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Articles

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2016)

Building Futures: Career and Community Development in Small New Brunswick Towns

Submitted
October 7, 2016
Published
2016-10-05

Abstract

Communities in New Brunswick are facing the reality of shrinking populations and outward migration. As post-industrial economies develop in Canada, a clear shift in geography is taking place: young people are leaving small communities in New Brunswick to live in larger urban centres. This study of two secondary schools explores the possibilities for career development and community sustainability in this environment. The two communities examined in the study differ in their geography. Bathurst is in the economically depressed north of New Brunswick, while Sackville is in the expanding southern region near Moncton. Sackville also has a clear connection to knowledge work, as it is a university town. This study examines how youth in New Brunswick navigate their career development with respect to their family and community and asks whether knowledge/creative work can help to sustain small Maritime communities. The findings, based on interviews with teachers and focus groups with students, indicate that young people have a clear desire to stay in the province; however, students and teachers also realize that the possibilities for career development in their respective communities are limited and the reality of outward migration looms in the future for many young people.