Supporting Young People's Voices in Employment Decision-Making
Youth in Yellowknife are shaping decisions that affect their futures while building stronger connections with employers, mentors, and community organizations. Through Home Base Yellowknife and Hazho Elexe Let'eezhe (We Learn & Grow Together), young people are informing local priorities and influencing opportunities available to youth in their community.
For some participants, the result has been a stronger sense of direction and belonging.
Reflecting on a recent employment initiative, one young person shared, "Great program! I feel less lost about life now. Thank you."
The work has strengthened youth belonging by creating spaces where young people have a voice in decisions that affect them. Community leaders describe youth as active partners whose ideas directly influence planning and activities. Their experiences help ensure employment initiatives reflect the realities young people face.
In Yellowknife, limited youth employment data and the absence of a youth community plan created a need to learn directly from young people. Community conversations revealed barriers including limited career exposure, transportation challenges, difficulty accessing meaningful entry-level opportunities, and a lack of connection with employers and mentors. Indigenous youth often face additional systemic and structural barriers to employment. The majority of youth participants involved in the work identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour), reinforcing the importance of creating opportunities shaped by lived experience, community relationships, and youth leadership.
These insights shaped how the community approached the work. Youth became part of leadership discussions and community planning conversations. Their perspectives helped identify priorities and guide action. This approach strengthened relationships, increased trust, and created a stronger foundation for ongoing engagement.
The 'Try A Career' project
The impact of this approach can be seen through the Try A Career innovation project. Twenty youth participated in paid job-shadowing placements with nine local employers, gaining hands-on experience in workplaces across Yellowknife. Youth explored careers that matched their interests, developed workplace skills, built confidence, and learned more about the kinds of work they wanted to pursue. Participants reflected on discovering new strengths, becoming more independent, and gaining a clearer sense of their future goals. One participant shared, "This experience helped me figure out what I want to do." Another reported, "I discovered strengths I didn't know I had."
Relationships between youth and employers have also grown stronger. Structured conversations brought employers and youth together to discuss experiences, challenges, and opportunities. Employers learned more about the barriers young people face. Youth gained a better understanding of workplace expectations and employment opportunities.
Employers also described positive experiences. Mentors highlighted the value of sharing their knowledge and supporting youth development, while several organizations expressed interest in participating again.
One employer reflected, "We'd love to be part of this project again."
In one example, Old Town Glass Works had been hesitant to hire local youth. Concerns about funding and a lack of familiarity with young applicants created barriers to offering employment opportunities. Through the Try A Career project, employers had the opportunity to work directly with youth and better understand their strengths and potential. As a result, Old Town Glass Works identified a young person they wanted to support and began seeking funding and training opportunities to help prepare that youth for future employment. This shift demonstrated how direct relationships can change perceptions and create new pathways into the workforce.
Employers began to see youth employment differently. Conversations created opportunities to ask questions, listen to lived experiences, and build understanding. Several employers became active participants in the work, and additional organizations expressed interest in becoming involved.
Community Partners as Youth Allies
Community partners have been an important driver of success. Their involvement has helped build momentum, increase participation, and create opportunities for learning and collaboration. Interest from local organizations continues to grow as more people see the value of bringing youth and employers together.
Through participation in The Tamarack Institute's Pathways for Youth Employment (PYE) cohort and Communities Building Belonging Communities of Practice, community leaders have connected with expertise, ideas, and peer communities working to strengthen youth employment and belonging. These connections create opportunities to share learning and bring new ideas back to Yellowknife.
This relationship-building approach continues through the Youth Opportunity Fair. The event aims to bring together youth, employers, organizations, and community supports in an accessible and welcoming environment where young people can explore opportunities, ask questions, share their perspectives, and make new connections. Designed for youth aged 15 to 30 in Yellowknife, the fair builds on lessons learned through the community's work. Belonging grows when young people can connect directly with employers, community leaders, and one another in spaces where their voices are valued.
The work has generated important lessons. Community leaders found that face-to-face communication is often the most effective way to build trust and maintain engagement. They also emphasized the importance of spending time in the community, listening carefully, and creating opportunities for youth voices to be heard beyond formal project activities.
Community leaders see opportunities for employers to create roles that better support young people entering the workforce. Stronger relationships between youth and employers can create more opportunities for young people while helping employers connect with the next generation of workers.
Next, the community plans to continue strengthening connections between youth and employers, supporting youth leadership, and advancing new innovation projects. Youth voices will remain central to the work as Yellowknife continues building pathways to employment and creating stronger experiences of belonging for young people.
Read more:
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View the 2026 Yellowknife Pathways for Youth Employment Innovation Report
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Learn more about Communities Building Youth Futures
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