How a new plan hopes to tackle Windsor's youth unemployment problem

Workforce WindsorEssex has launched its Youth Employment Work Plan in a bid to tackle unemployment among young people. 

The work plan touches on local trends in youth unemployment data, with analysis on gender, race and education.

The plan "calls attention to the barriers young people face and provides practical, community-driven solutions to improve access to employment," CEO of Workforce WindsorEssex Justin Falconer said in a press release. 

I feel like the biggest barriers young people face is the lack of confidence.- 

The work plan will implement a number of resources, including a youth employment portal, a device donation program, a youth-friendly advertising guidebook and an accessible skills assessment tool. These are supported by a $189,000 grant from the provincial government's Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).

"Generally we've found that there's a misconception when it comes to youth," Fakhreddin said. "They're generally treated as lazy workers and [lacking] in soft skills." 

One of the resources that the Youth Employment Work Plan has emphasized is the youth employment portal, which Fakhreddin says will help to demystify job applications for young people. 

"It's a one-stop-shop for youth-focused employment resources," she said. "We really want one location where youth can find all the resources they're looking for when it comes to employment ... Our goal is to ease the exploration process." 

Gender gap

Recently, Windsor regained its position as the city with the highest unemployment rate in Canada.

According to Statistics Canada, Windsor's unemployment rate at a seasonally adjusted three-month moving average of 11.2 per cent – and that data revealed that joblessness in Windsor disproportionately impacts men. 

According to their data, in 2024 male unemployment reached 22.1 per cent compared to the female rate of 14 per cent. 

Fakhreddin says, although they are not entirely sure, this could be a trend among entry-level employment.

"We're not too sure, but we've found that youth-centred jobs usually hire more women," she said. "We've also found that men historically have more experience with substance abuse, mental health problems [and] housing." 

Hoping for success

Andrew Dowie, MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh says the labour market has changed in the last few decades. 

Daniella Adekyoa was a part of the youth advisory committee that helped to shape the work plan and she will attend the University of Windsor in the fall.

She says that as a young person confidence plays a huge role in gaining employment as a young person. 

"I've seen first hand [how] challenging it can be for young people to not only find jobs, but opportunities that align with their passions, [can] help them grow and actually support their future," she said. "I feel like the biggest barriers young people face is the lack of confidence."