Why Johnny can’t find a job

For three summers now, news of high youth unemployment has made summer headlines as university and college students take a break from studying and try to find work to pay for next year’s studies. But double-digit student summer unemployment is only part of the story: look more closely and you’ll see that certain groups of students are doing considerably better than others.

Data from the CanEd Student Research Panel allows for the first-ever student employment analysis that goes beyond headline numbers to look at the situation of different kinds of students. The picture that emerges is of a two-track student labour market in Canada this summer. University students in scientific and technical fields of study—math, computer science, and engineering in particular—are doing considerably better than last year. And they’re doing better than their peers in the arts, humanities and other non-technical fields.

First off, students in technical disciplines are earning more. The median hourly wage for students in engineering and architecture is $15.62, more than $3 higher than the earnings of students in education and more than $4 higher than students in the humanities. Students in technical disciplines also have higher employment rates and have had an easier time finding work this summer than in 2010.

The differences between disciplines run deeper than dollars and cents, though. Students in technical disciplines are more likely to report the kind of summer employment that goes beyond just providing money to pay for next year’s classes. Nearly half of students in math and computer science, and more than one-third of those in engineering and architecture, reported that their summer job could only be done—or could best be done—by someone in their field of study. By contrast, nearly two-thirds of students in the humanities and more than half of those in the social sciences reported that their job did not require any kind of post-secondary education. Put bluntly, students in technical disciplines are using their summer job to begin a career, while students in other disciplines are getting little relevant experience.

This suggests that the tight connection between technical university disciplines and the labour market begins well before graduation. The co-op model, prevalent in technical disciplines, seems to be working extremely well. Co-op students focus on their theoretical learning during their school terms and are able to gain practical experience in their field during their work terms, while making a relatively decent wage. Moreover, they are gaining meaningful experience of the routines and habits of daily work in their field of interest. Meanwhile, students in non-technical fields generally disconnect from their field of study during the summer.

This is an area where a little innovation could go a long way. Extending the co-op model beyond technical disciplines into the humanities and social sciences would spark a sluggish student labour market all the while preparing students for the eventual full transition to work.

Joey Berger is director of business development and communications, Higher Education Strategy Associates.