Trades-Related Post-Secondary Educational Attainment among Immigrant and Canadian-Born Young Adults in Alberta

Authors

  • Parvinder Kaur Hira-Friesen University of Calgary Department of Sociology
  • Michael Haan University of New Brunswick
  • Harvey Krahn University of Alberta

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11575/ajer.v59i1.55644

Keywords:

Immigrant Youth, Skilled Trades, Post-secondary Education, School to Work Transition, Parental Encouragement

Abstract

This paper examines trades-related and university educational attainment (by age 25) of immigrant and Canadian-born Alberta youth while controlling for gender, family socio-economic status, high school grades, and parental encouragement regarding higher education. Data from the longitudinal Alberta School-Work Transitions Study (1996 – 2003) reveal significant differences between immigrants and non-immigrant young adults in terms of trades-related post-secondary education (PSE). Multinomial logit analysis shows that Alberta immigrant youth are significantly more likely than their Canadian-born counterparts to attain trades-related PSE credentials by age 25. Important factors explaining these differences include parental encouragement and high school grades.

Cet article porte sur les réalisations relatives aux métiers et à l’éducation universitaire avant l’âge de 25 ans chez de jeunes immigrants d’une part et de jeunes albertains nés au Canada d’autre part. L’étude tient compte du sexe, du statut socioéconomique de la famille, des notes au secondaire et de l’appui parental en ce qui touche l’enseignement supérieur. Les données provenant d’une étude longitudinale albertaine portant sur le passage de l’école au travail (Alberta School-Work Transitions Study 1996 – 2003) révèlent des différences significatives entre les jeunes adultes immigrants et non-immigrants quant à l’éducation postsecondaire associée aux métiers. Une analyse logit multinomiale démontre que les jeunes albertains immigrants sont nettement plus susceptibles que leurs homologues nés au Canada à obtenir un diplôme d’éducation postsecondaire associée aux métiers avant l’âge de 25 ans. Parmi les facteurs importants qui expliquent ces différences notons l’appui parental et les notes au secondaire.

Author Biographies

Parvinder Kaur Hira-Friesen, University of Calgary Department of Sociology

Parvinder Hira-Friesen is a doctoral candidate at the University of Calgary in the Department of Sociology. She has a BSc in Physics/Math and MA in Sociology from the University of Alberta. Her research includes social stratification, race and ethnicity, immigration and labour using advanced quantitative methods. She is currently examining Canadian immigrants and their participation in precarious work in the Canadian labour market using the Canadian Labour Force Survey.

Michael Haan, University of New Brunswick

Michael Haan is Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Population and Social Policy at the University of New Brunswick. He is also an honorary research associate at the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Labour at the University of Lethbridge and research affiliate at the Centre for Population Dynamics at McGill University. His research interests include immigration, internal migration, homeownership, and the Canadian Labour Market.

Harvey Krahn, University of Alberta

Harvey Krahn is Professor and Chair of Sociology at the University of Alberta. His teaching and research interests are in social inequality, sociology of work and education, immigration, environmental sociology, and quantitative research methods. He designed and directed the 1996–2003 Alberta School-Work Transitions Study.

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Published

2013-12-15

How to Cite

Hira-Friesen, P. K., Haan, M., & Krahn, H. (2013). Trades-Related Post-Secondary Educational Attainment among Immigrant and Canadian-Born Young Adults in Alberta. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 59(1), 29–44. https://doi.org/10.11575/ajer.v59i1.55644

Issue

Vol. 59 No. 1 (2013): Spring

Section

ARTICLES

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