Brad Bradford promises 15,000 jobs for Toronto youth under 30
Mayoral candidate Brad Bradford released a plan to create 15,000 full-time positions for people under 30 in Toronto, to be funded almost entirely by private companies.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on nowtoronto.com.
Mayoral candidate Brad Bradford released a plan on Saturday to create 15,000 full-time jobs for Torontonians under 30, with corporations paying almost all the cost, NOW Toronto reported.
Bradford's campaign said 10 to 15 Toronto company leaders have agreed in principle to take part. The city's contribution, according to his campaign, would be $750,000 a year for coordination. Corporations would fund nearly all the rest.
"Those commitments are going to be published publicly. We're gonna hold corporate Canada to account," Bradford said, according to NOW Toronto.
His campaign said 5,000 of the positions would come in the first year. Of the 15,000 total, 30 percent would go to youth facing the greatest barriers, though the campaign did not define that group further.
What the numbers show
NOW Toronto reported that Toronto's unemployment rate for people aged 15 to 24 was 17 percent at some point earlier in 2026. Canada's rate for the same age group was 13 percent in September, and the overall national unemployment rate was 6.5 percent that month.
Bradford's campaign did not give a breakdown of which companies or industries would provide the jobs, or a timeline beyond the first year.
What Chow has proposed
Incumbent Mayor Olivia Chow has a separate plan focused on construction jobs tied to the Scarborough East LRT. Her campaign has said 20 percent of those jobs would go to local residents, with priority for young people, and 15 percent would go to apprentices aged 18 to 35.
Chow's plan is tied to one infrastructure project and does not set a total jobs target across the city.
What voters can do
Voting day is Monday, October 26, 2026. Polls are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The City of Toronto has a tool to find your voting place. Candidates for mayor are listed at /on/toronto-2026/candidates#mayor.
Brad Bradford's candidate page has links to his official sources.
Questions this story answers
What did Brad Bradford promise on youth jobs?
Bradford's campaign says he would create 15,000 full-time jobs for Torontonians under 30, with 5,000 positions in the first year alone. His campaign says 10 to 15 Toronto company leaders have agreed in principle to take part, and corporations would fund nearly the entire program. The city's share, according to his campaign, would be $750,000 a year to coordinate the effort.
How would Bradford's plan work?
According to Bradford's campaign, private companies would create and pay for the jobs. The city would spend $750,000 a year on coordination. Bradford said the commitments from companies would be published publicly and that he would hold them to account. His campaign gave no further details on what enforcement would look like.
Who would the jobs go to under Bradford's plan?
Bradford's plan covers anyone under 30 in Toronto. His campaign says 30 percent of the positions would go to youth facing the greatest barriers, though the campaign did not define that group further in the announcement.
What does Olivia Chow's youth jobs plan involve?
Chow's plan focuses on construction jobs tied to the Scarborough East LRT. She has said 20 percent of those jobs would go to local residents, especially young people, and 15 percent would go to apprentices aged 18 to 35. Her plan does not cover other industries or set a total jobs target across the city.
How does Toronto's youth unemployment compare to the national rate?
NOW Toronto reported that Toronto's unemployment rate for people aged 15 to 24 was 17 percent at some point earlier in 2026. For comparison, the national unemployment rate for the same age group was 13 percent in September 2026, according to the same report. The overall Canadian unemployment rate was 6.5 percent in September.
Has Bradford announced previous youth employment measures?
The NOW Toronto article does not report any previous youth employment initiative by Bradford. He previously served on Toronto City Council and is a candidate for mayor. His candidate page on this site is at /on/toronto-2026/candidates/brad-bradford.
How do I find Bradford's candidate page?
Bradford's candidate page on this site is at /on/toronto-2026/candidates/brad-bradford. It lists his office, the race he is running in, and links to his official sources including his campaign site. You can compare all mayoral candidates at /on/toronto-2026/candidates#mayor, which lists every person certified by the City Clerk to run for mayor in the October 26, 2026 election.
When is voting day for the Toronto election?
Voting day is Monday, October 26, 2026. Polls are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The City of Toronto has a tool to find your voting place. Advance voting ended on October 11. You can see all mayor candidates at /on/toronto-2026/candidates#mayor.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
Found an error? Tell the editors with the corrections form. A correction is noted on the story it changes. Read our standards.
Topics
More from voche.me
Chow announces 15,000 youth jobs and $28 million employment pledge
Weizhen Tang releases six-area fiscal and governance document
