Summer job market is a tough one, here’s how the government plans to help students

CTV’s Christian D’Avino dives into the challenges young Canadians are facing and how one job program may help.

This summer, with the job market shaping up to be a tough one, the federal government is stepping in to give students a little extra help.

At the Bradford Greenhouses in Barrie, some of its youth seasonal workers say they’re feeling the pressure from an increasingly challenging labour market.

“I work when I’m down at school too and it takes me forever to find jobs,” said Ben Walker, a summer employee at the Barrie location. “Even with restaurant experience, when I’m trying to find a restaurant gig, it’s hard to come by.”

Walker is one of nearly 50 workers hired this summer by Bradford Greenhouses, but that number is only a small portion of the applicants the business received.

“This year, we’ve seen an influx of students looking for work we had over 1,500 resumes,” said Kevin Johnson, director of retail operations and store manager.

Canadians between the ages of 15 to 24 are facing one of the highest youth unemployment rates since the mid-1990s, according to first-quarter data from Statistics Canada. Overall, the national unemployment rate rose to seven per cent in May.

In response, the federal government announced earlier this month it would inject an additional $25 million into the Canada Summer Jobs program, aiming to create 6,000 more positions for youth.

“This is something that I think all of our employers would agree is needed,” said Paul Markle, CEO of the Barrie Chamber of Commerce. “Our youth in this area are underemployed.”

Markle pointed to several reasons why job opportunities may be harder to come by. Some positions require more skilled workers, placing them out of reach for new graduates. On the other hand, he said businesses are increasingly focused on efficiency especially with the adoption of technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) that reduce the need for labour.

“That isn’t necessarily what people want to hear, but I think it is a very real situation that businesses are facing as they try to reduce costs and become more efficient,” Markle said.

The Chamber of Commerce itself has adopted AI in its daily operations, particularly on the administrative side, which has led to a reduced workforce.