Opinion: Beyond the summer job: Why mentorship matters for B.C.'s future workforce

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Each summer, thousands of young Canadians enter the workforce for the first time, building skills, earning income, gaining confidence, and taking important first steps toward their future careers.

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But as Canada’s labour market continues to shift, we are also seeing a growing reality emerge for many young people, especially those facing barriers or limited access to professional networks: securing a summer job is becoming harder — and a summer job alone is not always enough.

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While there has been in uptick in youth employment, recent labour market reporting has pointed to a softer youth employment market than many students experienced just a few years ago, with employers hiring more cautiously and entry-level opportunities becoming increasingly competitive. For many young people, particularly those entering the workforce for the first time, that uncertainty can feel discouraging.

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And for girls and gender-diverse youth particularly, those pressures are often compounded by affordability concerns, mental-health challenges, caregiving responsibilities, lower confidence in leadership pathways, and unequal access to professional networks and opportunities.

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As conversations continue across Canada about productivity, labour shortages, workforce participation, and economic resilience, we should also be talking more seriously about building professional networks and invest in readiness programming for young people as a core part of workforce development strategy.

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Because economic development is ultimately about people.

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We often think about infrastructure as roads, transit, housing, or technology systems. Yet there is another kind of infrastructure that helps societies function and economies grow: social infrastructure. Relationships, networks, mentorship, and exposure to opportunity all shape whether young people are able to navigate challenges, stay engaged in education, and successfully transition into the workforce.

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Recent research from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America positions mentorship as a form of “essential social infrastructure” that helps young people transition successfully into education, employment, and adulthood. Their research argues that mentorship creates the “connective tissue” that supports workforce readiness, confidence, emotional resilience, and long-term economic mobility — particularly for youth who may otherwise lack access to professional networks, guidance, or consistent support.

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That framing matters.

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Business leaders already understand that technical skills alone are not enough. Employers consistently emphasize communication, adaptability, collaboration, leadership, and emotional intelligence — capabilities often developed through relationships, guidance, encouragement, and exposure over time.