‘You can find everything easily.’ YK youth fair puts opportunities in one place

Yellowknife youth had the chance to learn about jobs, programs, community supports and other opportunities at the city’s first Youth Opportunity Fair.

The event, held at Somba K’e Civic Plaza outside City Hall, brought together more than 25 organizations, community partners and employers from Yellowknife, Ndilǫ and Dettah.

The fair was designed primarily for youth aged 15 to 30, but it also welcomed community members looking to connect with local organizations and supports.

Christina Moore, the Indigenous youth worker at the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre, said the event was about making it easier for young people to see what is available to them.

“There really are so many great opportunities for youth in the community, and if you don’t know about them, that’s hard,” Moore said.

Moore coordinates the Hazhǫ Ełexè Łets’eèzhe program, which she said means “we learn and grow together.” The program is part of a network of youth-serving organizations focused on engaging and empowering young people.

The idea for the fair came from Finnlay Rutherford-Simon, who attended another community gathering with Moore and wondered whether there was a similar event specifically designed to connect youth with local opportunities.

“It’s really about bringing community partners together, youth-serving groups, and youth, and even Elders, to really lift youth up and let them know we’re here to support them,” Moore said.

Narlie Dapilos, the community and youth engagement specialist at Hotıì ts’eeda, was at the fair representing the research support centre and also helped Rutherford-Simon and PYE Yellowknife organize the event.

PYE, or Pathways for Youth Employment, is a Yellowknife program that helps youth aged 15 to 30 gain practical work experience and support as they transition into the workforce.

Dapilos said the fair built on existing gatherings where youth-serving organizations connect with one another. The event offered a way to bring information about those organizations and their programs directly to young people and the wider community.

For high school students Izabelle Pike and Christy Ndoro, having so many organizations gathered in one place made finding opportunities easier.

“I feel like, as [a] youth myself, it’s hard to find opportunities when they’re all scattered around,” Pike said. “Having events like this is really nice. It’s all compact and you can find everything easily.”

Pike said she discovered programs she did not previously know existed and picked up a job guide that she hopes will help with her search for work.

Ndoro said the event was particularly useful for young people looking for employment and experience.

“A lot of the people that are hiring are looking for people with more experience, but then it’s like, where do you get that experience?” she said.

Organizers hope the inaugural Youth Opportunity Fair will become an annual event, with room to grow and bring even more organizations and young people together.

“You never know what’s out there if you don’t look,” Pike said.

Jasmine Nasogaluak contributed reporting.