occupational Research: This research helps them understand job duties, work environments, earnings, education requirements, and future outlooks in various fields.
Expert Interaction: Speaking with career professionals allows students to ask questions beyond online research, builds their confidence in networking, improves communication skills, and may lead to referrals and recommendations.
Impact and Reward
I have seen the Reboot Plus program change the lives of the students for the better. It has had a positive impact as it has given them purpose, meaning, and some career direction, as they finish their high school and start the next chapter of their lives. From the beginning to the end of the 3-month course, I have seen the progression, and it’s very rewarding work.”
With funding from the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Centre, we are examining whether a hope-centred education and career development program can help youth find their purpose. Students in our program are vulnerable youth aged 17 to 24 who have not finished high school and do not have a plan for their future. Our 16-week program helps participants identify their values, personality, interests and skills, meet with professionals and develop an education and career action plan.
Le projet Reboot Plus est financé par le Centre des Compétences futures du gouvernement du Canada