Effectiveness of a career intervention for empowerment of institutionalized youth

ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a brief and structured career adaptability intervention for institutionalized youth. The intervention included six weekly 90-min sessions. Participants were 22 youths aged 14–18 years (M_age = 15.09; SD = 1.269, 81.8% boys). Participants were divided in two groups: an experimental group (n = 16) and a control group (n = 6). Both groups completed the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale, the Positive Affect Scale and the Satisfaction with Life Scale in two occurrences of measurement (pre- and posttest). The experimental group completed the Session’s Self-Evaluation Questionnaire to evaluate the intervention process. Results indicated statistically significant differences between the groups. The experimental group improved in the majority of the career adaptability and affective dimensions. This group also presented a high effect size in most career adaptability dimensions (>.70) but a lower one in the affective dimensions (<.20). The process evaluation indicated few negative session comments. These results sustain the promising role of this intervention, which should continue to be further investigated. This study highlights the need to advance career research and practice with institutionalized youths.

KEYWORDS:

• Efficacy
• institutionalized youth
• intervention
• career

Acknowledgments

This study was conducted at the Psychology Research Centre (UID/PSI/01662/2013), University of Minho, supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education through national funds and cofinanced by FEDER through COMPETE2020 under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007653).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.​

Notes

1. The Portuguese compulsory educational system includes four cycles of study. The first cycle covers grades one through four (students aged 6–10). The second cycle of study includes fifth- and sixth-grade (students aged 10–12). The third cycle of study ranges from seventh- to ninth-grade (students aged 12–15). The fourth cycle of study is labeled ‘high school’ and includes grades 10–12 (students aged 15–18). During these cycles of study, students can be eligible to and benefit from Alternative Curriculum Plans. These plans are devoted to students who present learning difficulties, underachievement, risk of social exclusion and school dropout. The Portuguese government affords these students the possibility to complete the compulsory education through alternative curricula, which includes frequent practical activities, school educational/psychological support as well as opportunities to explore themselves (e.g. interests, values) and occupational options.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education [SFRH/BPD/64078/2009].