Nurturing employable youth
Youth chase their dream through volunteering and relationship-building in Young Leaders program
Youth pull out all the stops to work the crowd, start conversations and leverage fun and excitement. They were showcasing their brand and capabilities at the fourth annual Young Leaders Program Tradeshow and Expo held at Credit Union Place on Saturday. “This is the pinnacle of the event. It helps the youth with their self-confidence and gives them so many skill sets,” said Jason Gallant, one of the organizers from the Boys and Girls Club of Summerside. The design of the program is to equip youth aged 12 to 15 with essential skills needed for employment, while partnering with local business to open the doors of future employment through networking. Among the 26 young leaders and 16 interactive booths, was Landon Deschene, aged 13, representing Novus Auto Glass. “I’ve met so many new people and this expo is so much fun,” he said. “I’ve learned that Novus Auto Glass is the best company in Canada and America. They replace windshields and windows, as well as fix cracks on cars at a good price and quick too.” When it comes to future employability, Deschene admitted he has an advantage. “I’m bilingual and help many people with translation,” he remarked. “A lady was having back pain and needed her backpack to be taken off, but my grandmother couldn’t understand her. She asked me if I could help and I replied in French and then assisted.” But Deschene acknowledged that his sights are set on being a coder. “I’m fluent in computer (programming) language and I know Java, Python, HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)…” he listed them off. Declan Rockwell, aged 15, and Evan Aylward, aged 13, were proudly representing Castle Spring Valley Building Centre. “We filmed a commercial with people posed as mannequins to promote the business,” noted Aylward. “What’s different about Castle is they care about their customers, and if someone leaves unsatisfied, we will hunt them down and ask them what we did wrong, so we can improve for the next person,” explained Rockwell. The two young leaders both agreed that for future employment they hope to start their own company. “I want to lead my own pack,” announced Aylward. Rockwell added, “This has been a great learning experience and we’ve grown in confidence. If you put your mind to it, anything is possible, and you can go further in life than you think.” Gallant thanked all the local businesses participating and said, “We’re so lucky that we have great businesses in our community, and it’s important to set the youth up on the right foot.”