University students who had been preparing to hit the job market are now caught in the uncertainty of a tanking economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
While Blaine Higgs’ government and individual universities have announced one-time payments available for students, there has yet to be a longer-term solution proposed for upcoming grads entering the workforce.
KJ Conyers-Steede is the Executive Director for the New Brunswick Student Alliance, and he believes it’s time governments announce more comprehensive support for students.
“Two months ago in New Brunswick, we were talking about youth retention, and keeping people here,” Conyers-Steede said. “This is a perfect opportunity to really lean in to how we can support our young people.”
“If I’m being frank, we haven’t seen support for our young people within this province.”
On Monday, Prime Minister Trudeau said the federal government is looking to expand their emergency benefit package to better support students, though they have yet to announce specifics.
Conyers-Steede believes students are stressed by the lack of clarity around funding options and not knowing whether they will be able to support themselves after graduation.
“A lot of students are having anxiety about what is going to happen in the next few months,” said Conyers-Steede. “‘With this degree I have, how am I going to get a job? How am I going to live? How am I going to pay my rent?’”
The NBSA is recommending students look to their individual schools first for advice on accessing funding. Many schools are putting together information for their student bodies.
For students who are unable to find clear recommendations from their school, Conyers-Steede encourages them to next look to the NBSA for guidance.
“My concern is, students are paying a lot for this degree, they’re investing in something to better their lives,” he said. “There isn’t a clear direction of what we want our young people, our students, to go through throughout this COVID-19 crisis.”
While the economy struggles to rebound, students are faced with an untraditional and uncertain job market.
While finding a job is no easy task at the moment, Conyers-Steede says one way for students to stand out can be to showcase their skills online.
“A lot of students are utilizing the skillset they have, and developing a website online, using social media to showcase they have skills to utilize,” he said.
With no certain end-date for the pandemic, the NBSA is hopeful that this situation helps policy-makers see areas that can be fixed.
“We are doing our part to help organizations start talking about what is the future of post-secondary education,” said Conyers-Steede. “And how this pandemic has really shown the cracks in the system that really need to be fixed.”
