By Jamie Irving
A federal make-work program for youth has created job opportunities that few are interested in.
While there are 30,000 unemployed youth in Ottawa, many are either overqualified or under-motivated – leaving an abundance of jobs vacant, according to Geoff Coons, a guidance counsellor at Youth 2000, a local youth employment agency.
He says it’s exasperating that he can’t bridge the gap between those who want work but can’t find it and those who have work but don’t want it.
“The people who need our help don’t come to us. And those who you would think don’t need to help as much – the university graduates – they are the ones we get most often,” he says.
Youth 2000 is a $280,000 millennium project, funded by Human Resources Development Canada.
It’s part of a greater effort by community leaders in Ottawa to create 2,000 jobs by the end of the year 2000. Since opening in April, the agency has placed more than 100 people and other efforts in the community have created more than 400 jobs.
When the agency first opened its purpose was to be a go-between for employers and unemployed youth. But it hasn’t worked out that way.
Coons says many youth are only marginally interested in finding a job and expect the agency to do most of the work.
“They would come in for their consultation and we would sit and talk with them,” says Coons. “Two days later they would call and say ‘oh, have you got me a job yet?’ They would just be sitting at home and you could hear Sally Jesse Raphael in the background.”
He points out that other young people haven’t been able to take advantage of the program because they are overqualified for the “blue- collar” jobs, like retail, that the program offers.
“I keep saying to clients that Youth 2000 isn’t the Emerald city,” says Coons. “We don’t just have this magic bag and you come in and say ‘Okay, I’d like an engineering job please’ and we go, ‘here you go’.”
Despite these problems, Ottawa Centre MP Mac Harb says the program is a great achievement. He adds that a job is a job, and that people should take them whether they like them or not.
“We can’t fill these jobs because people don’t want to fill these jobs,” says Harb, one of the key people behind the initiative. “If people don’t want to work that’s their problem. There are jobs available. We need people to work. Don’t tell me that is not a success.”
Melanie Sabo, 24, is a supporter of the Youth 2000 program. Sabo, a college graduate, went to Youth 2000 when she was searching for office work. Although Sabo didn’t get a job through the program, the program’s workers helped her throughout her search until she landed a job at Newbridge Networks.
“I think it’s a great idea,” says Sabo. “They match you up with jobs that are out there. They were great listeners, they really took the time to help you – they cared, which is really unusual.”
Over the next several months, Youth 2000 will review its methods for targeting youth in order to address the problems with the program.