...even though the same incompetents where returned to office both at the municipal and provincial level and the number of participants was dismal.
James: Youth, business give mixed review of city’s future
May 06, 2010Royson James
And neither are the businesses that will employ 18- to 35-year-olds, according to a new survey conducted by Leger Marketing for George Brown College.
Both employers and the next generation of movers and shakers give mixed reviews on Toronto’s potential as a thriving urban region, compared with other international cities and our Canadian competitors.
• A majority embrace and laud Toronto’s multiculturalism, but only one in five believes Toronto is “much better” at providing opportunities to newcomers than other international cities.
• One in five say they are unlikely to be living here in 10 years. And those who plan to stay don’t point to love and passion for Toronto. They cite reasons such as “always lived here,” a job, being comfortable, friends. Only 21 per cent said “I like, love it here.”
• Overall, respondents rate Toronto behind other international cities in providing career opportunities and being a place with strong economic growth potential. But they ranked Toronto ahead of Montreal and Vancouver.
• About half anticipate either that little will change or that the city will be worse off in the next decade.
• They finger traffic congestion, poor transit and high living costs as negative aspects of life in Toronto.
College president Anne Sado said “it won’t be long before we lose our domestic and international stature,” if the city-region does not modernize its infrastructure, close the skills gap, better integrate newcomers and drastically improve the level of research and innovation.
“We’ve got to take them up a big notch to where it will make a difference,” Sado said in an interview. “It’s crucial for Toronto to improve as a city and address the core socioeconomic indicators that will be instrumental to its future competitiveness.”
Conducted last January, the survey interviewed a random sample of 500 residents aged 18-35 and 300 of the city’s employees to gauge their views on the city’s economic, employment and social prospects.
Since these young people will shape the region’s future, and their voices are frequently muted, Sado said the downtown college gave them the platform.
What do they like most about Toronto? Diversity, entertainment options, accessible transit and, for the employers, a thriving business centre. And, get this: 16 per cent of the respondents listed “friendly people” as a positive.
Some 86 per cent of the youth say Toronto is a good place to live and do business, while 73 per cent of the employers concur.
What needs improvement? The shortage of skilled labour, waterfront revitalization and the need for immigrants to fill labour shortages, a need cited by 82 per cent of employers but only 68 per cent of youth.
Biggest perceived weaknesses: affordability, workforce skills, science and technology industry, environmental friendliness. Not in any of these did they view Toronto as performing “much or somewhat better than world cities.”
Sado invited mayoral candidates to use the study’s findings for discussion and dialogue.
“We as a city need some significant action to deal with the challenges we face. I hope the mayoral candidates use this. It comes from the future workforce, key stakeholders, and a demographic whose voice is not always heard.”
Municipal leaders looking at the survey may want to note this: Asked to name the “worst things about Toronto,” respondents picked, in order of frequency, poor transit, high taxes, traffic congestion, gangs, litter, winter weather and, then — city hall politicians.
That’s ahead of pollution, homelessness, unfriendly Torontonians or expensive TTC.
Thankfully, there is a potent city hall remedy — the Oct. 25 election.
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