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Aug 13th, 2003 - 14:58:05 |
Jay
Why a Hamilton Youth Employment Strategy?
Hamilton’s future prosperity depends on the ability of our young people to participate in and contribute to the economy in a positive manner. However, the problems facing youth are complex. Hamilton’s youth today face significant employment challenges. To ensure its continued growth, Hamilton must address these challenges in a systematic manner. In this era of unparalleled change, our young people need support to be successful in a knowledge based economy that depends largely on workers who possess, at the bare minimum, a high school diploma.
This vastly changing world of work is becoming increasingly complex with the deskilling of work and the changing skill requirements for sustained employment. Career options are plentiful and are not as clear-cut as they once were. The growth of non-standard work (self employment, part time work, and contract work) makes it difficult for many young people to gain the work experience necessary to thrive and succeed in the labour force. Youth, with no prospect of making a positive connection with the labour market are referred to as being “at-risk”.
It must be understood that in today’s world, young people face a life of continuous learning. We live in an era where change is occurring at a very consistent pace. From kindergarten through early adulthood and beyond, youth must be prepared to meet challenges of a constantly evolving work environment. We must ensure that young people of all social backgrounds can make smooth transitions between school and the labour market. To realize this, an inclusive approach requires that all key stakeholders; government, youth, educators, employers, parents, service providers work together towards devising a ‘Made-In-Hamilton’ solution with a vision where in:
“All of Hamilton’s youth will participate fully in the economic opportunities of the 21st century, and contribute to the sustained growth of our local economy”
Essentially, the Hamilton Youth Employment Strategy will be a framework for action that captures and implements this vision. The Strategy will lay out principles, goals and actions for responding to the employment challenges facing Hamilton youth.
The 2003 Hamilton Youth Employment Summit process set the wheels in motion towards devising a strategy for realizing the successful participation of all of Hamilton’s youth in the economy whether on the local or global stage. The Summit process identified Five Key Principles for the successful participation of young people in the job market.
In turn, these principles will act as the foundation upon which a Hamilton Youth Employment Strategy is constructed. This Strategy will also contribute to the HR Matters, Hamilton Human Resource Strategy Study (May 2000), that recommended developing,
“…A strategy to prevent local youth as young workers from migrating out of the community, to retain post-secondary students after they complete their studies as to improving skills as school to work training.”
The Hamilton Youth Employment Strategy will presume that given the opportunity and the means, all youth can contribute to, and take advantage of, the strong economic potential of the City of Hamilton today, and in the future.
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