Student athletes find work despite high youth unemployment rate

Game Plan Services hires student athletes for odd jobs that accommodate their busy training and studying schedules. (CTV News Edmonton/Cam Wiebe)

Track and field athlete Maakor Okai has found it hard to find work between school, training and practicing.

The 19-year-old said she applied to more than 30 jobs in Edmonton and St. Albert, hoping she could get employment while home from school for the summer.

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Besides a couple of interviews, there was radio silence.

“The job market right now is pretty tough,” said Okai. “Me and my friends have all found it extremely difficult … it’s really hard to break into the work force right now.”

The unemployment rate amongst Albertans aged 15-24 remains at a nation-wide high of 17.2 per cent, which has remained stagnant since April.

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A statement from the Ministry of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration said that because Alberta is attracting the most young people in the country, the youth unemployment rate will naturally be a bit higher in the short term as they find work.

Luckily for Okai, Game Plan Services is always hiring student athletes to do odd jobs from weeding to painting fences to working events and weddings.

The idea for Game Plan Services came about in 2023, and started as a way for Marina Perilli to fundraise for her son’s soccer tournament in Portugal.

“They were trying to fundraise but it wasn’t really working because they were older athletes,” said Perilli. “So we started finding low-risk, temporary jobs, and then it really just grew from there.”

Perilli said she started talking with friends and family about odd jobs they needed done, and then began posting on Facebook—that’s when things really took off.

In just the last year, Game Plan Services has grown by 600 per cent, said Perilli, who is the co-owner. Her 16-year-old son, who now plays soccer in Italy, is the other co-owner.

“It tells me there’s a need. There are thousands of athletes across the country who are in the exact same position,” said Perilli. “They all need work, they need to either fundraise or find a way to have an income.”

She added that it can be hard on families to pay for sports because they are often expensive. There is also a matter of working around an athlete’s busy schedule.

Perilli said they have an athlete who plays water polo for Team Canada. He trains eight times a week, making traditional part-time or full-time work difficult to lock down.

“The entire premise of the organization is to help them earn money to pay for their sports and trips around school and training schedules.”

Game Plan Services currently has 60 athletes in its roster and 200 in the queue waiting to be interviewed.

In any given week, there are usually 15 to 20 gigs available on the Game Plan Services job board. Once the students are trained, they can apply for jobs that line up with their training and their availability.

Training is done online and in person. Retired professionals are hired by Game Plan Services to teach employees the skills they need to do a specific task.

Employees start as weeders and make minimum wage. They can move up to supervisor roles and make between $18-$20 an hour.

Crews typically range from two to six people. For larger events, like the Rainmaker Rodeo, they would have between 20 and 50 workers on deck.

Since its official start in 2024, Game Plan Services has expanded to Edmonton and Calgary and their surrounding areas as well as Saskatoon. Perilli said she hopes to bring Game Plan Services to every major city in North America.

Okai, who’s been working for Game Plan Services since its inception, said it’s like being part of a family.

“It’s really fun,” she said. “I think the best part is just meeting a bunch of people. Everybody I’ve met is just so cheerful, so fun and we’re all motivated.”

Young athletes in high school or university from ages 14 to 24 can apply to work at Game Plan Services.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Nicole Weisberg