Monday April 16, 2012
9:00am

Urban and Inner-City Studies
North End Campus, 527 Selkirk Ave
(to get in please press the buzzer outside the building)

The Effectiveness of Neo-Liberal Labour Market Policy as a Response to the Poverty and Social Exclusion of Aboriginal Second-Chance Learners

by Shauna MacKinnon

For many Aboriginal people, the colonial experience has left a legacy of destruction that all too often makes the journey through life extremely complicated. Labour market policies can help to address poverty and exclusion. Yet the research described in this presentation shows that in a neo-liberal political economy, labour market policies have become limited in scope, focusing almost solely on supply-side solutions. For Aboriginal adults, this has meant support for short-term training programs aimed at preparing them for jobs determined by the market

Some programs, however, have adapted to the neo-liberal environment to better serve their students. The research described in this talk provides insight into the experiences of students who have participated in these programs. This leads to some concluding thoughts on what can be done to further improve outcomes for Aboriginal second-chance learners.