Support Young Worker Education

Young workers are the future of the world and the economy. But what happens when they go off to their first job and you get a call saying that your son or daughter has been in an accident and they have been seriously injured, or the even more dreadful call that they have been killed.

This is a situation that none of us would ever like to experience, but the harsh reality is that it happens way too often. Young workers all across Canada have lost the use of or even their limbs themselves and their lives just going to work and doing the job they have been paid to do. Although work places are supposed to provide proper training, most do not provide enough and our youth unfortunately are not educated about what their rights are or about the potential dangers of the workplace that lay ahead of them.

Accidents do happen, but we can stop many of them as they are easily preventable by simply educating our youth before they step into the workplace.

What we are proposing is a health and safety week to be incorporated into the school system. This will teach every student from grade ten through twelve the necessary tools needed to help them on their way when they start their first day of work. The program will include everything from knowing their rights at work, potential dangers they may encounter, what to do if an accident occurs, and the questions they should be asking their employer throughout their career.

This program is essential to the development of our youth so that they may go to work with confidence that they will be safe and have a much more positive experience while they are there. Most young workers are intimidated by their employer so they may simply accept their employer’s word that the workplace is safe, and may not want to risk asking questions for fear that they may lose their job.

Workplace injuries have lasting effects on the victims and their families that cannot be changed. Knowing your role can make all the difference!