Bridging the Divide: Using Career Exploration and Community-Engaged Learning to Propel Students into Successful Academic-to-Career Transitions

Post-secondary students invest a lot of time and money into their education, and many express concerns about how to turn their studies into meaningful careers once they graduate. We know that post-secondary degrees prepare students for multiple career paths (some that don’t even exist yet!,) but universities struggle to help students make the connection between their studies and the workforce. Meanwhile, students hear myths like “you can’t get a job with an Arts degree” or “you need a Master’s to be successful,” and despair of ever getting a “good” job.

This session will explore the relationship between academics and career development, and will then dive deeper into one point of connection: community-engaged learning (CEL), a powerful tool for fostering deeper connections between students, their education, local communities, and future career opportunities. We will draw from data on Saint Mary’s University student participation in community service learning, curricular micro-experiential learning, and co-curricular recognition opportunities to demonstrate that implementing diverse work-integrated learning strategies—beyond traditional co-op programs—effectively responds to student demand for learner-centered, inclusive, and career-relevant active learning methods.

Career exploration – supported by professionals – combined with CEL programs, helps Atlantic Canadian students bridge the gap between academic learning and the labour market, thereby contributing to student retention.

Learning Outcomes

• Recognize and challenge common myths that impact student self-awareness and academic decisions.
• Analyze student demand for experiential education, fostering skill development, civic engagement, and academic growth.
• Suggest inclusive and non-traditional academic strategies to improve student success, retention and involvement.