A
report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives made headlines in 2013 when it found that five years after the global economic crisis, Ontario was the worst province outside of Atlantic Canada for youth unemployment. Ontario's youth unemployment rate, the report found, was between 16 and 17.1 per cent, significantly higher than the average Canadian range of 13.5 to 14.5 per cent.
And while the outlook is slightly brighter, it's still a bleak job market for young Ontario graduates. It's not surprising then, that youth employment has become both a
provincial and
municipal election issue.
It's also an issue championed by a group of dedicated Centennial College students. Coming together under the banner "
Ready Aim Hire," a coalition of Centennial students recently rolled out a multi-platform campaign to bring a student voice into the pressing conversations.
The campaign, organized by Centennial students enrolled in programs at the college's Story Arts Centre (formerly Centre for Communication, Media and Design), leverages the skills of student volunteers in over 10 different disciplines--from film-making, to PR, to graphic design.
The sophisticated campaign used a host of platforms--social media, video documentaries, and an interactive website--to highlight students' personal and "transformative" employment stories.
"The campaign reflects the importance of student participation in finding a solution," says Nick Cahill, student co-chair of the campaign. "These issues affect us directly...we hope to demonstrate to employers that it is youth's determination to succeed and the ability to learn new skills that make a valued employee."
By having students share the story of their first job, Ready Aim Hire emphasizes the very real hurdles many face finding work, as well as ways they've achieved success despite them.
The campaign pays particular attention to the challenges of young people facing multiple barriers. The message: while finding meaningful employment is difficult for many young Ontarians, it is especially so for those faced with additional challenges; challenges that can include lack of support systems, racial discrimination, homophobia, and low economic status.
The "first-job" stories of Centienal students are now being shared through the campaign's website, twitter and facebook pages and other young people are being encouraged to add their own.
The campaign culminates in June 6th talk hosted at the Story Arts Centre's Carlaw Avenue campus.
Ready Aim Hire: the Talk, invites a panel of experts to discuss the work of the Centennial students, and highlight the importance of the issue in time for the upcoming election. The panel will feature, among other CEO of CivicAction, and Sean Geobey a researcher at the Waterloo Institute for Social Innovation and Resilience.
Writer: Katia Snukal
Source: Ready Aim Hire