YES President Tim Lang Discusses Solutions for Post Pandemic Youth Employment in “Soo Today”

Job market more complicated for youth
What do you want to be when you grow up?

We’ve all wrestled with this question.

Some know the answer right away. Others change their minds constantly. A good number of us don’t have a clue.

What’s becoming clear is that breaking into the job market is tougher and more complicated for today’s youth.

“At the height of COVID youth unemployment, youth unemployment rose to almost 30 per cent. It was devastating,” said Tim Lang, president and CEO of Youth Employment Services (YES).

He said the pandemic was very hard on businesses that hire a good number of young people. These include the hospitality and retail sectors.

The youth unemployment rate dropped significantly as the economy opened up, said Lang.

“Which is good, but it’s still double the national average, which is concerning when youth are unemployed for long periods of time,” he said. “It can not only hurt their mental health, but the future of the economy as well.”

Lang says YES has been trying to innovate and look at strategies for youth to “upskill and re-skill” in areas of the future like digital literacy and the trades.

https://www.sootoday.com/local-news/job-market-more-complicated-for-youth-4464630