Why Traditional Career Programs Miss the Mark for Marginalized Youth
Across Canada, many career programs are designed with good intentions. But for marginalized youth, good intentions aren’t always enough.
Research conducted on the Reboot Plus program tells a different story about what helps young people move forward, and what gets in the way.
Why This Conversation Matters
Marginalized youth – including those who are not in employment, education, or training (NEET), Indigenous youth, racialized youth, youth with disabilities, and those facing economic or social barriers – experience unemployment and underemployment at significantly higher rates than their peers.
The research funded by the Future Skills Centre emphasizes that these challenges are not due to a lack of motivation or ability. The findings indicate that the obstacles young people encounter stem from “structural barriers, including limited access to career supports, weak school‑to‑work transitions, discrimination against racialized and Indigenous youth, and fewer opportunities to build professional networks.”
These systemic issues can lead to prolonged joblessness and poorer long‑term labour market outcomes. Reboot Plus has found that when programs are flexible, human‑centred, and hopeful, youth re‑engage.
What Marginalized Youth Really Need from Career Programs
- Support That Meets Them Where They Are
Reboot Plus participants consistently highlight the importance of feeling respected, understood, and not judged. Many youth arrive carrying past experiences of academic failure, exclusion, or stigma. Programs that assume a “deficit” mindset risk reinforcing disengagement.
What works instead:
- Non-judgmental facilitators
- Flexible pacing and expectations
- Recognition that career paths are not linear
Youth engagement improves when programs start from where youth are now, not where systems expect them to be.
- Time and Space for Real Career Exploration
Many career programs focus narrowly on job readiness: resumes, interviews, and placements, before youth have had a chance to figure out what they are interested in and might be good at.
We help youth explore and understand their personality, skills, and interests, and build a practical plan for their future.
Youth benefit from:
- Exploring values, interests, and strengths
- Learning about multiple career and education pathways
- Understanding how their lived experiences translate into skills
Participants report increased career clarity, confidence, and direction.
- Connection to Real People and Real Networks
For many marginalized youth, lack of social capital, not lack of talent, is the biggest barrier.
Reboot Plus intentionally integrates:
- Informational interviews with professionals
- Employer presentations
- Exposure to multiple educational and training options and multiple sectors and roles
In our program “We help youth meet professionals and develop an education and career plan.”
These connections help youth:
- See themselves reflected in the workforce
- Ask honest questions without fear of judgment
- Make informed decisions about next steps
Career development is not just about skills; it’s about access.
- Wraparound and Holistic Supports
Youth often navigate housing instability, mental health challenges, caregiving responsibilities, transportation barriers, and / or financial stress.
The Future Skills Centre’s evaluation of Reboot Plus highlights that the program “takes a holistic, flexible, low‑pressure approach… incorporating principles of diversity, equity and inclusion.”
Programs are more effective when they:
- Acknowledge these realities
- Offer flexibility and referrals
- Avoid punitive responses to missed sessions or setbacks
One‑size‑fits‑all participation models often fail youth who need understanding, not rigid compliance.
What Marginalized Youth Don’t Need
- Rigid, One-Size-Fits-All Models
Programs that prioritize speed, attendance quotas, or rapid placement metrics often fail to account for complex youth realities. When success is narrowly defined, youth who need more time or flexibility can be labeled as “unmotivated,” reinforcing disengagement.
- Training That Ignores Structural Barriers
Programs like Reboot Plus demonstrate that when youth supports address both personal and structural challenges, such as transportation, mental health, or caregiving responsibilities, participants are more likely to gain confidence, stay engaged, and secure meaningful, lasting employment.
Focusing only on individual skills without this broader context often leads to short-term outcomes and disengagement.
- Career Advice Without Human Connection
Online modules and generic workshops alone rarely build confidence or clarity. Youth consistently report that relationships with facilitators, peers, and employers are what make career development meaningful.
What Reboot Plus Teaches Us
Reboot Plus research and evaluation findings point to several promising outcomes:
- High participant satisfaction and engagement
- Increased confidence, hope, and career direction
- Greater awareness among employers of youth barriers and potential
The Future Skills Centre reports that participants gained “clarity about their futures and careers” and found the program “useful in building self‑awareness and confidence.”
Employer engagement through Reboot Plus also shows that exposure and dialogue can shift perceptions, highlighting the need for deeper, ongoing employer partnerships.
Key Takeaways for Policymakers and Practitioners
To better serve marginalized youth, career programs should:
- Centre flexibility, dignity, and hope
- Invest in exploration, not just placement
- Build real bridges to employers and networks
- Integrate wraparound supports
- Use youth voice and research to guide program design
What This Means for the Future of Youth Career Development
Marginalized youth don’t need to be “fixed.” They need systems that recognize their strengths, honour their experiences, and remove unnecessary barriers.
Reboot Plus shows that when career programs are inclusive, relational, and evidence-informed, youth don’t just participate, they re-engage, rebuild confidence, and begin to imagine futures that once felt out of reach.
The question is no longer whether these approaches work, but whether we are ready to make them the norm.
The Reboot Plus project is funded by the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Centre.
Le projet Reboot Plus est financé par le Centre des Compétences futures du gouvernement du Canada.