The House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities met on October 21, 2025, to study youth employment in Canada. The first panel featured Christopher Worswick, a professor appearing as an individual, and Timothy Lang, President and CEO of Youth Employment Services. The second panel included Agapi Gessesse, Executive Director of the CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals; Shaudia Ricketts, Head of Trades Strategy and Recruitment, North America, at Kiewit Corporation; and Joe Hersch, Managing Director of YouthjobsCanada.
Christopher Worswick argued that the recent rise in youth unemployment stems from a weakening economy due to U.S. tariffs and a rapid expansion of Canada’s temporary resident population, particularly through the temporary foreign worker program, the international mobility program, and international student programs. He stated that temporary foreign workers often accept lower wages and tolerate poor conditions because they cannot easily switch jobs, which can suppress wages and hurt young Canadians’ employment prospects. He recommended stronger restrictions on international students’ off-campus work hours, tighter monitoring of student numbers, and eliminating or curtailing the temporary foreign worker program in areas where it competes with youth, replacing it with higher permanent immigration.
Timothy Lang described Youth Employment Services’ work placing barriered youth into jobs with a 90% success rate and a three-to-one return on investment for every dollar spent. He emphasized the importance of entry-level jobs as stepping stones, noting that long-term youth unemployment can reduce lifetime earnings by up to 20%. He urged the government to fund frontline, impact-oriented organizations rather than those focused on research and round tables, and he called for maintaining or increasing federal support for proven programs.
Agapi Gessesse highlighted that Black youth face a 24.4% unemployment rate, more than double the national average, and that her organization uses a person-centred, trauma-informed, and culturally relevant approach with wraparound supports like social workers and psychotherapists. She reported an 87% retention rate two years after program graduation and said 77% of participants on social assistance transitioned off it. She recommended that the government coordinate more directly with non-profits, initiate relationships with industry on behalf of community organizations, and ensure that grant evaluation processes account for past track records rather than treating each application as new.
Shaudia Ricketts identified barriers to youth entering skilled trades, including limited early exposure, complex provincial apprenticeship systems, financial and mobility pressures, EI gaps during training, and under-representation of women, Indigenous youth, and newcomers. She recommended investing in early career awareness, expanding apprenticeship incentives for all employers including large ones, harmonizing apprenticeship standards across provinces, modernizing EI to support project-based work, and providing non-repayable grants for travel, housing, and tools. She noted that only 46% of men in Red Seal trades complete their apprenticeships and stressed the need for employer incentives and client-driven apprenticeship requirements on major projects.
Joe Hersch stated that YouthjobsCanada works to bridge the gap between youth and employers and has seen high demand in restaurant and hospitality, trades and technical, and health care. He said youth expectations, reliability, and turnover remain concerns, and he recommended greater collaboration between the YESS program and ESDC, year-round wage subsidies for employers, and a better connection between market opportunities and YESS deliverables. He noted that federal programs often place youth in internal government jobs rather than in the broader market economy and called for a more holistic approach involving both market and social stakeholders.
The committee did not engage in procedural debate, motions, or votes during this meeting.
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