World of Choices Events and Highlights

World of Choices: Career readiness events for youth!

Youth across Canada become more prepared for their future as they participate in interactive events to become equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to be better prepared for the future.

World of Choices Events

These events feature multiple career disciplines and each include a minimum of three skilled trades.

Format
An in-person or virtual event which normally accommodates 50-1,000 youth (per event). Length of event may vary, but on average is at least two hours.

Agenda Topics
The agenda typically includes a workshop/panel that features transferable skills, careers in skilled trades, career profiles and labour market insights. These events also include mentor sessions and a career fair.

Volunteer Engagement
Mentors support as volunteers for roundtable sessions, a keynote speaker or support tradeshow representatives.

Skilled Trades Summits

These events are hosted on-site at colleges/institutes across Canada.

Format
This is an in-person event and normally accommodates 50-100 youth per event. Typically, these are full-day events.

Agenda Topics
The agenda typically includes a transferable skills session, a panel with skilled trades subject matter experts, college workshops, pre-apprenticeship details/materials, and academic and career pathways planning tools.

Volunteer Engagements
Panel members who are skilled trades subject matter experts and volunteers to provide supervision throughout the event.

Learn more about JA Canada, World of Choices events and our partnership with RBC by watching the video above.

Impact from 2023-25 Events

55
Events Across Canada
31,000+
Students Participated
74%
of event participants agree that people from all backgrounds can be successful in the skilled trades.
81%
of event participants agree that there is value from learning from various mentors.

Volunteering with JA

By volunteering with JA, you can empower youth to reach their potential. You can do this by sharing your expertise and experiences as a mentor. Our World of Choices events are often in need of volunteers to be career mentors or support event logistics. Volunteer needs and roles vary by date and location.

Volunteer as a Career Mentor

Our World of Choices events are successful with the support of career mentors who share their experiences and insights with event participants. Career mentors guide small groups through conversations about the value of transferable skills and how some of those are used in their own career. Mentors can also share their career path, insights on what their career is like and potential roles/responsibilities one can expect in that career.

  • Please Note: In some cases, volunteer screening may require an 8-week lead time (due to police screening turnaround time in some areas). If you cannot be accommodated as a volunteer this year, you’ll be invited for the future.
  • When connecting with your local JA Office, please share with them your organization/company, industry, your job title/area of expertise, any past experience you have with JA, geographic parameters and/or equal interest to participate virtual vs in-person.

Please find your location on this map and reach out to your local JA event lead

Volunteer with Other JA Programs

There are a variety of volunteer opportunities with JA including facilitating a program with a group or class. We provide training in advance to ensure you’re well prepared as well as any of the classroom material that you’ll need. All our programs focus on one or more of our pillars: financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. We have program options available for students in grades 3-12.

Find the website for your local JA office to learn more about opportunities in your community

2025-2026 Event Schedule

Select a region below to see a list of World of Choices events including dates, locations and the local JA Office coordinating the event.

Western Region: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan & Manitoba

Date
Location
Event Type
Local JA Office
Volunteer Contact
March 5, 2026
Virtual
Virtual
JA British Columbia
Date: March 5, 2026
Location: Virtual
Event Type: Virtual
Local JA Office: JA British Columbia
Volunteer Contact: Alanna Tynan
March 5, 2026
Calgary, AB
In-Person
JA Southern Alberta
Date: March 5, 2026
Location: Calgary, AB
Event Type: In-Person
Local JA Office: JA Southern Alberta
Volunteer Contact: Sarah Bednar
March 24, 2026
Edmonton, AB
In-Person
JA Northern Alberta
Date: March 24, 2026
Location: Edmonton, AB
Event Type: In-Person
Local JA Office: JA Northern Alberta
Volunteer Contact: Lauren Thomas
March 26, 2026
Edmonton, AB
In-Person
JA Northern Alberta
Date: March 26, 2026
Location: Edmonton, AB
Event Type: In-Person
Local JA Office: JA Northern Alberta
Volunteer Contact: Lauren Thomas
May 21, 2026
Lethbridge, AB
In-Person
JA Southern Alberta
Date: May 21, 2026
Location: Lethbridge, AB
Event Type: In-Person
Local JA Office: JA Southern Alberta
Volunteer Contact: Sarah Bednar
May 2026
Regina, SK
In-Person
JA Saskatchewan
Date: May 2026
Location: Regina, SK
Event Type: In-Person
Local JA Office: JA Saskatchewan
Volunteer Contact: Jillian Scheer

Central Region: Ontario

Date
Location
Event Type
Local JA Office
Volunteer Contact
March 5, 2026
Peterborough
In-Person
JA Northern & Eastern Ontario
Date: March 5, 2026
Location: Peterborough
Event Type: In-Person
Local JA Office: JA Northern & Eastern Ontario
Volunteer Contact: Cody McIntyre
March 26, 2026
Huntsville
In-Person
JA Northern & Eastern Ontario
Date: March 26, 2026
Location: Huntsville
Event Type: In-Person
Local JA Office: JA Northern & Eastern Ontario
Volunteer Contact: Cody McIntyre
April 7, 2026
Chatham
In-Person
JA Southwestern Ontario
Date: April 7, 2026
Location: Chatham
Event Type: In-Person
Local JA Office: JA Southwestern Ontario
Volunteer Contact: Morissa Ewing
April 20, 2026
Cobourg
In-Person
JA Northern and Eastern Ontario
Date: April 20, 2026
Location: Cobourg
Event Type: In-Person
Local JA Office: JA Northern and Eastern Ontario
Volunteer Contact: Cody McIntyre
April 30, 2026
Hamilton
In-Person
JA Southwestern Ontario
Date: April 30, 2026
Location: Hamilton
Event Type: In-Person
Local JA Office: JA Southwestern Ontario
Volunteer Contact: Morissa Ewing
May 13, 2026
Ottawa
In-Person
JA Ottawa
Date: May 13, 2026
Location: Ottawa
Event Type: In-Person
Local JA Office: JA Ottawa
Volunteer Contact: Kristina Price
May 14, 2026
Midland
In-Person
JA Northern & Eastern Ontario
Date: May 14, 2026
Location: Midland
Event Type: In-Person
Local JA Office: JA Northern & Eastern Ontario
Volunteer Contact: Cody McIntyre
May 26, 2026
Sarnia
In-Person
JA Southwestern Ontario
Date: May 26, 2026
Location: Sarnia
Event Type: In-Person
Local JA Office: JA Southwestern Ontario
Volunteer Contact: Mandy Deelstra
March/April 2026
Virtual
Virtual
JA Central Ontario
Date: March/April 2026
Location: Virtual
Event Type: Virtual
Local JA Office: JA Central Ontario
Volunteer Contact: Michelle Belanger

Eastern Region: Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI & Newfoundland

Date
Location
Event Type
Local JA Office
Volunteer Contact
March 1, 2026
Saint-Hubert
In-Person
JA Quebec
Date: March 1, 2026
Location: Saint-Hubert
Event Type: In-Person
Local JA Office: JA Quebec
Volunteer Contact: Sarah-Maude Landriault
April 11, 2026
Berwick, NS
In-Person
JA Nova Scotia
Date: April 11, 2026
Location: Berwick, NS
Event Type: In-Person
Local JA Office: JA Nova Scotia
Volunteer Contact: Julie Coutinho
April 11, 2026
Yarmouth, NS
In-Person
JA Nova Scotia
Date: April 11, 2026
Location: Yarmouth, NS
Event Type: In-Person
Local JA Office: JA Nova Scotia
Volunteer Contact: Julie Coutinho
Spring 2026
Fredericton, NB
In-Person
JA New Brunswick
Date: Spring 2026
Location: Fredericton, NB
Event Type: In-Person
Local JA Office: JA New Brunswick
Volunteer Contact: Kristy MacKinnon

Additional Learning for Youth

After a World of Choices event, youth can continue the learning by exploring the JA Virtual Career Exploration Centre. This is an open-access virtual platform designed for self-exploration. With a variety of learning resources, the centre is designed to help students ages 13-18 learn about trends and emerging career opportunities so they can be better informed and prepared to make decisions about their future career choices.

Supporters

World of Choices is made possible by an array of industry leaders, both local and national supporters. Join us as a sponsor/partner of World of Choices – connect with Oliver Maynard-Langedijk.