Coping with Uncertainty: Cultivating a Sense of Purpose Among Youth Through Innovations in Work-Based Learning Experiences

Kenny, Maureen E.; Liang, Belle; Blustein, David L.; Konowitz, Lily; Meerkins, Tera; White, Alan W.; Medvide, Mary Beth; Gào, Xīn; Shuqom, Anna

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-22799-9_19

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 24 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…From a PWT perspective, career education represents a person-level intervention that can help young people to develop the competencies and resiliencies to access decent work and partake in decent lives. The PWT model and subsequent research with youth (Kenny, Liang, et al, 2019; Kenny, Cinamon, et al, 2023; Kenny, Haase, et al, 2022; Kenny, Medvide, et al, 2023) suggest that career education should cultivate psychological assets, including work volition, career adaptability, personal agency or hope, critical consciousness, and perceived social support, as well as youth purpose. In the sections that follow, we will focus on several of these constructs to discuss their importance in preparing youth for decent lives.…”

Section: Implications Of Pwt For An Expanded Vision Of Career Develop...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Youths describe their natural mentors are contributing to their sense of purpose (White et al, 2021). While experiences that promote youth purpose often occur in school, family, and community settings, research also suggests that youth purpose can be intentionally cultivated through work-based learning and career development education (Kenny, Blustein, et al, 2019; Kenny, Liang, et al, 2019; Sepulveda et al, 2021). Liang and Klein (2022) offer guidance for students, parents, and educators to more intentionally promote purpose in order to navigate challenges, attain decent education, and live decent and meaningful lives.…”

Section: Implications Of Pwt For An Expanded Vision Of Career Develop...mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Promoting decent work and decent life for all: Preparing the next generation through decent education and career development education

Kenny,

Schmidtberger,

Masters

2023

Australian Journal of Career Development

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article advances a prevention and positive youth development perspective for promoting access to decent work and decent lives for all. We apply the psychology of working theory to consider the readiness of youth to contribute to this aspirational goal and the roles that education and career development education could play in furthering a reality of decent work and decent lives. We propose a transformative model of career development education that encompasses youth purpose, career adaptability, hope, critical consciousness, relational support, and equitable systems.

show abstract

Section: Implications Of Pwt For An Expanded Vision Of Career Develop...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Implications Of Pwt For An Expanded Vision Of Career Develop...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Promoting decent work and decent life for all: Preparing the next generation through decent education and career development education

Kenny,

Schmidtberger,

Masters

2023

Australian Journal of Career Development

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The three sources of agentic action can be seamlessly integrated throughout person-focused CDE. Kenny and colleagues (Kenny, Blustein, et al, 2019; Kenny, Liang, et al, 2019) offer examples of PWT informed CDE programs that integrate work-based learning experiences with workshops intended to promote CC, sense of agency, purpose development, and social capital in a context of supportive adult relationships. Kozan et al (2017) describe how CC can be cultivated through career development and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education programs with the intention of fostering student interest in studying STEM subjects and pursuing STEM careers.…”

Section: Applying the Psychology Of Working Theory In Youth-focused Pmentioning

confidence: 99%

Person- and System-Focused Prevention in Preparing Youth to Navigate an Uncertain Work Future

Kenny

Tsai

2020

Journal of Prevention and Health Promotion

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In this article, we discuss the integration of prevention science and vocational psychology for person- and system-focused prevention with a critical social justice agenda. More specifically, we focus on career development education as a potentially transformative primary prevention activity for increasing youth access to decent work and lives of well-being. We consider this as a critical agenda for two reasons. First, there are continued declines in the availability of decent work on a global level. In addition, youth who are marginalized by society are particularly vulnerable in competing for access to such dwindling opportunities and in thriving in communities and workplaces characterized by oppressive policies and practices. Building upon previous work in prevention and vocational psychology from a social justice perspective, we suggest that the psychology of working theory (PWT) can serve as a conceptual framework for developing and evaluating person- and system-focused preventive interventions that will address marginalization and seek to prepare all youth for an uncertain and shifting work future.

show abstract

Cultivating purpose and internalized motivation through workplace learning

Kenny,

Medvide,

Gordon

2024

Gifted Education International

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Building on prior research documenting associations between youth purpose and academic, psychological and physical well-being, this study examined the contributions of workplace learning (WPL) to youth purpose and internal motivation among 281 youth of diverse racial and ethnic identities and economic status enrolled in two high school networks offering innovatively designed WPL. Sequential regression analyses revealed that the quality of WPL, defined by mentor support for training, learning opportunities, and youth autonomy, contributed positively to youth purpose and internal motivation, beyond the negative effects of perceived social and economic barriers. Findings are discussed through the perspectives of psychology of working, decent education, self-determination theory and career construction and suggest that WPL is a promising intervention for overcoming inequities in fostering youth talent and purpose, including personal goals, meaning and intentions for social contribution.

show abstract

Coping with Uncertainty: Cultivating a Sense of Purpose Among Youth Through Innovations in Work-Based Learning Experiences

Cited by 3 publications

References 24 publications

Promoting decent work and decent life for all: Preparing the next generation through decent education and career development education

Promoting decent work and decent life for all: Preparing the next generation through decent education and career development education

Person- and System-Focused Prevention in Preparing Youth to Navigate an Uncertain Work Future

Cultivating purpose and internalized motivation through workplace learning

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About