Vol 11, Issue 1 November 5 2021
Hamilton's Labour Market Connection
Your weekly news & updates from WPH!
In this week's edition: preparing youth for work: what really works in career guidance?, virtual youth committee internships & Volunteer Opportunities, career services need to make sure that Black Careers Matter. The living wage in Hamilton is now $17.20 an hour, groups estimate, November 2021 webinars for career professionals, and Path November calendar
STUDENTS & YOUTH
Preparing youth for work: What really works in career guidance?
Virtual Youth Committee - Internships & Volunteer Opportunities $10.00 Gift card when you sign up!
Key points:
– New OECD analysis highlights 11 confirmed indicators of teenage career readiness.
– Career guidance that incorporates these indicators can lead to better employment outcomes for young people.
– During the COVID recovery, effective career guidance will play a central role in helping young people navigate the turbulent labour market.

As young people stay in education and training longer, more of the decisions they make will have long-term consequences when they seek to find desirable work as adults. Young people turn to their families for support, but families are inevitably limited in the extent of the help they can provide. This is where schools come in.
Students vary considerably in the extent to which they are able to visualise and plan their futures, with the most disadvantaged at greatest risk. Schools can democratise access to the information and experiences that can help students as they navigate their paths through education systems.
Workforce Planning Hamilton is seeking young professionals interested in digital job development in the Hamilton region. WPH has been able to connect with you individually to discuss our upcoming Virtual Youth Committee.
The goal of this committee is to develop a community-wide strategy to support high youth unemployment rates and to assist youth in the Hamilton region in navigating labour market information. This committee of youth and employers will be able to create a digital platform that will feature centralized information for youth in Hamilton. Our hope is that this information will ultimately help youth with networking opportunities, hiring processes, employer advice, and provide youth with a better grasp of what Hamilton’s labor market reveals to support employment decisions.
age: 15-29 years old
Time: 15 hours, once a month meeting
Submit resumes by October 29th, 2021

for more information/send your resumes to
info@workforceplanninghamilton.ca
Business & Data Research
Careers services need to make sure that Black Careers Matter
The living wage in Hamilton is now $17.20 an hour, groups estimate
This article was first published on Luminate in October 2021. In it, I talk about a report that I worked on for the Institute of Student Employers and argue that we need to take action to support the careers of students from Black heritage backgrounds.
Most careers services would say that they are doing their best to support racial justice. The recent issue of AGCAS Phoenix devoted to race equality showed the wide range of practice that was out there.
But, our new report Black Careers Matter suggests that there is still a lot to do and provides some concrete ideas about how careers services can take things forwards.

Challenges for students from Black heritage backgrounds
The overwhelming majority of ISE members (90%), including both employers and careers professionals, agreed that students from Black heritage backgrounds face particular challenges in the labour market.
-After the spike in unemployment After three-and-a-half years of helping customers, folding clothes and cleaning while working at a Hamilton clothing store, 22-year-old McMaster student Aya Younis got her first raise.

Last year, her pay went from around $14 an hour, then the provincial minimum wage, to $15.

But she says that still isn't enough and that many others living in Hamilton — at least 30,000, according to Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction — continue to earn less than what Younis and others say is needed. 
"It's super precarious... Not a lot of places even offer a living wage, so I haven't found it useful to really look around," she told CBC Hamilton on Monday.
Events & Webinars
November 2021 webinars for career professionals
Path November Calendar
Nov. 9
Businesses, governments and employees need to commit to reskilling to develop effective and inclusive skills and employment ecosystem that leaves no one behind.
Nov. 9, 16 & 23
In this webinar series, Dr. Jason Cressey will offer insights and practical skills to help you – and those you work with – flourish in the current and future challenging times.
Nov. 10, 17 & 24
This webinar series – presented by Victoria Pazukha, CPHR, CCDP and Jake Hirsch-Allen of LinkedIn – provides an overview of the micro-credentials and digital badges ecosystem in Canada.

Nov. 12, 19 & 26 
Today, leaders need to understand where they can build for greater innovation, agility and resourcefulness=
Branding Yourself for Job Search November 30th from 1-3 pm

Disability Disclosure November 12th from 10 am-12 pm

Interview 101 Skills November 16th from 10am-12pm

LinkedIn 101 November 16th from 1pm-3pm

Mental Health Works (for employers and business owners) November 9th from 9 am-12 pm

Customer Service November 12th 1 pm - 3 pm

Navigating Job Search in 2021 November 30th from 1-3 pm


if you have any questions, please reach out to

catherine.johnston@pathemployment.com

The Hamilton COVID Concierge for Business is a one-stop online resource centre and phone line dedicated to supporting Hamilton businesses with their COVID-19 business questions and concerns.
Hamilton businesses can call the COVID Concierge at 905-521-3989 (Mon-Fri, 8:30am-4:30pm) or Contact Us online.


The Hamilton COVID Concierge for Business is brought to you by the Hamilton COVID Concierge Team, comprised of the City of Hamilton and the three local Chambers of Commerce.
Workforce Planning Hamilton | 905-521-5777| info@workforceplanninghamilton.ca | www.workforceplanninghamilton.ca