Bridge for Digital Youth

The Bridge for Digital Youth (BDY) research project is an evaluative research study aimed at identifying the potential benefits and limitations of mobile-based learning for newcomer youth between 18 to 30 years old. Through findings from mixed methods research, the research team will evaluate a pilot program that is being offered to newcomers who are seeking to advance their digital marketing skills.

Project Information

What is the BDY research project?

The BDY research project is the research component of the BDY program, a pilot program currently being offered at The Immigrant Education Society (TIES) in partnership with local digital marketing agency Evans Hunt. This free,13-week employment training course is offered to newcomer youth who are interested in digital marketing, online business, or other related career goals. The program is hosted entirely on participants’ smartphones and trains participants with industry-relevant skills during classes and provides them with experience during their practicum placement. As part of TIES’ assessment of mobile-based learning’s role in making employment training more accessible, sustainable, and useful for newcomer youth, we will make program recommendations based on findings from BDY research.

What are the aims of BDY research?

BDY research aims to:

• Address potential barriers for newcomer youth through a mobile-based learning curriculum.

Why is this important?

Newcomer youth may experience barriers to accessing vocational training such as demanding work schedules, family commitments, and high-cost technology requirements. The BDY project was developed to bridge a gap between newcomer youth and opportunities for upward socioeconomic mobility in an increasingly digital economy. Digital marketing is a growing field, and this program is designed to prepare participants with the skills to find work in marketing, mobile technology, design, and online business. A key component of the BDY project is the accessibility of the classes, as the only technological requirements for participants are reliable access to the internet and a smartphone. There are many potential advantages of this training program, so the BDY research will evaluate the training program, its sustainability and feasibility as a mobile-based course.

Research Overview

Methods

The pilot program is offered to newcomer youth in three 12-week cohorts, and we will use the following methods to complete our evaluation.

• Distribute pre-program surveys to registrants to assess their existing Canadian labour market knowledge, access to mobile technologies, and anticipated learning outcomes.
• Distribute post-program surveys to registrants to assess their overall program experience, including the mobile-based platform used throughout the program.
• Conduct a series of post-mortem, semi-structured interviews and focus groups with instructors, program coordinators, and students from each cohort to gather in-depth perspectives on their experience in BDY.
• Following data collection and analysis, make recommendations to enhance the program’s accessibility, feasibility and sustainability for future cohorts.

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