Centennial College students shout ‘Ready Aim Hire’ with campaign to get people taking about youth unemployment

TORONTO, May 14, 2014 /CNW/ - What was your first job? This question is the foundation of the Ready Aim Hire campaign, an initiative of a group of student volunteers at Centennial College's Story Arts Centre. A campaign for youth, by youth and about youth, Ready Aim Hire aims to start a conversation about the important issue of youth unemployment in Ontario, especially among youth facing multiple barriers.

Using the full range of interactive story-telling techniques taught at the Story Arts Centre - from video to social media to event management - the students tell stories about transformative opportunities. Interviewing youth who have faced multiple barriers - such as lack of support systems, low income and racial discrimination - the students reveal powerful and inspiring stories about first or pivotal jobs, about how a single opportunity changed a life.

"The campaign reflects the importance of student participation in finding a solution," says Nick Cahill, student co-chair. "These issues affect us directly."

Submit your story
The students' work is on readyaimhire.me. To keep the conversation going, Ready Aim Hire is asking for submissions - in any medium - about success stories that resulted from a first job or opportunity. "We hope to demonstrate to employers that it is youth's determination to succeed and the ability to learn new skills that make a valued employee," says Cahill.

"Working as a group from various programs, including corporate communications and public relations, film, journalism, music and graphic design, we learned not only about the value of collaboration, but also about taking an active role in social issues impacting our demographic," says Mary-Ellen Rayner, a PR student and volunteer co-chair. "Throughout our eight-month experience we wanted to put a human face on youth unemployment and the barriers facing young people hoping to gain entry to the labour market."

About the Project
Ready Aim Hire is an initiative of Project Fusion, a volunteer collaboration between students at Centennial College's Story Arts Centre. The project is supported by the Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance, youth focused non-profit Youth in Motion, and Centennial College's Global Citizenship and Equity Learning Experience (GCELE).

Call to Action

You're invited: Ready Aim Hire: The Talk event to be held June 4 at 6 p.m. at Story Arts Centre, timed to be an election topic

Ready Aim Hire: The Call: Share your first job story at readyaimhire.me

SOURCE: Centennial College

Amirah El-Safty
Media Relations
[email protected]
905-466-3624

Donna Lindell
Faculty Supporter
[email protected]
416-778-8844