Over the last few decades, higher education, training and skills development have become increasingly necessary to achieve a comfortable standard of living. More young people are pursuing higher levels of education, but to succeed in today’s labour market, they are increasingly expected to maintain, adapt and improve their skill sets over their careers.
Nipissing University researcher David Zarifa is studying how individuals in Northern and rural areas acquire the skills they need to succeed in today’s knowledge-driven economy.
Zarifa’s work has shown that some social groups experience difficulties navigating the education system, entering the workforce and maintaining their skills over the course of their working lives. Now, he and his research team are exploring how some groups among Northern and rural communities are represented in certain jobs, if the range and type of available schools and programs in these regions influence career pathways, and what unique challenges these regions face in attracting and retaining an innovative and skilled workforce.
Zarifa’s work will help guide Canadian youth and their families as they choose from a growing array of pathways within the postsecondary education system, enter the labour market, launch their careers and pursue success in their chosen line of work.
