“The changes in the labour market happening at such an unprecedented rate, especially with disruptions and opportunities caused by COVID-19, makes this study timely for the career development of youth in Canada.”
— Dr. Deepak Mathew
Digital economy and the future of work for young Canadians
Increasing digitization and automation are transforming people’s careers in ways that are unparalleled in history.
Dr. Deepak Mathew, assistant professor in TWU’s Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology program, seeks to assist career practitioners in the development of more inclusive tools and counselling interventions, inform policy makers about the needs of young Canadians, and assist young adults and their families through providing examples of how others have made career decisions in the face of changes in the economic realities brought about by digitization, through his new study, “Successful Career Decision-Making of Young Canadians in a Digital Economy.”
Dr. Mathew observes, “The notion of traditional occupations that have provided vocational stability is vanishing, and university students are being trained for occupations that are yet to be discovered.”
Preparing career seekers for the future
The coming decade is preparing for significant shifts in the job market as a result of technological developments in the areas of artificial intelligence, advance data analytics, internet of things, telepresence, synthetic biology, blockchain technologies, and decentralized production technologies such as 3D printing.
One study reports that AI will influence 95 per cent of jobs in some way, with about 18 per cent of jobs at risk of “high exposure” to AI.
Another study suggests that between 20 to 25 percent of occupational activities could be automated by 2030.
Answering looming fears of job displacement
One of the many effects that workers in the digital economy will face is the looming fear of unemployment and the pressure for skill development that might be beyond the scope of many workers’ means or abilities.
Dr. Mathew reports that the higher than average remuneration for IT professionals and the increased demand for such jobs in comparison to other jobs (Statistics Canada, 2019) bear testimony to the pressure faced by young people in making career decisions that defy a traditional notion of selecting career paths that match interests, values, attitudes, and personality.
Yet, in spite of these challenges, there are also people who are adapting to these rapidly evolving changes.
Dr. Mathew’s new study proposes to explore perceived ways in which career decision-making impact young people’s success in the context of increased digitization and automation. He is the recent winner of a $39,170 Insight Development Grant awarded by The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), for his project titled, “Successful Career Decision-Making of Young Canadians in a Digital Economy.”
Through his study Dr. Mathew seeks to understand how young Canadians are successfully navigating career and employment transitions in the digital economy.
“The changes in the labour market happening at such an unprecedented rate, especially with disruptions and opportunities caused by COVID-19, makes this study timely for the career development of youth in Canada,” says Dr. Mathew.
“Never before in history have governments, organizations, policy-makers, researchers, employers and entrepreneurs – all at the same time – paid attention to the reciprocal impact of digitization on people’s work and career.”
How young Canadians are adapting to the labour disruptions
Although literature exists describing how the transition to the digital economy challenges career development, there is a dearth of information regarding how these challenges are being overcome, Dr. Mathew notes.
As such, Dr. Mathew is undertaking a qualitative study to expand the understanding of career decision-making for young Canadians within the context of the digital economy. His study will investigate how young people who are 25-35 years old are “doing well” with adapting to the labour market disrupted by digitization and automation.
The study will provide information on the complexity of decision-making processes needed to navigate psychologically challenging career transitions that will inform career development theory, counselling and practice in response to the digital economy.
It also will assist career practitioners in the development of more inclusive tools and counselling interventions and will inform policy makers about the needs of young Canadians.
Assisting young adults in managing uncertainty
Perhaps most importantly, the research will assist young adults and their families through providing examples of how others have made career decisions in the face of changes in the economic realities brought about by digitization.
Dr. Mathew’s research expertise include career development, lifelong learning, career counselling and psychological assessment. Last summer, Dr. Mathew conducted a study on the career decision-making process of young Canadian immigrants. His study revealed several personal, interpersonal, external, cultural, and transitional factors as having influenced young adults in their career decision-making.
Among the recommendations from his previous study is for young people to learn how to manage uncertainty and adopt a belief system that welcomes unplanned and serendipitous events in life.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students to find and fulfill their purpose in life. It is a fully accredited research institution offering liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has five campuses: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, Ottawa, and Bellingham, WA. TWU emphasizes academic excellence, research, and student engagement in a vibrant faith community devoted to supporting vibrant leaders seeking to have a transformational impact on culture. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.
For media inquiries, please contact: media@twu.ca