For Immediate Release
July 20th, 2016
Mayor Crombie Lauds Creation of Prime Minister’s Youth Council, Focus on Youth Employment
Mississauga – The Prime Minister’s Youth Council will provide an important forum for youth to develop policy solutions to address a range of important issues including youth employment, Mayor Bonnie Crombie said today.
“Mississauga is home to smart, hardworking, compassionate and dynamic youth,” Mayor Crombie said. “I encourage young Mississaugans to step up and put their names forward for the opportunity to work with Prime Minister Trudeau as a Youth Council member,” Mayor Crombie added. Click for more information about applying to The Prime Minister’s Youth Council.
Upon being elected to office, I committed to tackling challenges surrounding youth unemployment, Mayor Crombie said, highlighting that “throughout 2016 we have made important inroads toward helping local youth reach higher, as we move forward with a youth employment agenda.”
Mayor Crombie recently hosted the Mayor’s Youth Employment Expo in June. Over 1,300 participants registered to attend and 70 different public and private-sectors organizations were on hand, including globally-respected companies like Microsoft.
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 said in January we also launched the Mayor’s Youth Speaker Series with award-winning journalist, Amanda Lang. It was an evening of great discussions followed by questions and answers from the audience.
“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.”
Mayor Crombie concluded “All governments must work to support local youth pursue their passions, find employment opportunities and achieve their career aspirations.”
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Watch the inaugural Mayor’s Youth Speaker Series event with Amanda Lang.