Parental Influence in Careers Education: Perspectives of Immigrant Parents and Careers Advisors in Aotearoa New Zealand

In the global context, immigrant youth face multifaceted challenges when transitioning from school to the workforce. These hurdles include language and cultural barriers, social exclusion, disengagement from education, local job market discrimination, and cultural detachment from their extended families and heritage. This study explores the careers education of immigrant students in Aotearoa New Zealand, from the viewpoints of parents and careers advisors, using the Systems Theory Framework (STF) for data analysis. Immigrant families in New Zealand, marked by cultural distinctions and limited knowledge of the local education system, impact their children's transitions significantly. This study offers insights into the complex dynamics of parental involvement in immigrant students' careers education. The findings may serve as information for educational institutions, careers advisors, and policymakers, guiding them in the development of inclusive and supportive environments for immigrant youth and their families. By mapping these interactions, STF reveals how macro-level racism (environmental-societal system) permeates micro-level career socialization (individual/family systems) a recursive relationship most career theories ignore. This aligns with critiques that Western models neglect oppressive structures while demonstrating STF’s utility in centering systemic inequities within career development research.