K is an 18-year-old recent high school graduate who is moving from her small hometown to a large city to find work and explore career opportunities. She feels unprepared for independent adult life and is overwhelmed by the responsibilities of supporting herself. K wishes her high school had provided more career exploration opportunities and guidance on basic life skills to help with her transition. She is taking steps like updating her resume and contacting people in her new city to facilitate the move and job search.

1. Design Challenge: Redesign the
School-to-Work Transition
Empathize and Define
From High School to ????

2. Stakeholder
• K is an 18 year old recent high school graduate
living in a small community (20,000 pop.). She
is academically and athletically gifted. Her
family has limited financial means. She is
searching to find what excites and moves her
so that she can decide on a career path.
• She has decided to leave her hometown to
find work in a large city. She is leaving in
10 days.

3. • Moving from strict schedule – everyday going to school 5 days a week to not
having to anymore. For me a dramatic change. I like it I really do.
• Excited for it but it is also a scary adventure for people my age
• The responsibility and independence scares me – feeling like now that I go off and
do my own thing, get my own place and have to support myself – I keep saying it
over and over it is a big change.
• The scariest part is failing – the pressure for me knowing that my family does not
have a lot so knowing no matter what I have to succeed – a lot of pressure.
• Wished I had talked more to my counselors – would have helped – I didn’t connect
to school at all and always felt the school didn’t care and always all they talk about
is going to university right away. They don’t have any discussions with kids that are
not going to school
• I know that mentally and financially not ready for school – don’t know what I want
to pursue – don’t know what I am interested in. School is expensive and I don’t
have the money. I want to be sure that I am not wasting money going to school.
There were no opportunities in school to find out if I would like to do certain
things.
• The teachers and counselors, the only thing they focused on in school was going
on to school. They try to make it sound like it is okay to not go to school but there
is no support behind it really. When I talked about not going to school right away
with my peers and teachers and stuff, they were like that sounds like a great idea
but it didn’t feel supportive - felt like I was failing because I wasn’t going to school
right away. I know inside it is the right decision
Say

4. • They have all these seminars and things for going on to university but I wish that there were people
to talk to about life – about how do you pay your bills and how do you do these simple things that
people like myself have never been taught. The little things like that and even if you do go to
school you still need to know these things. They have grade 10 planning – nobody pays attention –
should have something, doesn’t have to be a class, but anything to talk to us about life and how to
go about it.
• It is a scary thing whether you go to school or not – the little things like how do you go about
finding an apartment, eventually finding a job – wasn’t support in that area – I wish there was – a
class or a support teacher that could talk to you
• In preparing to look for a job I have taken out my piercings as I want to look professional; updated
my resume; quit my job in town. My boss here supports me cause they know I don’t want to stay
in town
• I want to gain new experiences, do new things, gain new skills in a different work place because I
don’t think I can do it here. The only thing available here is basically fast food or restaurants jobs –
good job for a youth but I want to start to get into a more professional field and eventually go to
school. No opportunity here – so I want to go out into the world and to see what there is to see
and hopefully discover what I am interested in and find out what I do and don’t like
• I am passionate about helping people in many ways – looking now at maybe taking a paramedic
course to have something under my belt – one thing to start with. I don’t want to do it for my
career because I want to do more. I might not like it but decided to start with
• Passionate about seeing the world and stuff – what I am confused about – how do I do that through
good career opportunities
• Going out and doing things and learning things – never know if I don’t try – that’s my main reason
for leaving - along my path I don’t know what it is yet but something might happen to me might
actually find something I really like and gain experience and find out more about myself and shape
my future more. Don’t feel I can do that here.
More
to say

5. • I have a lot of questions in my mind and I don’t know who to ask. I
don’t want to appear stupid and sometimes I don’t even know what
questions to ask. At times I am overwhelmed with fear and doubt.
I don’t want to be so afraid that I can’t move forward.
• It takes courage but I have always wanted to do – always been very
independent. I love to succeed. I just want people to be proud of
me so decided to just do it and hopefully be happier
• A huge support for me has been my mom who played a big role in
my decision. She just tells me about her past experiences and lately
since I’ve grown up more I’ve started listening to her and taking her
advice and recognition.
• The China trip was huge as it opened my eyes that it was okay that I
didn’t know what I wanted to do yet – strong conversations have
really pushed me in the right direction.
• I am finding out that I need better critical thinking and problem
solving skills. We talked a lot about this on our trip to China. I
didn’t learn any of this in school.
And
more

6. Do
• Preparation for Job Search
– taken out body piercings
– updated her resume
– internet search
– called people who live in the new community to
discuss opportunities
• Preparation for Move
– quit her job; reference from current employer
– developed a “Moving Binder” – has lists of questions,
concerns, information
– apartment hunting – internet search, set up viewings

8. Insights
• Apparent lack of support in high school for youth
who are not ready to go on to post secondary
education.
• Perceived lack of opportunities to experience
different careers/activities in a small community
• Limited knowledge about basic life skills
• Awareness of the financial burden associated
with post secondary education and the desire to
make informed decisions based on lived
experience.

9. Problem Statement
The Stakeholder:
K an 18 year old recent high school graduate who is both academically
and athletically gifted. She comes from a family with limited means.
She is moving to a larger city to seek employment.
Needs a way to:
Successfully experience living in a large city and seek out a variety of
opportunities so that she can discover her interests
Because:
She believes that discovering her interests will lead her to an
appropriate education/career path.