Unfilled job vacancies? Local youth can be the solution

Brittney Patton provides an overview of youth employment and the Youth Voice Collective.

Are you struggling to fill job vacancies in your Caledon-based business? You are not alone.

Rural Ontario is ageing, and the Town of Caledon is no exception. After they graduate from high school young working-age adults often leave Caledon f in search of increased education and employment opportunities. This loss poses a complex problem for local employers who are looking to fill job vacancies in a variety of sectors.

Just look at online job postings: Currently, there are 107 entry-level jobs in Caledon.

And yet, if you talk to young peoplein the community, many feel there are no meaningful employment opportunities available to them.

We recently surveyed Caledon youth between 19 and 29 years of age.

• 83% would like to find work in Caledon in the future.
• 69% felt there is a lack of jobs in their desired job sector in Caledon.
• 44% think it is hard to find out about job opportunities in Caledon.
• 78% have had to leave Caledon at some point in their young career for employment or education purposes.

The Youth Voice Collective is looking to bridge the gap between employers and youth.

Our goal is to create sustainable solutions that result in a skilled workforce for employers and meaningful job opportunities for local youth.

By increasing education and training in rural areas, communities experience a win-win: their youth find opportunity in their home community  and employers tap into the skills, knowledge, and talents they need to thrive.

To tackle issues surrounding job vacancies and youth employment, stakeholders in the Caledon community have come together to form the Youth Voice Collective.

The Youth Voice Collective brings together multiple stakeholders in and around Caledon who are committed to increasing youth employment.

The goal is to increase youth employment by 10% over 2018 benchmarks, by 2025.

The benefits are numerous:  increasing employment opportunities means that more young people will be able to stay in or return to Caledon as long-term residents.

And with sustainable jobs the next generation will inject energy and resources into the economic and communal life of our community.

Interested in joining the conversation?

The Youth Voice Collective is currently seeking members from the Caledon business community.  

If you are interested in contributing to an action plan to fill job vacancies and increase youth employment within the Caledon community contact the Youth Voice Coordinator, Brittney Patton at brittney.patton@caledon.ca or 905-906-9065.

“It is becoming increasingly important for rural communities across the province to work together to build on their existing resources to create a stronger, more vibrant rural Ontario.” - Rural Ontario Institute (2017)