Post-Secondary Education Offers a Brighter Future for Young Adults

Sadly, the gap between the least and most educated in our society is growing. In 2016 young males without a high school diploma had an employment rate of 67 percent compared with 89 percent for a university-educated man; the employment rate for women with less than a high school diploma was 41 percent versus 84 percent for those with a university degree.

People without education are less employable.  For these reasons it is important that the hundreds of thousands of young Canadians age 25-34 without high school diplomas get to work, or face a dim or uncertain financial future.

In its recent report on Insights on Canadian Society, Statistics Canada revealed that 14 percent of the Canadian population aged 25 to 34 had not completed high-school-level education. Employment prospects for the 340,000 young Canadians in this situation are dim—higher unemployment rate, lower wages, and dead-end jobs—compared to those with higher levels of education.

In this age group, 8.5 percent of men and 5.4 percent of women had less than a high school diploma; and 26.1 percent of men and 18.5 percent of women had a high school diploma or some postsecondary education.

Although the total number of young Canadians without a high school diploma has declined since 1990 (from 22 percent of men and 19 percent of women), this segment of the population is less employable than at any other time in the last 20 years. The current employment rate for young men without a high school diploma is 67 percent, and 41 for women; both numbers are down from 75 percent for men and 50 percent of women in 1990.

The top two occupations for men without a high school diploma are construction trade helpers and labourers, and transport truck drivers; for women they are light-duty cleaners and cashiers. Young women without a high school diploma are also more likely to be single parents (19 percent) than are those with no more than a high school diploma (10 percent); less than 2 percent of women with a university degree are single parents.

If you know any young Canadians who have not completed their high school education or are considering dropping out, you would be wise to share this grim news with them. But also give them a ray of hope that they can improve their chances for better employment opportunities with a high school diploma.  Then, all kinds of opportunities can open up for them, with some additional study.

Mentorship is also incredibly important.  If you are interested in helping to train and mentor young high school or college graduates,  starting a group study program in your office is a wonderful way to give back. Knowledge Bureau can help with impactful online training.

Knowledge Bureau’s diploma programs—such as Certified Personal Tax Practitioner, Certified Bookkeeping Practitioner and Certified Wealth Advisor—are all designed to provide professional qualifications for those who wish to find a rewarding career in the financial services. Any of these programs could be the ticket to enhanced entry-level career opportunities, and mentorship by experienced professionals who can provide on-the-job training.

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