First Jobs in Saskatchewan: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

Rory McCusker, New Media Specialist

​Do you remember your first job? 

I certainly do. I was 14 years old, starting work at a small commercial kitchen in my local curling club. The job was challenging, frustrating, and completely different from anything I had experienced. I remember every painful mistake during those first few days on the job.

Looking back 16 years later, I can only smile and be thankful. Why? Because like many people in Saskatchewan, I credit that first job with teaching invaluable lessons that would stick with me forever. ​

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Even my most nervous feelings at the time have now morphed into a blissful memory. I certainly remember how proud my parents were to see me earn money, build my personality, and adopt a keen interest in a tradable skill. 

If you ask an experienced worker or elder in your community, “what was your first job?” I know that you will hear some treasured stories just like mine. How do I know this? Because that’s exactly what we did. Our content team asked dozens of people in Saskatchewan all about their first jobs.

We learned that first jobs have changed over time, and so have the training and safety practices… Along with minimum wage! We learned that basic training was not always a guarantee, and that injury prevention has not always been a priority.

But what does remain the same across the many generations of people we talked to, is this strong memory of a treasured personal journey. Experiencing those nerves and feeling that doubt. Only to conquer these feelings, emerging from the challenge a more confident, purposeful, and complete person. This common sentiment is written in capital letters across the glowing faces of those we asked about their first jobs.

I hope everyone in this province can experience something like I did in my first job. Like me, I hope new workers can regard their first jobs as a time they grew exponentially as a person. But sadly, this is not always the case. New workers at any age, in any industry, are at a much higher risk for workplace injury. Tragically, because of this, for some, their first job is also their last one.

Now, imagine living in a province where parents, teachers, elders, and friends are confident sending new workers into the wide world of employment, knowing that everyone in that workplace has already been trained in injury prevention. Imagine living in a province where new workers will learn how to make their own way, experiencing challenges and overcoming obstacles, absorbing lessons that will stick with them their entire life, all while being supported with training and orientation that will greatly reduce their risk of injury.

At the Saskatchewan Safety Council, we know that Saskatchewan can, and will be, a province of safety excellence. We believe that new workers deserve to experience all the ups and downs, challenges and obstacles, all while keeping themselves and others free from injury, and of course, all while forming treasured memories. With our commitment to embedding injury prevention content in public school curriculums, and by providing Career Safety Education Trainingfor FREE to anyone in the province, regardless of age, experience, or geographical location, we can be confident that new workers will start their employment journey with a much lower risk of injury.

Will you support this mission to create a province of safety excellence? Will you share this online training with your school, workplace, and community? If you believe in this mission of injury prevention for all, please consider subscribing to our content channels or volunteering with us.

As always, we thank you for reading, viewing, sharing, and for working together to create a province of safety excellence.