Too many young people in our community are struggling to find work, gain meaningful experience and make the connections that can help them take their next step.

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Ajax already offers summer student employment, volunteer opportunities and some high-school co-op opportunities. These are valuable programs.

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I believe we can build on them and do more.

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My Commitment

If elected, I will bring forward a motion asking Town staff to develop a coordinated Ajax Civic Co-op & Placement Program focused on creating more opportunities for local youth.

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The Town could review opportunities across municipal departments and work with local high schools, colleges and universities to identify placements where students can learn, contribute and gain meaningful, hands-on experience.

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Opportunities could include:

• High-school co-op placements

• College and university placements

• Summer student opportunities

• Volunteer positions

• Community service hour opportunities

 

The goal would be to create clearer pathways for young people to get involved with their Town while developing skills and experience they can take with them into the workforce.

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Making Opportunities Easier to Find

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Finding an opportunity should not be the hardest part.

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Co-op, placement, summer employment and volunteer opportunities should be organized and easy for Ajax youth to find and apply for, with information shared through Town channels and local school job boards.

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By working directly with schools and post-secondary institutions, we can also make sure students actually know these opportunities exist.

 

More Than a Line on a Résumé

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This is about more than building a résumé or completing required volunteer hours.

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It is about giving young people an opportunity to:

Gain real experience.
Build confidence.
Develop new skills.
Make connections.
Contribute to their community.

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For students completing community service hours, it can also be an opportunity to become more involved in Ajax, meet new people and feel like they are genuinely part of the community they live in.

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Opening More Doors for Ajax Youth

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As a father of two young children, I think about their futures every day.

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Our young people need more hope, more opportunities and a fair chance to get ahead.

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Municipal government cannot solve every challenge young people face, but we can look at the opportunities within our own organization and ask how we can open more doors.

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As your Local Councillor, I will work to do exactly that.

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More experience. More connections. More opportunities for Ajax youth.