The UpNextAjax Program

I had the honour of being a participant of a wonderful youth initiative that took place over a three-week period over the summer. The Town of Ajax created the "UpNextAjax" program as a way to help improve participants chances of landing a job or starting their own business by training them in digital marketing and offering real-world experience to use these skills with small business owners. This program came as perfect timing for me, as I was resigning from my current job and beginning a new one after the program ended, so this program kept me busy during my transition.

Youth unemployment is a serious and chronic issue in Ontario, and it is particularly bad in the Durham Region. For example, the youth unemployment rate in the Oshawa CMA is around 20%, which is higher than the national rate. I can imagine the youth unemployment rate for Pickering and Ajax to be a similar number to Oshawa. In my opinion, the federal and provincial governments do not do enough to reduce youth unemployment in the province, but to see a municipal government like The Town of Ajax attempt to take this problem head-on is refreshing to see. Not only do The Town of Ajax want to reduce youth unemployment, but also by collaborating these young professionals with small business owners, they have a desire to make Ajax an attractive place to work and to keep jobs in the area. Personally, I would rather work here in Ajax than drive or take public transit to Toronto, as The Town of Ajax is a great community to live and work in. The UpNextAjax program has reaffirmed that in me.

Every day in the three-week program consists of a presentation in the morning by an industry professional/small business owner or a group, and the afternoon consists of a technical session where we would learn how to use social media for businesses. We would then have time to work with our businesses to create and post content on their social media platforms to maximize reach and engagements. The morning presentations consisted of everything it takes to market yourself to potential employers, from writing a good resume and how to network to something like how to dress properly for an interview. All of the morning presentations were informative, and I always found myself learning something different every day that I can use in my future career. All of the presenters were memorable in their own way, and the stories and insights that they have provided were interesting.

I gained valuable experience in digital marketing, through the afternoon technical sessions where we would learn how to use social media for business use, and from actually working with our assigned businesses to apply what we have learned. The businesses that I have worked with were very excited to work with me, and they understood the fact that I was learning the aspects of digital marketing myself. These businesses presented unique challenges, which had me thinking of different ideas for each business in order to market themselves. I did not expect to make miracles, but as long as I could make a positive impact, by getting more likes and engagements and extending the reach of the business, then I am happy.

I was also happy to meet many other young professionals that were just like me. They all came from different backgrounds and I could sense that they all had their own personal motivations as to what they wanted out of this program. From talking to many of these young professionals, it was fascinating to hear their stories about what motivated them to sign up for this program and what they hoped to get out of it, from gaining new skills to find a job, to growing their professional network.

Overall, I am glad I signed up for the UpNextAjax program. I could have remained at home and kept my free time between my jobs, but I wanted to further my personal and professional development, as well as to continue to build my professional network. The wonderful thing about all of this is that I can use the digital marketing skills I learned here in my new job where I can be a more valued employee. I have met so many great, motivated people here, and I hope this program was an asset to them as it was to me. I also hope that they can take what they learned here and apply it to their future careers, instead of putting this knowledge in the basement of their brain. The Town of Ajax should continue this program for years to come, so that other young professionals can absorb things that they can use in their careers. This experience is something I will never forget.