RBC introduces Upskill, an online resource
to help prepare Canadian youth for the jobs of
tomorrow
TORONTO, Oct. 16, 2018 /CNW/ - An RBC survey of more
than 2,000 Canadians aged 15-24, has found that across every
province and major city, youth are feeling hopeful, but nervous
about their future employment prospects. To help young people turn
that hope and nervousness into confidence, RBC Future Launch has
created RBC UpskillTM, an online resource using the most
current Canadian labour market data to help young people understand
how their past experiences and current skills will help prepare
them for the jobs of tomorrow.
"Overwhelmingly, Canadian youth are feeling anxious and
unprepared about entering the workforce, but there's a silver
lining – they also have underlying optimism and excitement for the
future," said Valerie Chort, Vice
President, Corporate Citizenship, RBC. "By launching RBC Upskill,
we're offering a freely accessible tool that provides
easy-to-understand, personalized information on career
possibilities that will help young Canadians build confidence as
they navigate their future career prospects."
RBC Upskill offers young Canadians:
- Personal skills profiles based on experience to help the
young person understand the skills they have to offer.
- Career suggestions based on underlying skills and
interests to explore real opportunities in the Canadian labour
market.
- Additional information and resources, including tips for
skills-based resume writing and networking which will help the
young person move forward and take action.
"RBC Upskill is not only a useful tool for young people, but
it's also a resource for parents who want to give advice but aren't
sure what to say because today's job market is largely
unrecognizable from when they were starting out," said Mark Beckles, Senior Director, Youth Strategy
and Innovation, RBC. "If we can also equip parents with confident
advice, perhaps we can relieve some of the nervousness youth are
feeling."
Other key findings from the survey include:
- While most young people have some idea of the professional area
they want to pursue, and are confident it will be in demand in the
future, they appear to have mixed feelings about entering the
workforce, with only a fifth saying that they feel very prepared to
do so.
- When it comes to accessing career advice, the majority of youth
across the country report that their parents are the first stop (8
provinces1), followed by online resources (8
provinces).
- The majority of Canadian youth (83%) believe that a part-time
job is the best way to develop professional skills. However,
Statistics Canada reported that
the summer employment rate for youth aged 15-24 who are returning
to school was just 50.9 per cent in 2018.
- When it comes to their top worries about future employment,
rejection due to lack of experience is at the forefront, followed
by finding satisfying work.
Survey Methodology
From September 17 to 24, 2018 Maru/Blue conducted an
online survey amongst 2,022 Canadians from across the country, 984
of whom were aged 15 to 17 and 1,038 of whom were 18 to 24 years
old. The survey was conducted in both English and French.
About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with
a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading
performance. Our success comes from the 84,000+ employees who bring
our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients
thrive and communities prosper. As Canada's biggest bank, and one of the largest
in the world based on market capitalization, we have a diversified
business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional
experiences to our 16 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 34 other countries. Learn
more at rbc.com.
We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives
through donations, community investments and employee volunteer
activities. See how at rbc.com/community-sustainability.
1
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Youth were surveyed
nationwide but PEI did not reach a statistically significant number
of responses so results are based on 9 provinces, not
10.
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SOURCE RBC