Young and new workers

Union awareness program draws on IWH research findings to target all new workers–not just workers who are young.

Published: October 2010

Young people in Canada aged 12 to 14 are working in greater numbers than most would suppose. Nearly 53 per cent of youth in Ontario and 42 per cent in British Columbia reported working during the school year, according to a new study conducted at the Institute for Work & Health.

Published: November 2009

Although young males have typically had higher work-related injury rates than older ones, this trend has changed in some parts of Canada, where young men now have rates similar to those of older men. This Issue Briefing presents a detailed breakdown of workplace injury rates for men and women in three provinces over time, and suggests potential reasons for the trends.

Published: October 2009

A recent Institute for Work & Health study suggests that young people with dyslexia may be at greater risk of work injury due to their learning disability. This early finding underscores the importance of accommodating different learning styles in health and safety training.

Published: October 2009

Young people aged 16 to 24 years who are out of school (and especially those with less than a high school diploma) are at a particularly elevated risk of work injury. To determine the optimal way to improve occupational health and safety (OHS) for this “high risk” subgroup, the Institute for Work & Health collaborated with the Ontario Association of Youth Employment Centres (OEYAC) to conduct an online survey through youth employment centres across Ontario. This plenary will outline the main findings of this survey and discuss recommendations for employers and policy-makers in Ontario

Published: September 2009

Knowledge exchanges across the prevention system helps research findings reach front-line consultants and shape service delivery model.

Published: September 2009

Using youth employment centres for the first time to connect with out-of-school young workers about job safety, a new Institute for Work & Health study shows this hard-to-reach group possesses some basic knowledge of health and safety, yet it still experiences above-average injury rates.

Published: July 2009

This presentation reports on findings from a case study of the Canadian LifeQuilt, a commemorative quilt and online memorial website dedicated to the remembrance of 100 young workers who died at work.

Published: June 2009

Research is emerging that “newness” is associated with a higher risk of work injury. Whether it’s young workers, workers of all ages new to their jobs, recent immigrants or employees in newly established firms, the evidence indicates that these workers face higher injury rates and/or more hazardous jobs. This Issue Briefing summarizes the key research behind these findings and explores the implications for policy-makers and health and safety service providers.

Published: May 2009

This report from the Institute for Work and Health and the Ontario Association of Youth Employment Centres looks at work injuries and health and safety knowledge among a high-risk group of workers: young people aged 15 to 24 who are out of school, especially those with less than a high school diploma.

Published: May 2009