AI-enhanced self-discovery and career development for young adults

Principal Investigator: Nuša Fain, Entrepreneurship
Project Title: Unlocking You 2.0: Empowering Young Adults through AI-Enhanced Self-discovery and Career Development
Funder: SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant
Partner: Brazen & Co
Duration: 1 year

Recent technological advances have changed how we do business, interact, and socialize. These changes are particularly apparent in young adults, the “digital natives” described collectively as Gen Z. For these individuals, embracing technology for learning, communication, engagement, and entertainment has bolstered the desire for work that resonates with their respective passions and values; however, it has also corresponded to deficiencies in traditional social skills and limited insight about personal strengths. Put simply, new technologies have transformed the career expectations of and pathways available to young adults. Our educational systems have yet to adapt to these monumental shifts.

This research project aims at filling that gap. One strand of the project will involve the validation of Brazen & Co.’s unique Own Your Vibe framework, which aims at building the self-awareness of young adults while creating scaffolding for their career development. Another strand will focus on the development of a minimum viable product (MVP) – a gamified version of the Own Your Vibe framework – to support young people’s career transition endeavors.

Ultimately, this research will create new knowledge about young adults’ self-awareness, career choices, and integration with technology. Beyond its contributions to academic literature, this project will benefit young adults, who will have a new means of developing self-awareness and clarifying their career aspirations; career development counsellors, who will have a new tool in their arsenal; and the partner organization, who will have a new business model to enable and sustain future growth.