What’s up with work lately?

Explore over 300 interviews with youth, industry leaders, and community actors working in the youth sector on the challenges, skills, and workplace expectations shaping young people’s experiences in Canada. This interactive visualization reveals key themes from 11,000 minutes of conversations: from preparing for the job market to adapting workplaces for youth. Larger circles highlight themes with more discussion, while branching nodes show subtopics and related insights.

Use this tool to dive into what matters most to youth, uncover trends, and get the full story behind our data. Explore firsthand perspectives to understand how youth envision change across education, employment, and social accountability in cities.

What major themes did we uncover?

Navigating post-pandemic work ecosystems

Young people are navigating a transformed work ecosystem shaped by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. They emphasize the cost of living, education, and limited access to mental health support as major obstacles throughout their education and early career journey. In starting their careers, youth struggle with self-advocacy and professional confidence due to a perceived mismatch between the skills acquired in post-secondary education and the practical demands of “real-world” jobs. Intergenerational tensions in workplaces, arising from differing values, communication styles, and expectations, further compound these challenges.

To address these barriers, young people advocate for organizationally led workplace readiness programs, reciprocal mentorship initiatives, as well as peer-led confidence workshops. By fostering collaborative two-way learning, these programs can help youth understand the school-to-work transition, equip themselves with these critical skills and build greater agency in their career growth.

Paving the way for the future of work

Young people envision three critical themes for the future of work in Canada: the collaborative development of wrap-around career support between public and private organizations, the embracing of automation and artificial intelligence technologies in education and sustainable cost of living centered on affordable housing.

They acknowledge that the Canadian educational and work ecosystems have a lot to offer, yet many youth feel stuck in the transition between school and work. They note that traditional support resources feel too disconnected from their real-world needs and advocate for holistic resource ecosystems which can address systemic socioeconomic barriers limiting youth from finding employment. Young people want programs that facilitate direct pathways from school to work, such as partnerships between schools and industries or job-shadowing opportunities, which are highlighted as critical solutions. While this future of work is exciting, none of it is possible without helping youth stay in Canadian cities by addressing the extreme increases in the cost of living. Young people overwhelmingly expressed the stress caused by the affordability crisis, with a majority identifying as housing insecure.

Navigating the transition from education to work

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the educational experiences of youth, particularly during their transition from postsecondary education to the workforce. Online learning had challenges such as a lack of student engagement, gaps in instruction, and a loss of in-person experiences. These gaps in experience and knowledge negatively impacted youth skills reinforcement and access to work experience pathways, such as co-ops and internships. Youth also identified gaps in support systems, such as inadequate career education and insufficient mental health support.

To bridge these gaps, young people recommend improvements to resume writing guidance, more job placement opportunities, and comprehensive workshops on skills building, such as microcredentials, to improve their employable skills. They also advocate for compulsory experiential learning as part of the education system, as they explain that this is crucial for bridging the gap between education and the job market. Furthermore, youth suggest an expansion of equitable and diverse knowledge systems, mental health support, improvements in career resource promotion, and networking events in the curriculum.

Envisioning an ideal organization

Youth discussed "good youth jobs" as including flexibility, a supportive work environment, fair compensation and benefits, work-life balance, and growth opportunities. As part of the ideal organization, young people value open communication, mentorship, and inclusivity. They also highlight the importance of organizations embodying the values of diversity, transparency, and accountability, advocating for workplaces that enable social good, such as environmental sustainability.

In response to whether organizations should be socially accountable, young people provided a spectrum of perspectives on this subject: Some youth emphasized the necessity for companies to take social accountability, especially regarding justice and inclusion. They noted it was important for organizations that demonstrate commitment to these values. Others noted the complexities of organizations taking firm positions on social and political issues. Additionally, young people value mentorship for guidance and support in the workplace, which helps in overcoming challenges and bolstering confidence. Growth opportunities matter greatly to them, as they view these as pathways towards improved skills, practical experience, and enhancing their professional development.

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Data Details

Tool data comes from interviews with over 300 youth, industry professionals, and community actors working in the youth sector, which took place as part of the DEVlab research project. Some questions Youthful Cities representatives asked included:

• How can educational institutions better prepare students for the skills needed in the current job market?
• What challenges have you personally faced in your skills development journey, whether through education or on the job?
• How would you explain the mismatch between employers’ expectations and those of young people in relation to skills? and in relation to work behaviors?
• What are some actionable steps to make youth more comfortable in the workplace and manage employers’ expectations?
• In your opinion, what are the main attributes/qualities/characteristics that young people look for in organizations when seeking employment? What would push an organization to acquire such attributes?
• From your perspective, to what extent should organizations be socially accountable?
• How can cities be more responsive to the needs of young people and specifically those transitioning into the workforce?
• What are your expectations for the future of work and education in Canada, particularly for young people?

We then found and categorized common themes across 11,000 minutes of interview transcripts.