It's tough to quantify, but Shannon Gorman believes promoting healthy youth is good for business.
As the national director of community investment for telecommunications giant Telus, Gorman is responsible for overseeing the company's charitable commitments. Telus has pledged to commit about three quarters of all its donations to programs that support youth.
"I think a lot of companies struggling the return on investment," Gorman said. "At Telus what it really speaks to is that we believe in order to do well in business you must do good in your communities where you live, work and serve," she said.
Telus was one of the organizations profiled in a report released this month by the Conference Board of Canada making the business case for support programs that help youth stay active.
Authored by Zeina Sleiman, the report titled Healthy Youth: Why Employers Should Care and What They Can Do - A Case for Business Action, argued that by focusing on improving the health of youth, it will lead to a healthier workforce down the road.
Gorman said that's one of the motivations behind Telus' focus on youth.
"By investing in communities and the future of our children, what we're doing is helping to create that next generation of well-adjusted, well-equipped people to enter the work force and keep our company strong," she said.
In addition to long-term benefits of a healthy workforce, Gorman said the immediate advantages to giving are a stronger brand and being known as a good corporate citizen.
Chris Jensen, the general manager of Telus operations in Prince George said the company is engaged locally in promoting programs for healthy youth.
"We really try to focus involvement in arts and culture and sports, with a technological flavour, as well as across health and education," he said, citing support for the Prince George Symphony Orchestra's mentorship program, the Prince George Public Library's SkyLab expansion, the YMCA and providing money for programs that help young people overcome financial barriers for organized sports.
In the report, Sleiman proposed a well-rounded model, arguing companies need to be involved in both developing the intellect and the body of young people.
"As they get older youth begin to think more about their future career paths and tend to seek out part-time employment," Sleiman wrote. "To assist in this transition, employers have a role to play in improving education an literacy outcomes of youth by encouraging and supporting school-to-work transitions."
The physical side of the equation is also important, according to Sleiman.
"Teenagers are also increasingly faced with the struggles and challenges of maintaining good health, which can hinder their ability to work," Sleiman wrote. "Diabetes and health problems
related to the increasing rate of overweight and obese teenagers are a major concern facing adolescents in Canada."
Gorman said Telus contributes $46 million to charity annually in Canada, both through direct financial contributions and in-kind contributions. Of that about 75 per cent go to programs that support youth.
"Youth are our future in Canada and we certainly want to do everything from a company perspective that we can to support the youth in the communities," Gorman said.
