The end of the school year signaled the start of an annual rite of passage for Lynn*. The outspoken, personable 19 year-old just completed a year of studies in Environmental Technologies at Seneca College in preparation for the Environmental Studies program at University of British Columbia. She’s one of thousands of Oakville youths who pounded the pavement in search of summer employment in the Town’s many cafes and shops. This year, she landed a job at Home Depot.

Lynn was lucky. There’s little doubt that current economic conditions will make the job hunt more challenging for many than in past years. According to recent Statistics Canada figures, while the national unemployment rate held steady at eight per cent in April 2009, the number jumped 43 per cent to 14.2 per cent in the 15-24 category.

“I used to go job hunting with a friend who didn’t pay as close attention to his appearance as me,” recalls Lynn. “While I got every job I applied for, he had to do that much more to get his skills noticed. The irony is he’s probably more motivated than me but wasn’t perceived as employee material simply because he wore ripped clothes.”

Stories like Lynn’s became a hot topic of discussion last spring during meetings of Oakville’s Respect Youth Action Committee, comprised of youth and Halton Regional Police Service officers. “Our committee talked a lot about the negative experiences they had in seeking employment,” said Inspector Jackie Gordon of the Halton Regional Police Service 2 District in Oakville and Respect Youth Action Program Coordinator. “There was a widespread feeling among youth that businesses and residents judge them by their age and appearance and they wanted to challenge those perceptions.”

The debate led to the development of the final poster in a series of three unveiled by the Respect Youth Action Plan Committee in Oakville in June 2009. Like Respect is Earned and Don’t Do It before it, Who Would You Hire? was created and produced by young committee members to educate target audiences about key issues of concern. Unlike its crime-focused predecessors (which are aimed at teens and twenty-somethings), the goal of the final poster is to raise broader community awareness around the issue and impacts of stereotyping.

The belief is that challenging employers and residents to recognize their biases is the first step toward positive change.

“Respect is a two-way street,” says Lynn. Everyone says respect others and your surroundings but when you’re not getting respect in return, what’s the point? The truth is most youth are fundamentally good people who are just looking for a chance. By looking beyond appearance, you can find so much more.”

Inspector Gordon agrees. “The community as a whole benefits when there is a deep, shared respect for one another. We challenge local businesses to not only support youth by placing one of their posters in their shop window, but to keep an open mind and to be kind to one another.”

If you are interested in more information or wish to receive a poster for display in your business, contact Cst. Carla Draper, Community Support Officer at 905-825-4747 ext. 2202.

* Last name withheld