HALIFAX – The province is encouraging young people across Nova Scotia to help make their future workplaces safer with a national video contest highlighting workplace safety and fairness.
The number of young people injured at work has lessened, however they still remain one of the most vulnerable groups of workers. Nova Scotia is teaming with the federal government and the other provinces and territories to launch the national video contest.
"The province is working with employers and industries on a plan to make Nova Scotia the safest place to work in Canada," MLA Becky Kent said in a news release on Wednesday. "It is important to me to hear from young people, too.
"We don't want a young worker's first job to include their first injury, so we are committed to working with them so they can stay safe and be treated fairly."
The It's Your Job contest invites high school students and youth ages 18 to 24, to create and submit a video related to awareness about workplace health and safety, or employment standards, such as fair wages, vacation pay or overtime. Videos in the two age categories can be up to two minutes long.
"This contest is a great way to get youth and young adults like us engaged in discussions about workplace health and safety," said Dayna Hackett, human resources student at NSCC. "It's important to get involved and understand the impact it can have on our work life. We have a right to be safe and to be treated fairly."
The 18 to 24 age category is open to Canadians, with a national winner. High school students will compete provincially, with winning videos advancing to a national contest. A panel of celebrity judges will select the top videos for both categories, which will receive $3,000.
"As we finalize our workplace safety strategy together, we're incredibly pleased to be partnering with the province on this creative initiative," said Shelley Rowan, vice-president of prevention and service delivery with the Workers' Compensation Board of Nova Scotia. "Our young Nova Scotians represent the future of our workforce, which is why it is so important to have conversations about workplace safety early on."
The 18 to 24 age category is open to Canadians, with a national winner. High school students will compete provincially, with winning videos advancing to a national contest. A panel of celebrity judges will select the top videos for both categories, which will receive $3,000.
The top videos can be viewed online in May, where people can vote for their favourite.
The contest opens Friday, Feb. 1. The deadline for submissions is April 5.
For more information, go to www.gov.ns.ca/lae/itsyourjob .
