The Ontario Ministry of Labour is raising awareness on the workplace rights and responsibilities of young workers by hosting a video contest. The fact is, young workers are most likely to be injured in the workplace or on the job. Every day in Ontario, 70 workers under the age of 25 are injured on the job, and some even lose their lives. The Employment Standards Act covers the rights of workers in all aspects, including wages and safety, and many workers do not know the rights that they have.

The focus of this video contest is to raise awareness on workplace rights and responsibilities. This contest is open to Canadians aged 18 to 24 who are not in high school. Video submissions must be approximately two minutes of footage regarding any topic on workplace health and safety and/or employment standards. The top videos will be viewed by Canadians in May of 2013, giving them the opportunity to vote for their favourite. A panel of celebrity judges will select the first-, second- and third-place winners. The top Canadian videos will then move forward to an international competition.

When asked what he was most expecting from this contest, Bill Killorn of the Ministry of Labour said, "It is great to see young workers engaged in making a difference in the workplace." He also commented on the project itself, saying, "It is a great opportunity for the participants to play an important part, and ultimately achieve the same goal as we hope to achieve. It's not just health and safety, but a better workplace in many aspects."

The ultimate goal of this competition is to generate more awareness to young workers, prevent future work-related injuries, and to provide safer work environments and fairer workplaces.

"This is a great opportunity for young Canadians to highlight the importance of occupational health and safety and to raise their voice on workplace rights and responsibilities, while showcasing their video-making skills. I'm excited to see what they come up with," said chief prevention officer George Gritziotis at the Ontario Ministry of Labour.

The grand prize is $3,000 and will be awarded to the winner after voting is closed. The runner-up will receive $2,000 and the third place winner will receive $1,000. The fan-favourite winner will cash in $1,000. Submissions for the nationwide video contest will be accepted from February 1 to April 5, 2013.

For more information on how to enter, visit youtube.com/yourjobvotretravail.

For additional resources to help shoot your very own video, visit ontario.ca/youngworkers.