Out With The Old, In With The New

“There was a time when youth injuries were at an all-time high, getting worse rather than better. There was a barrier that always seemed to stand in our way, the short window to reach young workers, which made you feel powerless. This concern motivated me on a professional level to reduce youth injuries in the service and hospitality industries, and on a personal level to keep my loved ones, our youth, the future of the workforce safe. At this moment, I knew we needed a proactive solution to inspire cultural change and reduce youth injuries for years to come.”

– George Marshall- Chief Executive Officer

Enough is enough. At Service Hospitality, we knew a proactive solution was needed and fast. Before any action is taken (2008-2011), 759 was the average number recorded for youth injuries and 27% of those injuries from ages 13 to 18. These startling numbers inspired the first phase of our youth initiative. In 2012, we introduced our first-ever Youth Safety Education Day event and in-person training in high schools. This helped reduce the number of youth injuries to 557 per year, with only 22% of those injuries from ages 13 to 18. Phase one was only the beginning.

Launching in 2017 to the present day, the second phase of our youth initiative is in full swing, allowing youth advisors to impact youth education in high schools, elementary schools and through Youth Safety Education Day. We offer a variety of educational safety presentations that follow the school curriculum. Our youth presentations are specific to each grade level to teach them how to be safe in their environment.

• Grade 6 Stop & Ask Safety First presentation focuses on safety at home, safety at school and safety while socializing.

• NEW: Grade 4/5 Community Safety presentation focuses on safety in a young person’s physical and online community.

• NEW: Grade 3 Hazard Hero presentation focuses on learning about hazards in their environment and injury prevention.

To change the game of safety, we want to educate young people about the extreme importance of safety at a young age. Our youth initiative’s second and current phase has taken an average of 557 injuries per year down to 487 injuries, with 17% of those injuries coming from ages 13 to 18 years old.

The continuous progress of reducing youth injuries drives us, and we will not stop until we hit 0!