Willowdale Youth Employment Hub

Currently, Toronto has one of the highest levels of youth unemployment, sitting at 19.5% in its recent report in November 2025 for 15-29 year olds. While no definitive youth unemployment data for willowdale is out, we know that this ward is home to many folks in the youth and new graduate age bracket, with the 15-19, 20-24, 25-29 age bracket some of the highest in the 2021 census.

At the same time, youth are coming into unprecedented challenges that are not previously faced. Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming a tool to replace lower abstractions of work, mostly done by junior employees. Geopolitical economic challenges also hinder the growth of new businesses and consumption.

The proposed Willowdale Youth Employment Hub will assist with the following:

• Support local youth employment and local businesses by pairing both together. Where possible, bring local grants together to fulfill wage subsidies to help youth get a head start in the workforce.
• Support local youth entrepeneurship by hosting various incubations, hackathons, incubations, to address local challenges here in Willowdale.
• Support career bridge programming for talent pipeline with youth in high school, assisting with co-ops and connecting volunteer opportunities with sister community associations.
• Policy advocacy in addressing wider city youth unemployment challenges; gather data through research and surveys in local areas.

Where focus and initiatives overlap with partnering associations (Neighbourlink, Yonge North York BIA), the Willowdale Youth Employment Hub should act as a role as the youth representative at stakeholder meetings, and work together to support a partnered initiative. In addition, while youth unemployment is a specific targeted demographic due to its higher than average levels, this can also lay the blueprint for future scalability to a general Willowdale Employment Hub.