The first taste of employment for youth is often a great stepping stone for the rest of their career.
High school and College students – especially recent graduates – search for a job to launch their career or pay their bills. Regardless of the reason, youth who want assistance in finding a job and access to valuable training can reach out to Tracks Employment in Collingwood for support.
In May 2022, youth employment rose to an astonishing 29.5% – a record high. The Ontario labour market is rebounding to at or near pre-pandemic levels. Youth employment is steadily rising in Ontario as reported by the March 2022 Labour Market Report.
Youth aged 15-24 increased by 4,000 jobs in March, adding to the 85,300 jobs increase from February.
Unemployment rate for youth aged 15-24 fell from 12.2% in February to 10.4% in March as things look up for this age group.
Many local youth jobs come in the form of retail salespersons, customer and information services representatives, cooks, food and beverage services, and food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations.
Although these jobs might not translate into a direct career path for youth, most learn the transferable skills needed to succeed as adults in today’s job market, such as teamwork, communication, and customer service skills. A youth job, for example, might also inspire youth to follow a career path they might not have thought of before – a part-time job as a line cook to pay tuition might motivate a teen to become a chef or open their own restaurant!
According to Ontario’s Labour Market data, jobs which are currently in-demand in the Central Region are the following:
- Material handlers
- Retail Salespersons
- Other Customer and Information services representatives
- Cooks
- Food and beverage servers
- Retail sales supervisors
- Sales and account representatives
- Janitors, caretakers, and building superintendents
- Home support workers, housekeepers and related occupations
- Delivery and courier service drivers
- Other business services managers
- Other labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities
- Human resources professionals
- Construction trades helpers and labourers
- Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations
While Tracks provides assistance to all ages, it also offers programs specifically for youth.
These specialized programs support and guide young people to build skills in order to attain and maintain suitable employment. These programs provide group workshops, individual support, and pathways to education or employment. Participants are PAID a minimum wage per hour stipend to participate in the program workshops. Participants also have access to supported local job placements and job coaching to test their new skills and establish a foothold in the local labour market with supportive employers.
Below are some highlights from the multiple youth programs available to eligible residents of the Collingwood area.
MPower! Project
- Youth ages 15-30
- Not currently in education or employed
- Looking for support through mental and physical health challenges that get in the way of attaining employment or completing educational goals
Youth Job Connection Summer
- Student youth ages 15-18
- Currently enrolled in education
- Facing various barriers to employment
Youth Job Connection
- Youth ages 15-29
- Not currently in education or employed
- Experiencing barriers that keep them from finding and keeping a job
If you want to work, Tracks wants to help!
Visit Tracks to speak to a staff member, get more information, and learn which program might be best suited to your needs.