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Key Takeaways
Community Education Profile
In Waskaganish, the majority of adults have at least one type of diploma. In addition, most adults in the community are interested in pursuing further education. Individuals in this community value education and most are encouraged by their parents to continue with schooling, increasing the level of motivation for community members.
Half of the adults in this community (50%) had a linear educational pathway, meaning they did not interrupt their studies until they graduated. Those who experienced one or more interruptions in their educational journey were less likely to have completed a diploma. Disinterest, problems at school, and family responsibilities were the most common reasons people withdrew from school in Waskaganish. Despite these challenges, almost all students without a diploma (95%) would consider going back to school.
In Waskaganish, younger adults reported lower job satisfaction and higher levels of interest in returning to school than their older counterparts. Supporting the unique needs of young adults, especially those who have children at home, will be an important priority for Sabtuan Adult Education Services in the community of Waskaganish.
The community education profile shows us where we are. Now, it’s time to find out where we can go from here.
Through our interviews and follow-up questions, we were able to identify success factors which impact current and prospective students in Waskaganish. Understanding these factors will help us to set up services and supports that help adults achieve their educational goals.
We also found out community members’ program interests, and discovered how these interests aligned with community/employer needs (by reviewing CENA results from Apatisiiwin Skills Development and interviewing employers). This will help us select and offer programs that will support the community’s future.
It is important to note that any strategy we build must have a strong cultural foundation and a plan for continuous community collaboration.
These all must be considered as we build a local adult education strategy for Waskaganish.
For many adult education students, the demands of parenting are a key consideration when deciding to go back to school. Parents have unique demands when it comes to their time and finances, which can mean additional challenges when going back to school:
School was not really challenging. It was just challenging because I needed to juggle my family life, errands for my kids and husband, but the teachers were easy on the students. They let me run my errands at the end of the day and work after.
Although the demands of school can be stressful for parents, many are motivated to set an example for their children:
I am pursuing my studies now and I hope to be an example for my kids first thing, and for other youth too… I want to be an example for my siblings too. Like, anything is possible even though you live in the community.
To support parents in their educational journey, financial support programs and convenient schedules are key. One scheduling consideration shared by current SAES students was a preference for a schedule that was similar to their children’s school and daycare schedules. This allowed adult students to take their break and lunch together with their children:
In 2020, Sabtuan Adult Education Services launched its own financial assistance program for adult education students, which includes amounts for dependants. We hope that this financial assistance will support parents in pursuing their educational goals in the future.
Actions Taken
- Financial assistance policy includes amounts for dependants.
- Public childcare coverage now included in financial assistance for parents of young children.
- General education teachers often work to develop school schedules and assignments that work with parents’ lives.
Next Steps
- Further consider family dynamics as part of our Wellness Services/student support services.
- Increase collaboration with youth sector.
Your Response
It’s your turn! How can the community at large better support parents who want to go back to school?
Children are not the only family members who can impact the educational journey. Parents, grandparents, partners, and close loved ones can also have a significant impact on student success:
My sister tells me to keep going. She tells me ‘go to school’, she encourages me. She tells me ‘don’t quit’.
My partner wanted me to go to school. He would wake me up.
My cousins. I told them ‘let’s go to school together’. I was in school first then I told them they should go to school too. Now they’re in school too.
My parents. My dad. He woke me up every morning...he got us busy in the evenings, so we wouldn’t go out. He took care of us. And he was the one who really encouraged us to go on, go out, see the world.
Support from parents was important for Waskaganish students in all age groups, even older adults. The majority of people in Waskaganish say their parents encouraged them to value education, and cited them as an important support system in returning to school:
To serve Wakaganish students, Sabtuan Adult Education Services must honour and support the family unit as an important part of an adult’s educational journey.
Actions Taken
- Wellness Services Counsellor and teachers encourage students to reach out to support systems when needed.
Next Steps
- Provide mentors/support for students without close family ties.
- Provide information sessions and community events that allow family members to learn about adult education.
Your Response
It’s your turn! How can you help students in your family feel supported and encouraged?
When we interviewed Waskaganish Eeyouch, it was clear that careers and finances were a significant consideration for those looking to go back to school. Adult education students noted that one of their biggest motivations in returning to school was to qualify for jobs in the community:
My motivation was to have a steady income after. To be able to stand on my own two feet. My motivation has never changed. I still have that drive. I still want to succeed. And I plan on succeeding. And now, well to be honest, ever since I graduated – in my vocational program at Sabtuan – I’ve never been stuck without a job.
Every time I see postings about job openings, I always see it says high school diploma. That’s why I’m in school, because I want to look for another job or go to college. I don’t really see myself there yet.
Job satisfaction also played a role in whether or not a community member was willing to go back to school. In Waskaganish, 35% of respondents who were currently working said they were satisfied with their current position. Curiously, while the satisfaction level varied by age, it did not consistently increase with age as it did in other communities:
Those who are less satisfied with their jobs may be more interested in going back to school. When asked if they would go back to school for additional qualifications if it meant a better job, over one-third of community members (38%) said yes.
Clearly, it is important for adult students to understand how educational pathways relate to career opportunities in the community. By working closely with Apatisiiwin Skills Development and employers, as well as promoting self-employment opportunities to students, we can help respond to this success factor in Waskaganish.
Actions Taken
- Launched financial assistance program in 2020-21 school year.
- Partnership with Apatisiiwin Skills Development to support transition to the workplace.
Next Steps
- Consider offering workshops for workplace integration skills like resume writing, time management, and communication.
- Grow relationship with Apatisiiwin Skills Development and employers to increase workplace transition support.
Your Response
It’s your turn! How could employers support the educational goals of Waskaganish adults?
Many potential adult education students in Waskaganish are interested in deepening their cultural knowledge and skills, with the majority showing interest in culturally relevant programs. This interest aligns with our internal priorities at Sabtuan Adult Education Services, as we are working to both offer more culture/language programs and to increase the cultural relevance of all programs and services.
Entrepreneurship is also a key interest for adults in Waskaganish. This finding aligns with Waskaganish’s Community Plan (2015), which named entrepreneurship and career-building as one of its five (5) key action areas. We have already responded to this priority by offering “Starting a Business” in the 2020-21 school year, and will continue to consider how entrepreneurship can be supported by our programs, services and partnerships
In the qualitative interviews, community members mentioned the importance of offering a wider and more diverse program list. This is also evident in the list of the programs identified community member and employers, many of which have not been offered in Waskaganish before. Opportunities in sectors such as health care, education, construction, and food services are plentiful in the community, and members are eager to qualify for these local jobs.
By combining community member data with employer feedback from Apatisiiwin Skills Developments’ CENA study, we were able to identify the highest-demand programs in Waskaganish at present. This list of programs is by no means comprehensive, nor is it an official list of programs we are committed to offering. Other considerations, like feasibility of offering the program locally and the cultural component, will also be considered.
The Adult Learning Needs Assessment considered data from Apatisiiwin Skills Development (ASD)’s Community Employment Needs Assessment (CENA) in its program analysis. We also interviewed employers to follow up on the data. If you would like further information on the employment outlook in Waskaganish, please contact ASD.
Program Delivery
While many Waskaganish adults are open to traveling for short periods to continue their education, some preferred to remain in their community. Overall, 19% of people say they would only consider a program if it was offered in their community. Proximity to home mattered more to students who were older; location was only a barrier for 7% of respondents aged 15-20, compared to 25% of those 36-45.
I would be open to leave the community for a program that is less than 1,200 hours. More than that you are away too long from your family.
Another way to provide education is through technology. If a program of interest was not offered in their community, 72% of respondents would be open to taking a course online. Most people preferred a combination of online learning and in-person access to a teacher for questions. As Sabtuan Adult Education Services has significantly increased its digital capacity over the past year, these are options we could explore to serve more students.
More information on program delivery can be found in the Community Education Profile.
Note: ALNA data was collected before the COVID-19 pandemic. Online learning readiness may have been impacted by recent events.
