Youth Mentorship Program Offers Golden Opportunities

August 5, 2025

Known for its authentic western mountain culture, the town of Golden in the Kootenay Rockies is rapidly approaching 5,000 residents, but lack of a local workers is challenging its continued growth and development.

While the town history is steeped in the forestry and rail industries, Golden has been a designated Resort Municipality since 2007. This designation brings support from the Province to build and diversify tourism infrastructure, deliver new visitor experiences and incorporate sustainable practices. Many new and varied businesses are opening in the community, including restaurants, businesses in adventure tourism, construction and media.

Golden is a small community, with a relatively high cost of living – often Resort Municipalities are very challenging places to make a living for residents and this can prove to be a barrier to attracting and retaining employees. The Kicking Horse Chamber of Commerce (KHCCC) is addressing these challenges with an innovative strategy that focuses on youth who already live in the community. The 2024 Workforce Innovation and Youth Mentorship Program was supported by a grant from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) through its Building Economic Development Capacity funding stream.

“This a community-based partnership that leverages municipal, commercial and education resources to identify how we can get our youth working here in Golden,” says Chamber Executive Director, Melanie Myers. “School District 6, the Town of Golden, College of the Rockies and local business owners have shown tremendous support and a willingness to mentor students. With 200 members, the KHCCC is perfectly suited to bridging the gap between an underutilized workforce that is not aware of their options with eager employers needing labour.”

Connecting With Local Youth

The project began with an invitation to the more than 300 students at Golden Secondary School to complete a survey to identify the top four industries they were interested in working in. Interest was greatest in the Trades, Food & Beverage, Film & Media, and Adventure Tourism sectors. “There are many job vacancies in the Trades sector as well as Food & Beverage. Many jobs in hospitality have been filled by temporary foreign workers (TFW) in the past – but new federal policies surrounding TFW’s is changing that very quickly.” says Myers.

The survey information was used to create a unique Youth Workforce video where people from local businesses in each of the four sectors provide insight into the skills needed to succeed in their industry.

One of the contributors was Garrett Anstey, owner of Kicking Horse Electrical, who explains in his segment that electricians don’t just need to be able to use tools. They also need math skills and perseverance, which are essential to becoming an electrician. “You’re not going to know everything all at once so asking questions is very important,” he adds.

“For someone to be successful in the food and beverage industry, a high level of attention to detail almost supersedes some of the technical skills required,” offers Joel Falardeau, co-owner of Golden’s Ethos Café.

Jan Welkerling is Operator and Manager of Golden Skybridge, Canada’s highest suspension bridge and part of a large adventure park. “In this industry, you need good social skills when dealing with guests,” he notes. “It starts with saying hello or good morning, then finding ways to have conversations with people who you may not have a lot in common with. Show up on time, work hard and always look for opportunities to improve your skills.”

Employer Messages Hit Home

“When the survey results about the video were presented to businesses and students, the overall vibe was that the video really spoke to them,” says Myers. “There were some great conversations about women in trades and some of the perceived barriers to entry. Students also had the opportunity to talk with local employers one-on-one.”

Myers adds that the knowledge gained about local youth will enable the Chamber to move forward with a more tailored approach to skills training and ongoing mentorship opportunities.

“This isn’t an instant fix,” she says, “but the momentum has started. The funding support from ETSI-BC has allowed us to provide an enriching, career-focused program for youth that will lead to more local employment, higher wages, and greater employee retention.”

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