Calgary Roundtable – Thriving Through Change

On March 6, 2025, Youth Employment Service’s (YES) WorkAbility Project and YESnet hosted the Thriving Through Change: Embracing Advancement and Inclusion in the Evolving Workplace roundtable and Embracing Mental Health and Employment job fair in Calgary, at Mount Royal University. The event brought together representatives from businesses, thought leaders, community organizations, job seekers and various levels of government with one goal in mind: to explore the impact of AI, disability inclusion and the mental well-being of the future workforce.

The event kicked off with a video address from the The Honourable Steven Mackinnon, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour followed by Greg McLean, MP Calgary Centre who spoke about the Calgary labour market and the importance of knowing your demographic.

The diverse panel, AI & Accessibility: Ensuring Fairness and Equity in the Future of Work, included a discussion from panelists Melissa Oblea, Manager People Advisory Services, EY, Dr. Mahadeo A. Sukhai, COO, IDEA-STEM, Juanita DeSouza-Huletey, CEO & Lead Coach, Dynamic Solutions International Inc. and Roger Zhang, Founder & Managing Lawyer, TZ Law  who contributed poignant comments on the realities of AI and accessibility in the workplace.

Our keynote speaker, Bailey Parnell, CEO & Founder of SkillsCamp, delivered an inspirational keynote address on Everyday AI for Employee Wellbeing: Human-Centric, Ethical, and Productive Approaches.

The WorkAbility Project would like to thank all of the speakers, business representatives and service providers who joined us, and by participating, became part of the change towards positive mental health in workplaces across Canada.

To learn more about the YES WorkAbility Project and how you can get involved, visit www.yesworkability.ca