Backgrounder
Document d'information
07-88
July 18 2007
MINISTER'S ACTION GROUP ON VULNERABLE WORKERS UNDER THE AGE OF 25
In July 2006, the Action Group on Vulnerable Workers Under 25 was formed, with the Minister of Labour, Steve Peters, as chair. The group was charged with:
- Identifying gaps in communication, knowledge or skills that may be a cause of workplace injuries and deaths among this group of young workers
- Seeking out best practices for a coordinated strategy to make workplaces safer for new, young and inexperienced workers
- Suggesting methods, strategies and processes to provide appropriate health and safety awareness and education to workers under the age of 25 who are outside the education system.
Membership on the group included young people representing this target demographic, youth culture experts, youth labour market experts, youth safety practitioners and business representatives. Together, they worked on recommending approaches to provide practical solutions to preventing injuries. Public input was encouraged through the Action Group members and through the Ministry of Labour website at www.labour.gov.on.ca.
Recommendations focus on youth information, workplaces
The report of the Minister's Action Group on Vulnerable Workers Under 25 presents six recommendations on educating and providing information to this group, and two recommendations on improving health and safety in workplaces that employ vulnerable youth.
Recommendations focus on:
- Making a special effort to understand and engage this group of young people
- Providing additional support to teachers and students, especially in co-op education and other areas where these young people learn
- Providing workplace health and safety information to these young people in the locations they frequent
- Working with other government agencies to find more opportunities for outreach and coordination of messaging
- Creating a safety support system and single window for youth employment issues
- Providing timely support to young workers who may not be getting their rights under the Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Exploring new ways to make workplace parties aware of their responsibilities for new and young workers
- Working with key partners and employers to implement exceptional best practices programs for health and safety orientation, training and supervision of young workers.
The full report can be viewed on the Ministry of Labour website at www.labour.gov.on.ca.
Facts about youth employment
- The percentage of youth under the age of 25 working in Ontario rose from 54.1 per cent in 1995, to 57.2 per cent in 2004. Many youth work in small businesses. Of the 906,400 youth employed in Ontario in 2004, 41 per cent were employed in businesses with fewer than 20 employees.
- Young workers balance part-time work and school. 82 per cent of youth working part-time in 2004 were also attending school.
- Youth are more likely to be contingent workers (seasonal, contract, or casual) than workers aged 25 years and older. Twenty-three per cent of young workers have temporary jobs, while only eight per cent of older workers are engaged in this work.
- Youth tend to change jobs more frequently than older workers. In 2004, 52 per cent of young workers and 14 per cent of older workers in Ontario started work with a new employer.
Other Ministry of Labour initiatives for young worker health and safety
In addition to the Minister's action group initiative, the Ministry of Labour has also put significant effort into several other major programs, including:
- Revising the Employment Standards Act poster to contain a reference that directs individuals to a new Young Workers Internet Portal on the Ministry of Labour's website
- Providing Live Safe! Work Smart! workplace health and safety resources to classrooms across Ontario, including innovative resources for students with special learning needs
- Promotion of www.WorkSmartOntario.gov.on.ca, the ministry's innovative and "youth friendly" website which provides Ontario's young workers with the information they need to be safe at work
- Distribution of Young Worker Safety "tip sheets" produced by the Ministry of Labour, to over one million grade 7 to grade 12 students in the province
- Distribution of Young Worker Health and Safety information kits to all MPPs in the province.
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For further information:
Public enquiries:
1-800-268-8013
Media enquiries:
| Belinda Sutton Ministry of Labour 416-326-7405 |
