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At both the provincial and federal levels, a lively policy debate on the types of education, training, and skill acquisition required to meet the demands of the British Columbia and Canadian workforce is taking place. Despite acknowledgement of the need for lifelong learning and reskilling in light of frequent career changes over the life course, typically this debate finds its locus around the transition from school to work. Very little policy or research effort strives to examine, over the long term, the relationship between education and employment, let alone other life course activities such as unemployment and "other" activities. Also, it is rare to examine retrospectively the trajectories that led individuals to their current life space location. A gender lens is critical when asking and answering questions about education and work. The "Paths on Life's Way" data set (http://blogs.ubc.ca/paths/) allows for such a detailed retrospective examination of transitions and trajectories. The "Paths on Life's Way" project is the only longitudinal database of its kind in British Columbia and one of the few longitudinal studies of youth in Canada. Spanning over 22 years, this data set contains detailed education, work and life course related information collected at five points in time--1989, 1993, 1998, 2003, and 2010. In this report, information reported monthly (i.e., at 259 time points) on post-secondary education, employment, unemployment, and "other" activities are employed. In these analyses, the author employs responses to mail out survey questionnaires and use data from the 574 respondents who participated in all phases of data collection and present analyses of the entire 22 years between September 1988 and March 2010--this time in reverse order; that is, beginning in March 2010 and extending back to September 1988. The analyses employ 540 valid cases. The author has conducted analyses by highest post-secondary credential earned, parental educational background, and geographic location of origin for both men and women. In this report, the fourth in a series, the author uses the technique of sequence analysis to capture the complex types and nature of various trajectories of individuals over a 22 year period. Sequence analysis allows for the examination of all the elements in a sequence simultaneously and for the visual presentation that facilitates the detection of patterns. The main purpose of the analysis is to build on previous research by providing a more fine grained analysis of trajectories experienced by individuals across the course of their lives. The author concludes by offering policy implications for British Columbia and beyond.

Because of its diversity, the BC post-secondary system offers many routes to credential completion. However, to capture the dynamics of institutional attendance requires a long view of individuals' journeys through the various post-secondary institutions over time. In this report, the authors employ data from the "Paths on Life's Way" project to examine the attendance sequences of the BC high school graduating class of 1988 through the postsecondary system over a 22 year period. The "Paths" data set is ideal in capturing the nature of transitions and trajectories over a long period of time. The main purpose of these analyses are to build on earlier research and to further specify and refine the different templates of institutional trajectories that individuals undertake during the course of their lives. Also, they offer policy implications for BC and beyond from the results of these analyses. In this report, the authors use the analytical technique of sequence analysis. Sequence analysis is ideal for life course research as it uses variables or elements with certain states--in this case post-secondary participation status--that can be ordered into sequences; then, the sequential nature of all elements can be examined simultaneously. The sequence then serves as a representation of an individual's pathway through the postsecondary system. In the analyses presented in this newsletter, each state represents a one year time period. (Contains 7 figures and 4 footnotes.)

The British Columbia post-secondary system is articulated or "seamless" in that it allows for students to make dynamic transitions into and through the system. But what types of transitions do students actually make? What level of student debt do they incur? What credentials do they earn and how do these credentials help them to secure employment? The Paths on Life's Way project has been following 733 BC high school graduates from the Class of 1988 since they graduated from high school. The Paths project is unique in that it traces students through the post-secondary system--both provincially and extra-provincially--and follows them as they moved from post-secondary education into work. To date, data have been collected at five year intervals (1989, 1993, 1998, and 2003). In this report, some of the key findings from the 15 year follow-up study in 2003 are highlighted. The Paths on Life's Way sample is certainly an "educated generation." Almost all respondents have embraced post-secondary studies, either directly out of high school or at a later point in time. Despite the cost, post-secondary education has paid off--particularly for male university graduates--in terms of jobs in the professions and high level management. (Contains 5 tables, 4 figures, and 5 footnotes.)

This paper is part of a research paper series that the Applied Research Branch of Human Resources Development Canada commissioned in 2001 to contribute to the development of a research strategy for young Canadians completing their education and starting their careers. The series focuses on various elements of the school-work transitions of Canadian youth. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the literature on the transitional experiences of young women. Research has documented that gender differences exist in educational and occupational choices, experiences, and attainments and that these differences have special characteristics. The additional dimensions of marriage and family can also generate differences in transition pathways between women and men. Two key impressions emerge from this review: how much we know and how little has changed. Female inequality, whether in reference to participation in mathematics and science, different fields of study at post-secondary institutions, employment status, family responsibilities in relation to work, or the income earnings gap, has been remarkably stable over time in the research literature. However, the accounts of persistent stability mask the educational and occupational, and earnings outcomes for certain groups. The least advantaged continue to be female lone parents and low income families. Several recommendations for further research emerge from the studies reviewed in this paper. Further research is needed, especially using longitudinal research designs, to document changes in attitudes, course selection, post-secondary field chosen and eventual occupational attainment. In addition, policies for access to and participation in education and labour market require monitoring. (Contains 17 figures and 5 footnotes.)

This report summarizes the Investigating Transfer Project, which provides an authentic reflection of students' transfer experiences in British Columbia. The majority of interviewees in Phase 1 of the project, who had transferred from community college to university, reported that they commenced their studies at a community college with the intention to transfer to a university. For some, difficulties occurred in trying to work out an acceptable schedule that satisfied the necessary transfer requirements, determining whether the information was current, and trying to understand what the information meant. Overall, however, most students satisfactorily transferred most or all of their credits. The decline in grade point average (GPA) after transfer was the most significant issue, the one that consistently caused students the most anxiety. Phase 2 offers insight into the perceptions of students who had not yet transferred from community college. Most students in this study appeared to employ a very unfocussed approach to transfer. Student participants in Phase 1 and Phase 2 offered three similar recommendations to improve transfer policies and practices: development of a user friendly Transfer Handbook for Students; written explanation from the receiving institution for each course that was not fully transferable; and mandatory advising for all students intending to transfer. (JA)

This report describes the findings from interviews and a focus group of 37 Douglas College (British Columbia) students who had transferred from community colleges. It sought to determine the nature of transfer; portray experiences surrounding the transfer process; document difficulties and successes encountered before, during, and after transfer; highlight advantages and disadvantages of transfer; and offer recommendations for improving the transfer process. Most interviewees reported that they commenced their studies at a community college with the intention to transfer to a university. Respondents gave a number of reasons for commencing their post-secondary studies at a community college and then transferring to a university, rather than entering a university directly. Students were usually very attentive to the question of transferability. For the majority of students interviewed, the mechanics of the transfer process did not present an overwhelming source of distress. Of all the issues associated with transfer, the decline in grade point average after transfer was the most significant and the one that consistently caused students the most anxiety. The key disadvantages involved adapting to two different institutions and the extra demands placed on transfer students that were not expected of students who commenced their studies at university. The paper includes the interview coding scheme. (Contains 10 references.) (VWC)

The paper discusses retention models for the nontraditional student population, including transfer students, older adult learners, commuters, part-time students, graduate students, women, students with disabilities, and ethnic minorities. Since 1975, leading research in the field of postsecondary student retention has been grounded on Tinto's (1975) argument that the student-institution "fit," or the students' social and academic integration into the institution, is a good predictor of dropout or persistence. Other models of student retention focus on student involvement and the institution's responsibility to promote student retention. In the 1980s, attrition models were modified to address some of the shortcomings of previous schema. Similar to traditional student models, most models that try to predict non-traditional student retention are concerned with student-institution "fit." Benjamin's "Quality of Student Life" model, however, focuses on conceptualizing satisfaction as a multidimensional construct involving the interaction among personal, interpersonal, social and contextual factors and/or processes. It attempts to grapple with the complex and dynamic nature of students within postsecondary systems, and recognizes that competing demands of parents, friends, romantic partners, employers, and others, as well as financial and health problems, can influence students' coping abilities and life decisions. Discussed are the challenges faced by particular groups of non-traditional students, and the factors that affect the attrition rates of these students. Contains 164 references and 18 figures. (JA)

For this study, 47 students who had transferred from a community college were interviewed in an attempt to: determine the nature of their transfer; portray experiences surrounding the transfer process; document difficulties and successes encountered before, during, and after transfer; highlight advantages and disadvantages of transfer; and offer recommendations for improving the transfer process. Most interviewees reported that they commenced their studies at a community college with the intention to transfer to a university. Respondents gave a number of reasons for commencing their postsecondary studies at a community college first and then transferring to university, rather than entering university directly. Students were usually very attentive to the question of transferability. For the majority of students interviewed, the mechanics of the transfer process did not present an overwhelming source of distress. Of all the issues associated with transfer, the decline in grade point average after transfer was the most significant and the one that consistently caused students the most anxiety. The key disadvantages involved adapting to two different institutions and the extra demands placed on transfer students that were not expected of students who commenced their studies at the university. The report concludes with a list of recommendations for improving the transfer process. The report also includes interview questions used in the study, tables of sample bias, and the interview coding scheme in the appendices. (Contains 18 references.) (VWC)

This study examined the first-year postsecondary experiences of students through an action research project with small groups of students at three postsecondary institutions (one community college, one university college, and one university). The paper reviews the action research design method and highlights its utility in analyzing the effects of institutional policies, resources, and strategies that facilitated or constrained student success. In the spirit of action research, each student was encouraged to keep a weekly journal to help him/her reflect on dilemmas. Common issues were discussed in weekly or bi-weekly focus groups where students participated in seeking solutions, offering alternatives, and confirming current strategies. The paper presents data generated from focus groups with students and interviews with personnel at each of the three institutions in this study. The report finds that, despite having in place comprehensive programs and services to assist students with their first year, students at all institutions were either reluctant or unable to access those resources. Second, given the availability of resources, personnel at all institutions assumed students could and would make use of them, even though this was often not so. Finally, the overwhelming feeling experienced by students in all focus groups was one of powerlessness and isolation. The paper concludes with recommendations for practice, policy, and further research. (Contains 54 references.) (VWC)

In this paper, we examine the nature and extent of participation of Canadian young women and men in science-based academic fields. Informed by Bourdieu's theory of cultural reproduction, we focus on three key stages--senior secondary school, the transition to post-secondary studies, and the post-secondary completion stage--to determine whether and how the interrelationships of gender, cultural capital, course completion in senior secondary school, timing of decisions, and initial participation in post-secondary education lead to the completion of science-related undergraduate degrees. Through correspondence analyses of 10 years of longitudinal data with 1,055 respondents, we extend the findings of cross-sectional studies that examine only one aspect of this longitudinal story by showing how the intersection between organisational structures (institutional and disciplinary) and cultural capital transmitted by the family shapes the opportunity structures of access to scientific fields of study by young women and men. (Contains 1 table, 4 figures, and 3 notes.)