Alberta has a problem that might come as a surprise: youth unemployment. Despite its reputation as a beacon of opportunity in Canada, the province has seen around 14 per cent of young people from ages 15 to 24 struggle to find work. That’s among the highest such statistic in the country.
Part of the problem is a growing lack of work experience, says Stefan Rutkowski, president and CEO of CAREERS: The Next Generation.
“A lot of youth go through high school now with less work experience than they did in the past,” he says. “They don’t work part-time jobs as much or at all anymore, so they’re missing out on foundational skills training. It’s important to engage youth early.”
That’s where CAREERS comes in. The non-profit organization started in 1997 in Fort McMurray. Executives at Syncrude noticed a rise in the number of retirement-age workers and knew they had to foster the next generation of employees. So, they launched an apprenticeship program for high school students to earn money and gain experience in the field.
“The trades were at the core, but we have branched out into other industrial sectors,” Rutkowski adds. “Agriculture is the second largest. We are in health, forestry, environment, and information and communication technologies. We started in aviation and manufacturing, too.”
The concept is simple: a student from any partnering school (which is nearly every Alberta high school) can apply on the organization’s website. A representative contacts them to find out about the student’s interests and experience, and the school helps the student complete an application. CAREERS then finds an employer that has already been vetted by the program and shares the student’s resumé for potential interviews.
It’s a win for young workers, but participating employers stand to gain, too. The young people learn about the expectations industry has of its future workforce. “And employers have a hand in developing the skills that industry will need in the future,” Rutkowski says.