We keep telling young people the same thing — start with an entry-level job, build experience, work your way up. It’s a reasonable ladder.

Except, for too many youth in this city, the bottom rung is missing.

“Entry-level” is no longer entry-level. Today, those entry-level roles demand previous work experience, volunteer hours, extracurricular credentials and an unspoken familiarity with workplace culture that can only be learned on the job. Without those things, or a connection who can open a door, the first opportunity often doesn’t come.

You need experience to get a job, but you need a job to get experience.

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For some young people, that gap is bridged by a well-connected parent or neighbour who runs a business. For the youth I work with at Safe Haven Foundation of Canada — young people navigating housing instability, financial stress and limited support networks — those informal........

© Calgary Herald