CURRENT PRIORITIES

BCAPI, through the volunteer efforts of its leaders, is involved in a wide variety of initiatives, programs, and organizations throughout the region. Notwithstanding these efforts, our three most significant current priorities are: the When Children Succeed project, Strengthening the Pathways to Youth Employment, and the Community Hubs project.

When Children Succeed, K-2 project   

  • When Children Succeed builds from a successful pilot that ran from 2001-2011 at Prince Charles School, an elementary school serving a neighbourhood with an 85% child poverty rate.

    Adding three additional teachers to address the children’s learning needs resulted in a significant increase in student achievement. Standardized tests by Grade 7 jumped by 106 per cent in writing and 121 per cent in reading from 2006 to 2011. The high school graduation rate for the neighbourhood students has risen - from 41% (2011) to 75% (2017).

    In 2018, in partnership with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Anglophone School District – South, and the Government of New Brunswick through the Living Saint John Social Innovation Fund, the School District and BCAPI launched When Children Succeed – a multi-year demonstration project designed to help K-2 students in seven elementary schools serving the city’s poorest neighbourhoods succeed in school, paving the way for New Brunswick to improve education outcomes.

  • Low socio-economic-status children, particularly those who live in low socio-economic-status neighbourhoods, often arrive at Kindergarten up to 1.5 years behind their more fortunate peers. The When Children Succeed project aims to close this achievement gap by Grade 3.

  • Research shows that a significant percentage of low socio-economic-status children enter kindergarten 1-2 years behind, cannot read proficiently by grade 4, and enter grade 12 four years behind their peers.

  • Participating Schools + their neighbourhood Childhood Poverty Rate (Stats Canada 2016)

    • Hazen White St. Francis – 94.2%

    • Saint John the Baptist King Edward – 65.9%

    • Prince Charles – 64.9%

    • Centennial – 58.0%

    • Princess Elizabeth - 49.8%

    • Glen Falls – 44.0%

    • Seaside Park - 32.6%

  • The seven participating elementary schools were provided three additional teachers, as well as a dedicated Speech Language Pathologist to help students master the basic Early Literacy and Numeracy skills that are essential for the higher grades.

    Schools were allowed to deploy the teacher resources as they wished, which meant some schools implemented co-teaching models in these early grades, and some schools were able to significantly lower the class size. In either scenario, the extra resources allowed teachers to spend more individualized time with each student.

    Key project strategies include:

    1. Provide K-2 students with intensive individualized supports to acquire basic skills and a strong foundation leading to progressive education success.

    2. Equip schools with additional educators and professional resources to help the students catch up to their peer group and meet education benchmarks by Grade 3.

    3. Strengthen the students’ social skills and academic skills, particularly oral language, literacy, and numeracy.

    4. Engage parents, build trust, and involve them in their child’s education success.

    5. Apply best teaching practices and evaluation methods (quantitative and qualitative).

    6. Help staff work as a team to continuously learn from the project (and one another) and improve student outcomes.

  • Project reports and detailed results can be found on our RESOURCES page.

  • BCAPI is a project partner. Our role is to advocate for project funding, work with our ASD-S and school partners on data collection and reporting, to manage stakeholder relations, and to problem-solve/remove roadblocks along the way.

  • The project costs $1.5 million per year.

    The first three complete years of the project were funded in the following proportions:

    $1.5 million – Government of New Brunswick/Department of Education and Early Childhood Development

    $1.5 million – Anglophone School District – South

    $1.5 million – BCAPI fundraising (individuals, businesses and foundations)

    The 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 school years were funded as follows:

    $3.0 million – Department of Post-Secondary Education and Training

  • The When Children Succeed project is proving to be a model for success that can be adopted not only for Saint John but also throughout New Brunswick to improve outcomes for many more children.

    We are working closely with our government and education partners to secure ongoing funding for this initiative.

BCAPI’s Youth Employment Working Group

  • BCAPI engaged Deloitte to complete a 2021 poverty study for Saint John. The findings, in part, showed:

    • High rates of youth unemployment, compared to other age groups

    • 1 in 7 youth, 18 to 24 years, were NEET (not in education, training, or employment).

    • NEET Youth are at risk of lifetime poverty.

    (find the full Deloitte study here).

    The proportion of young people aged 15-29 who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) has been closely followed by governments for 20 years. It is used to measure social exclusion, economic inactivity, and levels of disengagement from labour markets. Young people who are not in employment or education may be experiencing difficulties making the transition from school to the labour market and could also be at a higher risk for long-term economic and social difficulties.

    Furthermore, NEET youth are not easy to reach. They are more likely to have poorer self-reported physical and mental health, and higher levels of disengagement. Lack of employment prospects can create feelings of social exclusion and can contribute to anti-social behaviors such as crime.

    BCAPI determined that strengthening the employment pathways for youth, particularly disadvantaged youth, must become a priority.

    The report’s recommendations included:

    • Working with organizations to scale up programs that attach at-risk youth to the workforce

    • Achieve an expanded commitment from the larger community to support, train and hire the youth.

  • BCAPI formed a working group to better understand the data and build a course of action to strengthen youth employment pathways in Greater Saint John.

    Members of the Youth Employment Working Group initiated a pilot project in 2023 – A NEET Youth Full Stack Boot Camp – to provide a direct pathway into the tech industry.

    See their first year’s report here.

    1. Build knowledge of youth employment opportunities, barriers, gaps, in our region.

    2. Understand the support mechanisms in place today to assist vulnerable youth who are currently in high school and youth, 18 to 24 years who are NEET.

    3. Build recommendations for next steps.

      4. Discuss findings and recommendations with the BCAPI Leadership and key stakeholders in Greater Saint John.

    4. Help implement next steps.

  • The Working Group Members

    Jim Quinn & Patrick Oland - Co-Chairs

    Rob Belliveau

    Mary Butler

    Melanie Dowd-Martell

    Paulette Hicks

    Derek Oland

    Cathy Simpson

    Rodney Weston

    Peter Wilson

    Monica Chaperlin

    The BCAPI Youth Employment Working Group invited presentations from education and employment leaders who helped us better understand the current situation, what organizations were involved, and how youth were being connected to skilling opportunities and jobs. We learned from:

    Saint John Learning Exchange - Christina Fowler, ED

    GNB, Education & Early Childhood Development - Beth Henderson, Sherry Dumont

    GNB, PETL, Apprenticeships - Mike Barnett

    Military - Captain Adair Howe

    GNB, Social Development - Eric Beaulieu, Sue Haley

    Port Saint John - Al Bodechon

    New Brunswick Community College - Jamie Watson

    The members of the Working Group and others

    • The committee undertook a discovery phase where organizations working with GSJ youth came and presented data and information about NEET youth and youth who are at risk of NEET; the challenges they face, the support systems in place and the linkages to skills training and jobs and how our community can help prevent and reduce NEET.

    • After gathering this information and reviewing related literature, the working committee workshopped key learnings and proposed next steps.

  • Youth, aged 15 to 24, who are not in education, employment or training (NEET):

    In Canada:

    • 1 in 11 Youth are NEET

    In Saint John:

    • 1 in 7 Youth are NEET

    • 1,100 in the City of Saint John

    • 1,400 (Saint John, Rothesay and Quispamsis)

    What we learned: Youth (in high school)

    • Most high school youth are unaware of the breadth of employment opportunities and pathways

    • Too many students, particularly from low-income households, graduate from high school unprepared for continuing education and/or employment.

    What we learned - NEET Youth (18-24 years of age)

    • NEET Youth are disproportionately from households in the lowest income quintile. Once the youth leave high school, it is difficult to find them. The Dept of Social Development can track those who receive Social Assistance.

    • Youth, generally, do not seek out employment services to help them. They respond directly to job ads.

    • Among provinces, NB has the lowest % of youth, 20 to 29 years, in school (NBCC report)

    • Notable programs for NEET Youth: SJ Learning Exchange (UYES – Urban Youth Employment/Education Service) , YMCA (Newcomer Connections), ONE Change (ONE Future), NBCC (Essential Skills Pathway pilot), First Steps.

    • Youth who live in poverty often require help addressing multiple barriers to employment – entrenched poverty beliefs; lacking income for basic needs (housing, nutrition, childcare, transportation, IT tools, etc.); lacking a high school diploma; health issues, eg) addictions, mental health, chronic conditions; lacking essential skills for the workplace; affording post-secondary education/training; understanding employment options and pathways.

    • The most effective education/employment services provide comprehensive help.

    What we learned - Employers

    • Employers are having great difficulty finding workers with the skills they need

    • There are many job vacancies, in our region, particularly in some sectors

    • We lack specific information about the job opportunities for entry positions, in our region

    • Most employers are unprepared for the future of work

    • There are multiple apprenticeship opportunities, yet employers and youth are not connecting in sufficient numbers. (In NB, 72.7% of jobs do not require a university degree but may require college/apprenticeship paths)

    • The youth unemployment rate in NB is persistently and significantly above both the national rate and other age groups, yet, it appears:

    • Few employers are actively recruiting youth

    • Few employers are actively training youth for entry jobs

    What we learned - Parents and educators

    • Parents and educators are not aware of the breadth of employment opportunities and pathways, in our region

    • There are employment resources in the community, i.e. Work Rooms, and online tools. However, there are few connectors helping our young people navigate through the possibilities, gain awareness and experience, and find their path.

    • There are some new initiatives under development, such as NBCC’s - Every New Brunswicker – the concept aims to provide skills evaluation for free + the employment opportunities that are available.

    What the Working Committee learned

    • We lack data on the job market in our region overall and particularly for entry level positions

    • Employers are struggling with the decline in eligible candidates but aren’t ready or equipped to train youth for these positions. They also may not be aware of youth unemployment.

    • We must increase our understanding about the future of work and the skills required.

    • Youth unemployment problem and the long-term consequences needs a higher profile in the region

    • There are local initiatives underway to assist youth, but co-ordination may be a problem between youth and employers

    • This problem is complicated, and more stakeholders need to understand the complexity and drive solutions together. This is a great problem to work on together

  • To leverage the business community to improve youth employment rates by understanding the barriers for youth who are at risk of NEET and helping to strengthen their pathways to the workforce.

    Helping to scale-up current programs that are demonstrating success, like PALS En Route To Success and UYES!.

    One of BCAPI’s main roles is to leverage ‘collective vision and action’ by business, education, social development, and employment service leaders to test and adopt new approaches that strengthen the pathways to employment for Youth, particularly youth who are at risk.

  • Working Group Goals:

    • Greater Saint John becomes a recognized leader in improving youth employment opportunities, growing the population, and achieving economic growth.

    • Establish coordinated leadership among the ecosystem partners to strengthen youth pathways to employment.

    • Prevent and reduce the number of youth in poverty who are NEET or at-risk of NEET, through employment.

    • Engage employers, educators, human service providers (gov’t + community) and youth in the solutions.

Community Hubs

  • In December of 2022, the Provincial Government announced funding within the capital budget for two new schools in Saint John for the Central Peninsula and North End neighbourhoods.

    The new school in the Central Peninsula is planned to replace two existing schools: St. John the Baptist/King Edward and Prince Charles schools. The new school will serve children from kindergarten to grade eight.

    The new school in the North End is planned to replace two existing schools: Hazen White-St. Francis and Centennial schools. The new school will serve children from kindergarten to grade five.

    In recent years, schools in both communities have adopted an integrated, community hub model which brings additional early learning, after school, parenting support and poverty reduction programming into the schools. This unique approach is critical for these neighbourhoods, where poverty rates well exceed provincial averages, with the low-income measure, after tax in the north and south ends is 48.8 percent and 49.9 percent, respectively, compared to the provincial average of 15.9%.

    The Community Hub model drives social inclusion, poverty reduction and economic growth in the community. It serves families who have lived in these neighbourhoods for generations and helps to attract new families to the area.

    Where the community hub model for the Central Peninsula includes community centre space, assumptions for the North end school do not include a community centre, as the area is well-served by programming at other facilities.

    An analysis of the Community Hub model was completed by Ernst & Young in 2018 which estimated that investments in this model in the Central Peninsula would generate social services savings in the magnitude of $16 Million to $32 Million. It is expected that similar results would be realized in the North End.

  • While the government has agreed to fund the Community Hub for the city’s new South End school, funding for the North End school still has not been secured. The North End school operates in a neighbourhood with extremely high and concentrated rates of poverty, and with a massive influx of newcomer families.

    These Community Hubs are open 7 days a week, and all summer long to support their vulnerable neighbourhood populations. They are typically within walking distance for families who live in these neighbourhoods, and are a trusted source of wrap-around support services from not-for-profit community organizations, health care professionals and visiting specialists. It includes programming spaces and storage rooms for used clothing and non-perishable food items.

    The Hubs are also fully integrated into the schools, and host early morning, lunch, and afterschool/evening programs. The South End Hub hosts evenings with the Boys and Girls Club, who run a mentoring program, and also includes the Night Centre - where older kids can go and use the gym in the evening.

    Eventually, these families and children begin to see the Community Hub, and by extension the school as a whole, as a safe space. This positive relationship generates improved outcomes with respect to education, health, wellbeing, and employment, that will benefit these families for the rest of their lives.

    Simply put, Community Hubs are not just a benefit— they’re a lifeline for these children and their families.

  • BCAPI is a project partner. Our role is to advocate for project funding, work with our ASD-S and school partners on data collection and reporting, to manage stakeholder relations, and to problem-solve/remove roadblocks along the way.

  • $14M for both schools to accommodate for population growth.

    The Province of New Brunswick does not typically fund additional space for the type of programming and services that comprise the community hub model.

    While funding for the South End Hub has been secured with some effort, Provincial staff (EECD and DTI) has made it clear that the North End Hub is not within their approved budget.

    Given the City has been experiencing unprecedented population growth in recent years, especially in the North End and Crescent Valley area, it is crucial that this school offers a community space like the Hub, and that it is sized accordingly for our growing community.

  • The next step is to advocate for funding for the North End school.