Thursday 23 July 11:25
- 12:55
Hall: 28 - Room 6 SPT
Chair and Presenter:
Abkhezr Peyman
Discussant:
Mcmahon Mary
Division: Division 16: Counseling Psychology
Worldwide, migrant and refugee communities encounter systemic barriers to education and workforce transition in post-resettlement contexts, disrupting opportunities for career development. This symposium offers a range of international perspectives on innovative practice and research approaches aimed at supporting diverse migrant communities through critical transitions into education and the workforce. Cycling through entry-level jobs and precarious work traps migrants in welfare dependence, undermining well-being, limiting inclusion and integration, and squandering potential and economic growth. Smooth labour market integration enables migrants to convert their skills into sustainable employment, increasing independence, dignity, and agency while fostering social and civic contributions, bringing stability and purpose to their lives, supporting career development, and contributing positively to host economies. However, supporting migrants and refugees to navigate work-life transitions is context-bound and requires culturally and contextually relevant strategies.
The symposium focuses on practical career psychology and counselling innovations that promote diverse migrants' agency, social participation and partnership, leading to more sustainable employability outcomes in different country contexts. Presentations will explore research-informed, qualitative approaches that illuminate the emotional, relational, gendered, and temporal dimensions of migrant and refugee career development, moving beyond individualised framings toward relational and systemic understandings of career transitions. Through creative and participatory methods, they show how culturally and contextually responsive strategies can reframe challenges, foster agency, and support transitions into education and employment aligned with family and social commitments. These initiatives are grounded in culturally and contextually responsive strategies that address the complex realities of navigating higher education and the labour market within contexts often unfamiliar and culturally alienating. By drawing on diverse regional and national perspectives, the symposium highlights shared challenges and localised solutions that promote inclusion and social justice, ultimately contributing to more equitable policies. Attendees will gain comparative insights, ethically grounded strategies, and practical tools for empowering migrant communities.
