September 26, 2012

National social media contest tries to improve young worker safety

A new national social media contest is aimed at raising awareness about the importance of workplace health and safety in young workers.

It’s Your Job! is intended to challenge secondary school students and young workers aged 18 to 24 years old, to create videos demonstrating the importance of workplace safety and rights.

The top secondary school videos from all the provinces and territories will be submitted to the Canadian finals where first place is $2,000, second will receive $1,500 and third $1,000.

First place for the 18 to 24-year-old category is $3,000 with $2,000 for second and $1,000 for third place.

Both first place winners will automatically be entered to represent Canada in a 2013 international workplace video contest.

A selection of top videos from both categories will be posted on a designated YouTube video contest channel from May 4 to 12, 2013, where they will be nationally viewed and voted on by Canadian residents.

The videos that receive the most votes in each category will each receive an additional prize of $1,000.

Judges include Jim Caruk, master contractor and Home and Garden Television personality and Threads of Life founder Shirley Hickman.

This initiative was announced as federal, provincial and territorial labour ministers recently met to discuss current and emerging labour issues and share best practices on the continued well-being of workers and employers.

“Workplace practices and policies are strengthened by collaboration and dialogue between all levels of governments, employers and unions,” said Ontario labour minister Linda Jeffrey.

The ministers also participated in presentations and roundtable discussions regarding today’s workplaces and labour policy.

Specific topics included workforce diversity; international labour issues; worker protection; and occupational health and safety, including the need to address psychological health and safety in the workplace. 

For more information on the contest, visit the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada website.

Contestants can submit videos starting Feb. 1, 2013 until the contest closes on April 5, 2013.

JOC NEWS SERVICE

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