Young people in Canada are facing a tough summer job market and more challenges than usual in launching their careers. Statistics Canada survey results show the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate nationally for people between age 15 and 24 has climbed. It was about 12.8 per cent in May 2024 but reached 14.2 per cent last month. The rate for New Brunswick was just slightly higher than the national rate, landing at 14.3 per cent.

Per Failure to Launch, a 2024 report related to youth unemployment from The King’s Trust Canada, a national youth charity, unemployed youth are more challenged to grow their existing skills but also social networks and can face “long-term reductions in their earning potential.”

Still, a little encouragement and coaching can go a long way towards keeping them engaged in a market like this, said Mark Matheson. He’s VP responsible for business development at Kyndryl Canda, an information technology (IT) infrastructure services provider.

In what have now become annual events, the latest held May 27-28, Matheson and other volunteers from Kyndryl helped young New Brunswickers identify resumé-worthy skills, build professional online profiles and gain greater confidence as they look for work.

Matheson told Atlantic Business Magazine that LinkedIn, the social network company targeted to professionals, came on board to help with this year’s events. Among other things, the volunteer group supported students from Southern Victoria High School in Perth-Andover in developing a LinkedIn profile, complete with headshot from a professional photographer.

While students this age learn about resumé writing in school, Matheson suggested, they sometimes aren’t sure about what they’ve put together, or struggle to even see all of their own skills to include them in a resumé or profile.

“So, for example, you’re going to find they’ve got tons of extra-curricular activities. I’m inspired by some of these kids,” he said, explaining some could rattle off what filled their schedule, mentioning advanced academics, sports teams, clubs, non-profit volunteer time. Students would then sometimes still suggest there was nothing to mention in terms of job-related skills.

“I think it’s a good idea for industry to actually step up and help out (…) so we can actually usher this new talent into the workforce. There is a gap. And I think we can help bridge that gap,”

—Mark Matheson, Kyndryl Canada VP

It isn’t about listing activities or writing out your weekly calendar, he explained, but thinking about what comes from each of the experiences, all with their own related tasks. “Add to that you’ve got time management skills, because look at all you’re doing,” he laughed.

The events include advice on how to use social platforms for professional networking, to hear about job opportunities as early as possible, perhaps even land recommendations from professionals in the field. Apart from immediate employment, it can help high school students think about the qualifications they’ll need to work towards for their careers of interest.

A separate college-level workshop was offered in Fredericton to students in the Indigenous JEDI (Joint Economic Development Initiative) – Collège Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB) information technology program. Being a little older, many of the students there already had professional social media profiles, Matheson said, but it was a matter of ensuring they were complete and learning more around networking and the online job search.

“It’s been very, very well received,” he said of the program, saying he already has requests from schools for next year.

“I think it’s a good idea for industry to actually step up and help out (…) so we can actually usher this new talent into the workforce. There is a gap. And I think we can help bridge that gap,” he said.

According to information provided to Atlantic Business Magazine, Kyndryl used to be IBM’s global technology services division. It separated from IBM about three and a half years ago, starting out with nearly 90,000 employees globally. The company supports cloud, cybersecurity services, networking, mainframe and other IT infrastructure services in Canada.

The Kyndryl Foundation was established in 2023 and offers a grant program supporting non-profit organizations around the world in providing cybersecurity and artificial intelligence development programs, particularly to underserved communities. In New Brunswick, JEDI is one of 12 grant recipients worldwide. Its grant is expected to support about 50 students in their training and education.

In his day job, and as executive sponsor of Kyndryl’s Indigenous Working Group, Matheson said he keeps an eye on the talent coming through the JEDI-CCNB program as a source of potential future hires.

 

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