Overview
A higher percentage of youth are not in education, employment or training (commonly called NEET) compared to other age groups. This percentage increased for youth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Youth may have left education or jobs due to complications and changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. When it comes to employment, youth often find themselves in an employment and experience conundrum: jobs want applicants to already have experience, but youth need jobs in order to gain that experience. Youth with mental health or substance use issues may also face additional barriers to obtaining education and employment.
At Foundry, we have launched the Foundry Work & Education Program to help tackle these issues. Foundry Work & Education Program is a supported employment and education program based on the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model. This work/study program is designed to provide additional support for youth trying to enter the job market, increase employment-related skills and/or pursue education and training opportunities. Together with nine Foundry communities (including Foundry Virtual), the research team is interested in understanding which aspects of the IPS model are helpful to youth and which may need changes. These results will be used to enhance the program and provide guidance to other organizations that want to implement similar programs.
Research into the Foundry Work & Education Program is led by Dr. Skye Barbic (Head Scientist at Foundry and Associate Professor at University of British Columbia).
Funders
Research about the Foundry Work & Education Program is made possible by the support from the British Columbia Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (MSDPR) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
Resources
- A Snakes & Ladders-style game was created to share youth and service provider experiences in an engaging way, based on program evaluation, engagement and research data.
- Click here to see a visual journey through the game, with quotes from youth and service providers giving additional context.
- Download your own copy of the game board and playing pieces here.
- BC Government: Grant supports jobs for youth facing barriers to employment
- Kwan A, Whyte M, McCullough K, Wenger M, Berinstein S, Morris J, Barbic S. (2025). The need for a sustainable system for supported employment: Expanding Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for youth in integrated youth services and adults in primary healthcare. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health. 44(1):89-93.
- Tsang VWL, Alqutub D, Wenger M, Mathias S, Barbic S. (2023). The Foundry Work and Education Program: A vocational rehabilitation program. British Columbia Medical Journal. 65(3):88-91.
- Warren C, Ong A-J, Kwan A, Zimmerman R, Wenger M, Al-Qutub D, Mathias S, Barbic S. (2022). Facilitators and barriers in bringing health services research to clinical practice for a novel supported employment intervention for young people. Abstract presented as a tabletop presentation at the International Association for Youth Mental Health (IAYMH) Conference on Youth Mental Health, September 29-October 1, 2022, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Wenger M, Warren C, Ong A-J, Al-Qutub D, Camara R, Tee K, Barbic S. (2022). Experience mapping: Exploring the thoughts, feelings, and actions of youth as they enroll and complete an IPS program. Poster presented at the International Association for Youth Mental Health (IAYMH) Conference on Youth Mental Health, September 29-October 1, 2022, Copenhagen, Denmark.