Youth Employment and Skills Strategy

The Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) is a horizontal Government of Canada initiative delivered in collaboration with 12 federal departments, agencies and Crown corporations, including Employment and Social Development Canada. Through the YESS, the Government of Canada helps young people, particularly those facing barriers to employment, get the information and gain the skills, work experience and abilities they need to make a successful transition into the labour market. Employment and Social Development Canada’s YESS program provides opportunities and supports, such as mentorship, access to computers and access to mental health supports, all aimed at helping youth who face barriers to enter the labour market.

The following projects are included in this announcement:

Organization: St. Lawrence College
Title: SLC - Pathways to the Future
Description: The Pathways to the Future Project will prepare, assist and support youth with barriers to employment, by ensuring they have the skills, supports and training they require to secure and maintain employment.
Region: Ontario (Kingston and Ottawa)
Start/end dates: August 24, 2020, to August 18, 2024
Funding amount: $2,336,498
Target number of participants: 103

Organization: John Howard Society of Niagara
Title: Recipe For Success
Description: The John Howard Society of Niagara has partnered with Wendy’s in this proposal to provide employment opportunities to the youth involved in the program. All of the participants will be provided with employment at a Wendy’s restaurant within the Niagara Region.
Region: Ontario (St. Catharines)
Start/end dates: April 20, 2020, to April 21, 2023
Funding amount: $3,019,484
Target number of participants: 297

Organization: Goodwill Industries Niagara
Title: Building Futures
Description: This project will have two streams being delivered simultaneously: a construction skills stream delivered through the Constructing Our Future Program and a culinary skills stream delivered through the Culinary Arts Program.
Region: Ontario (St. Catharines)
Start/end dates: June 1, 2020, to March 3, 2023
Funding amount: $2,677,115
Target number of participants: 177

Organization: District of Parry Sound Employment Service
Title: Hospitality Muskoka
Description: This project’s objectives include helping 10 youth with barriers to employment overcome those barriers through activities to prepare them for work in the hospitality industry.
Region: Ontario (Sundridge)
Start/end dates: August 31, 2020, to May 15, 2021
Funding amount: $184,892
Target number of participants: 10

Organization: Tourism Saskatchewan
Title: Ready to Work Tourism Hospitality and Camp Services Careers
Description: The Saskatchewan Tourism Education Council proposes to deliver 18 employability skills programs of 360 hours (8 to 12 weeks), depending on the needs identified by community partners. These programs will contribute to the success of participants as they enter the workforce, providing an introduction to the sector that includes a clear understanding of the expectations of customers and employers.
Region: Saskatchewan (Saskatoon)
Start/end dates: June 1, 2020, to March 31, 2023
Funding amount: $2,389,796
Target number of participants: 180

Organization: Ballad Consulting Group Inc.
Title: Foundations in Hospitality for Indigenous Youth
Description: The program will consist of two intakes per year for three years, with specific targets for each phase of the project. The overall goal of the project is to provide meaningful employment for 24 Indigenous youth over the term of the project.
Region: Alberta (Edmonton)
Start/end dates: June 1, 2020, to March 11, 2023
Funding amount: $1,352,230
Target number of participants: 71

Organization: Medicine Hat Family YMCA
Title: YouthWORKS! Medicine Hat and Brooks
Description: The YMCA Employment Centre is proposing to operate a Youth Employment and Skills Strategy program to 250 participants aged 15 to 30 in Medicine Hat, Brooks, the County of Newell and surrounding areas. The program objectives are to help youth overcome barriers to employment and develop a broad range of skills and knowledge in order to participate in the current and future labour market, as well as to promote education and skills as being key to labour market participation.
Region: Alberta (Medicine Hat)
Start/end dates: January 4, 2021, to December 29, 2023
Funding amount: $2,145,452
Target number of participants: 250

Organization: Obair Economic Society
Title: 21st Century Skills for Employment
Description: This project is an individually focused and flexible program designed to meet the unique needs of each participant. It will consist of an ongoing intake of 125 participants aged 15 to 30, over the three-year proposed timeline.
Region: British Columbia (Dawson Creek)
Start/end dates: May 11, 2020, to May 5, 2023
Funding amount: $1,400,289
Target number of participants: 110

Student Work Placement Program

The Student Work Placement Program supports partnerships between industry and post-secondary education institutions to create quality work-integrated learning opportunities for post-secondary students so that they can develop the work-ready skills that are required to secure meaningful employment upon graduation. The Student Work Placement Program has agreements in place with 18 funding recipients to provide post-secondary students across Canada with paid work experience related to their field of study.

The following project is included in this announcement: 

Organization: Tourism HR Canada 
Title: Future Careers in the Visitor Economy 
Description: The work placements will provide formal learning and applied experiences for students seeking careers in the visitor economy. 
Region: Ontario (Ottawa) 
Start/end dates: May 1, 2021, to March 31, 2024 
Funding amount: $10,334,252 
Target number of participants: 1,373