School/Work Balance Program in the Des Sources MRC

In recent years, a number of studies have shown that the school dropout problem is a major concern for Quebec society. The dropout situation in our region is worrisome. In fact, L'Escale high school in Asbestos has one of the highest dropout rates in the Estrie region, and young people who drop out of school often find themselves in a precarious situation. In 2008-2009, the school dropout rate was 24.1% in the Des Sources MRC (Quebec as a whole, 18.4%; Estrie, 21.3%).

In the Des Sources MRC (as in Quebec as a whole), the proportion of the population aged 20 and over with no diploma has increased over the past 10 years, from 27.2% in 1996 to 31.8% in 2006. The number of individuals obtaining a high school diploma has also declined. However, the trade school graduation rate has increased, from 7.3% in 1996 to 23.8% in 2006.

Target:

Specifically, the project seeks to:

• contact 35 employers from the Des Sources MRC and subsequently certify 25 that will commit to the School/Work Balance Program for the first year that the Program is implemented, and 20 new employers in the second year;
• provide support to certified employers to help them adapt to new labour force realities; 
• by the end of the two-year period, increasing the awareness among 300 francophone students and 200 anglophone students of the importance of balancing school and part-time work; 
• conduct a survey of students in high school, vocational training, and general adult education  during each school year to observe the evolution of and trends in school/work balance in the Des Sources MRC (report on the 2009 winter survey available upon request. The 2010 fall survey will be available in winter 2011.)