Teens’ Question for Candidates

“Getting started is hard enough for the average person, let alone an inexperienced teenager. With rising costs of living and hard competition, and as AI changes the workplace, what would you prioritize on the next City Council to help open more job opportunities to the public, especially young people?”*

This question was developed by youth across Toronto through workshops hosted by Toronto Public Library Teen Councils. Learn more and view the full list of questions.

What candidates say

Candidates for mayor and city council are working on their answers — check back soon to see where they stand.

*Note: We made a small change to the selected question based on feedback from our advisory group. The original question raises an important concern about AI and the difficulty young people face when trying to get their first job, but asking Council to “reduce the use of AI” assumes a particular solution and may go beyond what the City can directly control. The revised version keeps the teens’ core concern about AI, competition, and getting started, while giving candidates more room to explain what they would actually do to help young people find jobs and gain work experience.