Bridging Success: The Importance of Social Capital in Post-Secondary Vocational Education and Career Pathways for Young Adults with Prior System Involvement

Background and Purpose: Research shows that positive relationships can provide support and resources to help youth and young adults further their education and career goals and promote opportunities for social mobility. Post-secondary educational institutions are beginning to acknowledge the importance of social networks however accessing relationships is often left up to students. This can serve as a disadvantage to many students, in particular those with prior system-involvement (e.g., youth with experience in foster care, juvenile justice, and mental health systems) who may already lack critical supports. This study fills a gap in the literature by examining the role of social capital in youth and young adults with prior system involvement pursuing post-secondary vocational education (PSVE). In particular, we examined (1) what relationships do youth and young adults with prior system-involvement identify? (2) what resources do these relationships provide? and (3) how are students able to access and mobilize supportive relationships to advance their academic and career goals?

Methods: To examine students experiences with social capital, we conducted qualitative interviews at two time points with 16 youth and young adults formerly involved in state systems (child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health) who were currently enrolled in PSVE programs. Participants were recruited through student listservs at four community colleges in one state. Both the initial and follow-up interviews were held on Zoom, audio recorded, and transcribed verbatim. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis and focused on how participants availed themselves of opportunities and/or resolved challenges encountered in their PSVE program, and the relationships and resources that supported them.

Results: Participants identified various individuals in their social networks, including friends, co-workers, mentors, teachers, and caseworkers that provided them with both instrumental and emotional support. Participants also identified deficits in their social network, largely related to family members and professionals. Participants overwhelmingly identified positive relationships in educational institutions (e.g., high school, PSVE), with teachers, professors and administrative staff, as supporting them in applying to PSVE, providing academic and vocational support while in the program, and facilitating academic and career goals. Regarding support from state service systems, while some participants reported positive experiences, other participants provided examples where caseworkers or social workers acted as a deterrent to their academic and career goals.

Conclusions and Implications: Youth and young adults with previous system involvement enrolled in PSVE programs valued and actively sought out relationships, but did not always have access to essential academic or career information and support. Results show the importance of harnessing social capital as an equity imperative for any system committed to closing opportunity gaps. Implications include: 1) intentionally developing opportunities for system-involved youth to cultivate positive relationships while in care, 2) leveraging existing mechanisms at educational institutions such as community colleges to support youth in continuing to build social capital in relationships, and 3) enhancing the capacity of professionals to provide information and resources around various educational and career paths, including recognizing PSVE as an educational option for some youth.