Co-creating support networks to assist adolescents that have been made vulnerable with their transition from secondary school to the world of work

D.Ed. (Educational Psychology)Abstract: This study focussed on identifying the lived experiences and needs of adolescents that have been made vulnerable during their transition from secondary school to the world of work/tertiary education. This was done in order to ascertain how support networks could be co-created to assist these vulnerable adolescents with their transition. The ultimate aim of the study was to use the information gathered to develop a secondary school transition toolkit to assist educators and other professionals to co-create support networks for adolescents that have been made vulnerable within their specific contexts. As this study set out to gain in-depth data regarding the lived experienced of adolescents that have been made vulnerable, a phenomenological study was conducted within a constructivist/interpretive theoretical framework, utilising the eco-systemic perspective. This study was conducted with five orphaned and adolescents that have been made vulnerable in the context of one children’s’ home and three secondary schools within the Gauteng area. Data gathering was done over an eighteen-month period using qualitative methods. These methods included in-depth interviews, a focus group interview, narrative career guidance techniques and collages. The data analysis process was conducted using Atlas.ti software. In-depth content analysis was conducted incorporating qualitative data analysis techniques, such as coding, categorising and identifying themes. As this study was conducted with vulnerable adolescents, ethical considerations were deemed very important, and adhered to as closely as possible. This study identified ten major themes and eight sub-themes. From the findings it is evident that adolescents that have been made vulnerable experience emotional trauma, poverty, stigma and academic challenges, which, if not addressed, could hamper their ability to access tertiary education and employment. A great need for a comprehensive career guidance and transition support toolkit to assist adolescents that have been made vulnerable with their transition from secondary school was identified. The conclusions of this study are that adolescents that have been made vulnerable have great resilience and potential that can be unlocked, if they are given adequate support. A transition toolkit, containing seven booklets, was developed for educators..