Recruiting & Retaining Today’s Youth Workforce with First Work

Webinar Date: August 27, 2025 — 2:00 PM EDT

Youth are a key demographic for restaurants to achieve a sustainable source of domestic talent. Yet, youth are experiencing lower employment rates, and businesses are encountering challenges with employing them. Why? What are the challenges? How can restaurants pivot and respond to the realities of today’s younger workers? Restaurants Canada is joined by First Work, a membership network of youth employment programs in Ontario, to share insights into some of the best practices restaurants across Canada can use to improve youth employment outcomes.

You’ll learn:

• What’s driving the youth employment gap and how it’s impacting restaurants across Canada
• Research insights on youth workforce behaviour
• Proven, youth-friendly hiring and onboarding practices used by operators nationwide
• Inclusive approaches that improve recruitment and retention for all young workers

We’ll also share fresh insights from a recent survey with fellow industry leaders and give you the chance to weigh in through live polls and Q&A. This webinar will help inform Restaurants Canada’s efforts to develop resources to support the industry’s ability to successfully recruit and retain today’s youth.

Speakers:

Donald Guse Salah

Director, Workforce Development | Restaurants Canada

Akosua Alagaratnam

Executive Director | First Work