The delegate-led summit is a first of its
kind approach to engaging young people in the future
of urban work
EDMONTON, Oct. 16, 2019 /CNW/ - Today, YouthfulCities
welcomes 60 young leaders to Edmonton for a first of its kind summit on the
future of urban work. The summit delegates hail from 16 cities
across Canada, including 20 young
leaders from the host city – Edmonton. Facilitated with support from
national and regional sponsors, including RBC Future Launch and the
Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC), the summit puts
young people at the forefront of insights and ideas around urban
work and its future.
The Future of Urban Work Summit is an extension of the 2019
YouthfulCities Urban Work Index, launched in February, 2019. The
research, insights and core themes included in the Index form the
background for the Summit, which ranked host-city Edmonton as the top city for youth to work in
Canada. Key themes for exploration
are employment, entrepreneurship, education, work integrated
learning and adaptable economies. Sub themes will include how
affordability, equity, environment, mental health, and advanced
technology affect work. The Summit combines analysis, scenario
mapping and rapid solution prototyping. It will culminate with
delegates providing concrete ideas to help cities prepare for, and
excel at, the future of work.
"For all the talk about how youth will be affected by the future
of work, it's rare that young people themselves are at the centre
of dialogue and solutions for it," said Robert Barnard, Co-Founder, YouthfulCities. "In
creating the Future of Urban Work Summit, YouthfulCities addresses
this gap. With 87% of Canadian youth living in cities, the future
of work will be urban. Canada
needs its cities to excel at urban work to compete on a global
stage for talent."
"As organizations, thought-leaders and employers adapt to the
future of work, it is incredibly important that young people are
represented as an equal voice in these conversations," said
Mark Beckles, Senior Director, Youth
Strategy & Innovation, RBC. "RBC Future Launch believes in the
power and potential of Canadian youth, and we are excited to
partner with YouthfulCities for the Future of Urban Work Summit,
which shares in this same vision."
"Edmonton is one of
Canada's youngest cities with the
highest discretionary income in the country. We are one of the most
affordable major cities to live in and we have some of the best
educational institutions. Edmonton
provides a healthy ecosystem for young thought leaders to take a
risk so we're incredibly proud to have been recognized as
Canada's most Youthful City.
Edmonton is at a tipping point and
we know these young minds attending the Future of Urban Work Summit
will shape our city into a hub for talent, creativity, quality of
life and more in the very near future," Cheryll Watson, Vice President, Innovate
Edmonton.
Visit the YouthfulCities website for more information on the
Urban Work delegates.
About YouthfulCities
Since 2012, YouthfulCities has
designed programs that build a unique base of urban knowledge while
engaging youth (15-29 years) to design and develop innovative
solutions to their cities' critical issues. Our urban indexes
ignite an important dialogue about the importance of youth to the
future of cities. Our 30Labs and Summits activate youth to create
positive change in cities.
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 86,000+ 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 more than 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.
About EEDC
As an agency of the City of Edmonton, Edmonton Economic
Development's (EEDC) mandate is to recommend economic development
policy and strategy for the City of
Edmonton, execute strategy as assigned by the Shareholder,
and conduct a broad range of economic development initiatives in
collaboration with the City of
Edmonton and other partners. The organization currently
manages the following divisions: Edmonton Tourism, Edmonton Convention Centre, Edmonton EXPO
Centre, and Innovate Edmonton. For more information, visit
annualreport.eedc.ca.
SOURCE RBC