Bold Futures: Built by Youth. Powered by Skills.
What skills do young people need to thrive — in work, in learning, and in life?
Youthful Cities and Tamarack Institute have been digging into that question through DEVlab, a national project funded in part by the Government of Canada’s National Essential Skills Initiative program.Together with young people across the country, we’ve explored what it takes to build dynamic, engaged, and vital workforces — ones that reflect the future youth want to lead.
We looked at the skills youth need to succeed and the barriers they face in developing them. We asked: How do young people experience the shift from school to work? What matters most to them in the workplace? And how can cities, organizations, and systems better support their success?
Then we brought those insights to life.
Bold Futures is a compelling webinar series bringing together youth voices, expert perspectives, and community leaders to unpack the findings, challenge assumptions, and co-create solutions. Across seven sessions, you’ll uncover the trends, tensions, and transformations happening in cities across Canada — and how we can move forward together.
Whether you’re a youth-serving organization, policymaker, advocate, community builder, or a young changemaker yourself, these conversations are for you.
Watch them to help us build the future — boldly and collaboratively.
Urban Work Index 2024: The best city for youth to work in Canada
This crucial index is designed to provide the data urgently necessary to reshape the workforce into one that is dynamic, engaged, and vital. It’s a culmination of a year of Youthful Cities investigation into what youth need to succeed and there’s no time to waste: action is needed now!
Launched October 9, 2024, in cities across Canada including Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver, the Urban Work Index 2024 unveils the best city for youth to work in Canada. This comprehensive data index delves into the strengths and challenges in city workplaces across Canada in the aftermath of the pandemic.
In this event, we announced the outcomes of our analysis and find out how cities are faring in their efforts to attract the best and brightest workers to fuel a thriving economy for the next generation. Uncover key insights, participate in meaningful solution-oriented discussions, and connect with employers, policymakers, and community leaders. Together, we can create more dynamic, engaged, and vital young workforces in Canadian cities.
Beyond 9-5
In this event series, we decided there was no time to lose. We started building momentum around the critical issues we’ve been discerning through the data. It’s clear that the smoke hasn’t cleared on the pandemic’s impact yet. Cities, organizations, and youth continue to forge new paths through this emerging world.
Youthful Cities teams from across Canada, including Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal put together events for youth in five core themes.
- Commuting
- Green Economy
- Organizational culture
- Housing
- Skills mismatch and future of work
