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Active Employment Measures Directorate Skills and Employment Branch

Engaging Youth at Risk Entering the 21 st Century Labor Market: the Canadian Experience December 2008. Active Employment Measures Directorate Skills and Employment Branch Human Resources and Social Development Canada. Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy (YES).

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Active Employment Measures Directorate Skills and Employment Branch

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  1. Engaging Youth at Risk Entering the 21st Century Labor Market: the Canadian Experience December 2008 Active Employment Measures Directorate Skills and Employment Branch Human Resources and Social Development Canada

  2. Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy (YES) • Is a major initiative for youth that involves 11 departments; • YES is comprised of 3 program streams: • Career Focus • Assists postsecondary graduates obtain career-related work experience. • Summer Work Experience • Offers summer work experience to high school and postsecondary students. • Skills Link • Helps at-risk youth to overcome barriers to employment; • Enables them to develop skills, knowledge and to gain work experience required to participate in the labour market or return to school.

  3. A new approach for helping the youth • In 2003, YES was realigned taking into account the information and knowledge gained during the first six years of the Strategy. • The new approach is more: • flexible, since it has been acknowledged that the needs of the youth are diverse, and; • responsive to the local market needs. • The 2003 Renewal resulted in a major refocusing of YES, which is now: • focused on both skills development and work experience. • designed for a labour market where specific groups of youth face high unemployment (at-risk youth)

  4. Skills Link – Helping at-risk youth • Addresses the multiple needs of the at-risk youth, i.e. youth facing barriers to employment. • Youth participation in the Canadian labour market is strong, but some groups face labour difficulties: Aboriginal Youth+ Low Participation (51.9%) Low Employment (40.7%) High Unemployment (21.6%) Immigrant Youth+ Low Employment (49.4%) High Unemployment (14.4%) NEET Youth++ Approximately 295 000 youth are neither in school nor working Youth with Disabilities+++ Low Participation (52%) Single Parents (15-24) with children at home+ High unemployment (21.9%) Low Employment (41.8%) Regional Variations*** Higher youth unemployment in some regions, e.g.: - NFLD (20.2%) - Sudbury (17.4%) + Census 2006 ++ Neither in Education, Employment or Training (Labour Force Survey, 2006) +++ Participation and Activity Limitation Survey, 2006 *** Statistics Canada 2007 Labour Force Survey

  5. Skills Link – Design and Delivery • SL is a flexible program designed to address the multiple needs of youth (e.g. at-risk of becoming gang involved, disenfranchised youth, youth lacking labour market attachment.) • SL’s interventions: • are project-based and funded through third-party delivery organizations; • vary according to local labour market needs and the needs of the youth. • SL is a client-centred approach • based on tailored interventions.

  6. How Skills Link works Client AssessmentCase Management Community Planning Community-based planning is undertaken to understand and address local needs related to integrating youth into the local labour market. • Case management helps participants prepare action plans to address gaps in their skills/education. Tailored Interventions • Tailored interventions provides continuum of supports toward employment or return to school.

  7. Benefits and Key Results • Skills Link is meeting its objectives. This program: • Helps the youth to overcome their barriers to employment; • Enhances the skills the youth need to decide to return to school or to gain employment; • Has positive impacts on youth annual earnings. • Key Results 2007-2008: • 14,763 Clients served • 956 New Agreements • 6448 Clients employed • 1359 Clients returned to school

  8. Skills Link Project Examples • Breaking the Cycle: Youth Gang Exit and Youth Ambassador Leadership Employment Preparation Project – Toronto • Outreaches to youth who are at-risk of gang involvement or are already at the peripheral of a gang; • Youth participate in intensive personal development sessions which help with interpersonal communication, conflict resolution, community building, and the impact of violence and gang involvement. • Chance to Choose – Vancouver • Focuses on increasing employability skills through community service. • The youth have the opportunity to design a community service project to share while providing them with enhanced life skills, such as decision-making, interpersonal communication and teamwork.

  9. Skills Link Project Examples (cont’d) • FPSYIP (Federal Public Sector Youth Internship Program): • established in 1997 to complement YES; • integrated into Skills Link in 2007; • funded by HRSDC ($15M per year); • delivered nationally through a contributionagreement with the Greater Toronto Area YMCA • This program pursues the objective of breaking the vicious cycle of “no job, no experience; no experience, no job.” • Youth “at-risk” undertake 6-9 month paid internships in the federal public service to: • enhance employability skills; • be mentored by experienced employees. YMCA acts as an employer + network of local YMCAs provide assessment, case management, counselling, job-search workshops, etc.

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