Employer Efforts for Marginalized Youth

In the Following the Success (FTS) project, completed recently by Hire Prospects and other partners, it was found that individual employer effort plays a significant role in the success of labour market access for marginalized youth. The project reports on original interview research and documents a group of Canadian employer ‘champions’ who have taken a proactive role in hiring youth who face multiple social barriers in the workforce.
The project found that certain employers are very dedicated to providing opportunities for marginalized youth, regardless of the challenges that are often associated with this demographic. Even with a relatively slim understanding of what ‘barriers’ and ‘marginalization’ really entail, employers who consider these aspects when doing their hiring have a positive impact on generating job prospects for marginalized youth.

One owner of a commercial cleaning company noted “Kids that don’t have an education, or who have disabilities, criminal charges in the past, or a lot of home problems - I found they all sort of tie in together... [Our goals are] to give the youth in our community a chance for a job and to give back to the community, to try and help the community we live in as well.”

What motivates employers to pro-actively commit to marginalized youth? One manager of a large garden centre explained, “I've certainly seen some very challenging circumstances, and I feel very much for some of the employees I've had in the past with very difficult family backgrounds. I've heard some horrible stories that almost bring tears to my eyes. If they get the job done and they're motivated to do it, I think they should be given a chance -- but it certainly does make it a little more challenging if they don't have a home to go to or food to eat.”
Is it sympathy that drives employers to hire marginalized youth? Or is it a combination of the former with a deeper-rooted understanding of the broader social context? The FTS study demonstrated that some managers realize that with the proper tools and training, even an individual who faces multiple barriers may be just the right person for the job.
In certain cases, employers can personally relate to the challenges some of these youth face. According to the manager of a small auto repair garage, “I believe we need to give young people a chance. I came to Canada in 1974 as a youngster, 14 years old, and I had a hard time. So now fortunately in my position I want to give back, to give young people an opportunity despite their race or status.”
So how are these youth, who are considered to be ‘different’ by many employers, treated once they are hired? How are they trained and provided with the tools they need, in order to learn and grow in a new position? In the words of one small manufacturing company manager, “I think we welcome kids in. I think that they become part of our culture very quickly. Everybody here is very open to having new team members. I think we provide them with a lot of support and give them a lot of opportunities to interplay with the team as opposed to giving them a role that's sort of marginal and that they don't have a lot of opportunity for growth.”

Another manager of a car dealership/garage concurred and remarked that the youth he hires “have to be willing to be team players and not be afraid to keep training. In this business you constantly have to be ready to educate yourself. We pay for all the trainings, and people should be compensated for their level of knowledge about a job. I mean it’s great if somebody does a good job, but they won’t do a good job long term if they’re not trained properly.” This manager also stressed the importance of a strong relationship and mutual information sharing between the hiring organization and the youth employment centre.

These managers and supervisors are examples of success stories, in which youth who face a variety of challenges are given the chance that they deserve, in order to learn and grow. The reality is, however, that many employers are not even aware of the multitude of barriers that some youth face, many of which are hidden. Many employers simply do not see the importance of providing opportunities to these youth.

In building greater awareness amongst employers, perhaps the successes observed in the FTS interviews can be fostered and developed within a wider context of organizations throughout Canada. In the words of a non-profit day care centre manager: “I think the most important thing is recognizing that a lot of young people who are facing barriers are probably lacking a lot of confidence. I think that as long as you are willing to take the time and listen to where their concerns come in and what the barriers are, these youth would have the opportunity to be successful in their jobs.”

How do you think awareness can be created amongst employers with regards to hiring marginalized youth? What role/responsibility do you think both employers and youth employment professionals should have in this process?

[This blog is based on interviews conducted through the Following the Success project, funded by the Canadian Council on Learning and implemented in partnership by the Ontario Association of Youth Employment Centres. For the full report see here http://ttb.on.ca/downloads/FolltheSucc.DOC]