If no one gives young people a chance, where do they gain experience?

Lesley Davidson is the president and chief executive officer at the YMCA of Greater Toronto.

Ask almost any employer what they’re looking for in an employee, and you’ll hear a familiar answer: experience.

Ask a young person how they’re supposed to gain that experience and the conversation gets much quieter.

Organizations talk a lot about the skills young people need. We spend less time talking about how we can help them develop those skills.

If we are serious about preparing the next generation for the workforce of tomorrow, we need to give them places to learn, contribute and grow long before they’re expected to lead.

New YMCA Canada and YMCA of Greater Toronto research, commissioned by Angus Reid, found 80 per cent of Canadians believe young people today face greater challenges and are less prepared for the future than they were 10 years ago. Nearly as many believe youth face significant challenges entering the workforce, while 95 per cent identify at least one barrier standing in their way, including economic conditions, increased competition for jobs and the growing impact of artificial intelligence and automation on entry-level work.

The result is a troubling paradox: young people are ready and willing to work but often can’t find a place to begin. They’re being told they need experience for positions that were once designed to provide it.

For marginalized youth, systemic inequities can make the path to meaningful employment even more difficult, underscoring the need for pathways that are accessible, inclusive and equitable.

Previous generations faced their own challenges, but today’s young people are coming of age in a different environment. Many spent formative years during the pandemic, losing opportunities to build social connections, participate in extracurricular activities and gain early work experience. Now, they are entering adulthood as technology transforms how we learn, work and communicate at extraordinary speed.

AI will undoubtedly create new opportunities. But it will also make distinctly human skills more valuable: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, adaptability and sound judgment.

Those skills are built through experience, mentorship, feedback and real-world opportunities.

That’s why a first job matters so much.

It is about far more than a paycheque. A first job is often where young people learn what is expected in a professional environment, discover their strengths and begin to see themselves as contributors.

For many of us already in the workforce, those early experiences were stepping stones to our careers. Today, they can feel increasingly out of reach.

Employers have a critical role to play – and much to gain.

Young people bring qualities organizations increasingly need: curiosity, adaptability, fresh perspectives and a natural fluency with emerging technologies. Investing in them isn’t an act of charity. It’s an investment in the future workforce every organization will eventually depend on.

Employers can create meaningful pathways through paid internships, summer jobs, mentorship programs, co-op placements, apprenticeships and entry-level positions. Schools can strengthen the connection between learning and employment. And community organizations can help bridge the two.

At the YMCA of Greater Toronto, we see the impact of these opportunities every day. Thousands of young people have found their first jobs at the Y, including people who have gone on to become leaders in government, business and the charitable sector. Their careers began in roles such as camp counsellors, lifeguards, child care educators and youth workers.

When young people are given a meaningful opportunity to contribute, they rise to it. Their confidence grows. Their ambitions expand. And they gain the experience that businesses are looking for.

This column is part of Globe Careers’ Leadership Lab series, where executives and experts share their views and advice about the world of work. Find all Leadership Lab stories at tgam.ca/leadershiplab.