Brad Bradford pledges 15,000 jobs for people under 30 if elected Toronto mayor in nine days
The Toronto Youth Employment Challenge would ask 10 to 15 CEOs to hire young workers, with 5,000 jobs targeted for year one and 30% directed to those facing steepest barriers.
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Brad Bradford is promising 15,000 full-time jobs for people under 30 if elected Toronto mayor in nine days. The Toronto Youth Employment Challenge would ask 10 to 15 CEOs to commit to hiring young workers, with 5,000 jobs targeted in the first year and 30% of created positions directed to youth facing the steepest barriers to employment.
The city would fund coordination at $750,000 annually, with corporations financing almost the entire program. "I have a number of things that are going to keep young people in the city, that are going to protect our talent, as we have folks across the country and around the world that are trying to hold them out of the city," Bradford told reporters Friday. "We want to keep them here."
Bradford cited a Toronto Metropolitan University study showing the city fell from No. 1 to No. 412 on a ranking of fastest-growing metropolitan areas in Canada and the U.S., with 77,000 people leaving Toronto last year. He plans to publish corporate commitments publicly and track progress annually to hold both businesses and himself accountable.
Mayor Olivia Chow countered with a local-hiring proposal: 20% of Scarborough East LRT jobs reserved for young people in the region. The city is investing $5 million in youth safety programming this summer. The mayoral election takes place soon.
What happens to the program if Bradford loses the election?
Which CEOs or companies has Bradford already secured commitments from before the announcement?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
How many full-time jobs for under-30s is Brad Bradford promising?
Brad Bradford is promising 15,000 full-time jobs for people under 30 if elected Toronto mayor.
How many CEOs would participate in the Toronto Youth Employment Challenge?
The Toronto Youth Employment Challenge would ask 10 to 15 CEOs to commit to hiring young workers.
How many jobs are targeted in the first year of the employment challenge?
The Toronto Youth Employment Challenge targets 5,000 jobs in the first year.
What percentage of jobs would go to youth facing the steepest barriers?
Thirty percent of positions created through the Toronto Youth Employment Challenge would be directed to youth facing the steepest barriers to employment.
How much would the city fund annually for program coordination?
The city would fund coordination of the Toronto Youth Employment Challenge at $750,000 annually, with corporations financing almost the entire program.
