About the Project
We are The Better Work Project — a research team at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly known as Ryerson.) We support better work conditions for young workers.
We wanted to find out how young people (age 16-29) define good quality work - and whether their actual work experiences measure up. We also wanted to know how young people are trying to make their work better, and what supports they need to make it happen. To do this, we surveyed 1000+ young people across Ontario and then did 43 in-depth follow-up interviews.
We used the results to develop a series of videos that highlight young people's work experiences and provide strategies and resources for making change. We want to start a conversation with young people about how to make work better for everyone in Canada.
Read the report.
Watch the Make Work Better video series.
Our Team
Dr. Andie Noack, Project Co-Lead
Andie is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Toronto Metropolitan University. She studies a wide range of work and labour issues, including precarious work and employment standards.
Dr. Myer Siemiatycki, Project Co-Lead
Myer is Professor Emeritus of Politics at Toronto Metropolitan University. Now that he is retired, instead of working, he studies work and how people can have more say in their employment conditions.
Sophia Melanson Ricciardone, Project Coordinator & Quantitative Researcher
Sophia Melanson Ricciardone is a PhD Candidate with the Joint Graduate Program in Communication and Culture between York University and Toronto Metropolitan University. She researches the co-construction of meaning between human minds and algorithms within online environments in the digital age.
Asmita Bhutani, Qualitative Researcher
Asmita Bhutani is a doctoral candidate at the University of Toronto, and her research examines the role of gender, race and class in platform work.
Mackenzie Agard, Web and Social Media Coordinator
Mackenzie is a graduate student at Toronto Metropolitan University. Interests in communications, media, and race, and workplace equity inform her work on this project.
