Mayor Crombie Hosts Youth Employment Expo, Moves Forward with Youth Employment Agenda

Mississauga – A strong network and connections to mentors can open doors for youth as they transition into the workforce, Mayor Bonnie Crombie said today during the Mayor’s Youth Employment Expo which took place at City Hall.

Over 1,300 participants registered to attend this inaugural event and a remarkable 70 different public and private-sectors organizations were on hand, including globally-respected companies like Microsoft. Mayor Crombie added “today is an opportunity for businesses and all organizations to find some of Mississauga’s best and brightest youth who no doubt can make a lasting and positive difference as part of their workforce.”

“We must do everything we can to support local youth pursue their passions, find employment opportunities and achieve their career aspirations”, Mayor Crombie said, adding that Mississauga has a thriving local economy but a staggering 14% of youth aged 15-24 are unemployed.

Mayor Crombie acknowledged the support of a number of community organizations who promoted and participate in the Youth Expo, including the Mississauga Board of Trade; the Malton Business Improvement Area (BIA); the Streetsville BIA; the Port Credit BIA; and the Clarkson BIA.

Mayor Crombie also highlighted how “throughout 2016 we have made important inroads toward helping local youth reach higher, as we moved forward with a youth employment agenda.”

“Some of you may have been with us back in January when we launched the Mayor’s Youth Speaker Series at the Noel Ryan Theatre. I was honoured to welcome award-winning journalist, Amanda Lang, to be our first guest speaker. It was an evening of great discussions followed by questions and answers from the audience.”

Mayor Crombie added that “Our speaker series is an ongoing series of keynote discussions. We will continue to feature prominent Canadians from different sectors, aimed at inspiring youth, and providing them with guidance as they prepare to enter the workforce.”

In May, Mayor Crombie formally accepted the Healthy City Stewardship Centre’s (HCSC) report on the status of youth employment in Mississauga, entitled – Unlocking Potential: Empowering Our Youth Through Employment.

Healthy City Stewardship Centre is an organization made up of community groups and public-sector bodies committed to supporting young people.

“I am honoured to be part of such a committed team of people,” Mayor Crombie said. “What we have in this report is a made-in-Mississauga action plan – a blueprint to help our young people reach higher and for them to be active, engaged and complete citizens.”

“I would also like to recognize our partners in the Wynne government who have committed a funding grant of over $750,000 provided through Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Youth Opportunities Fund to support the recommendations laid out in the report.”

The HCSC report identifies 10 leading barriers to youth employment, including: a lack of access to meaningful mentorship opportunities; widespread anxiety and a lack of confidence and a lack of opportunities to showcase skills and personality to employers due to lack of work experience.

Mayor Crombie concluded “although, any barrier is discouraging I am encouraged by the research detailed in this report because. The work undertaken by the members of the Healthy City Stewardship Centre validates the efforts and initiatives my office and the City of Mississauga have undertaken to help our young people reach higher.”