If you’re out of work and just starting out, you can be forgiven for feeling dazed and confused when it comes to moving forward on your career path. With a soaring youth unemployment rate (a shocking 21 per cent in TO, according to the Toronto Community Foundation’s 2013 Vital Signs report), getting support and guidance can be crucial to get your career wheels turning.
Luckily, if you’re young, jobless and living in Toronto and reading poss.ca, you’re in the right place to find job inspiration. Start off by diving into poss.ca’s career profiles — we’ve covered everything from crane operators to translators to nurses. On top of that, if time is of the essence, check out training options (local or otherwise) or learn some savvy search strategiesincluding how to use social media to find a job. Finally, if you’ve got a specific job search question, shoot us an email and we’ll see what we can do.
Employment programs for youth
Of course, sometimes nothing can beat a little face-to-face help, and the natural follow-up to poss.ca, is heading down to an Employment Ontario (EO) office where you can get your resumé reviewed, find a job placement, or access the Youth Employment Fund (YEF), which subsidizes jobs for 15- to 29-year-olds (up to $6,800 per placement).
In addition to YEF, there’s a multitude of other youth-centred programs to consider. One agency that provides a whole host of youth programs is the aptly named Youth Employment Services (YES). For instance, its Keele and Eglinton office offersJob Central, a program that gives youth with employment barriers employability skills training and a work placement. Downtown at the Rotary Centre for Youth Empowerment, YES delivers Job Camp, a full-time two-week program for 16- to 30-year-olds.
The YMCA is another agency that runs a number of programs catering to youth. For instance, Youth Careers in Pickering matches individuals to employers in their field of interest. The 14-week KickStart program in North York combines paid training with interactive life skills and employability workshops. As well, the Rexdale Youth Resource Centre (also known as the Etobicoke Albion Road YMCA Centre) offers general career and employment services for youth (adults can come here too). And all YMCAs operate the Youth Leadership Program, a mix of leadership training, teamwork, self-government, and volunteer placement to help young participants build confidence and connections.
Another local employment agency, JVS, has a roster of youth-focused programs that include R.E.A.D.Y. (Real Experience & Access Designed for Youth), a pre-employment and life skills group for youth in Lawrence Heights who have employment barriers.
In Etobicoke, along the Lakeshore, JobStart offers Youth in Demand, a paid on-the-job training program (including a program completion bonus of $500) for those who want to work in automotive repair and maintanence, construction or retail.
In Scarborough, AYCE offers employment services for youth as well as an autobody repairer pre-apprenticeship program. The West Scarborough Neighbourhood Community Centre (WSNCC) delivers the Malvern Youth Community Employment Program: four to six weeks of paid pre-employment training, job placements and life skills workshops. In addition, the WSNCC operates the Gateway Cafe and the Greystone Pre Employment Centre — these programs require a referral by an Ontario Works caseworker or another agency serving youth.
Back in the city, on the Danforth, Neighbourhood Link Support Services runs Youth Works, a 12-week program that offers an hourly wage during its four-week pre-employment training (includes WHIMIS, CPR and first aid) and eight-week work placement.
Closer to downtown, Opportunity Knocks is St. Stephen’s Employment & Training Centre’s offering: a 15-week training program for youth with employment barriers such as no high school diploma.
The City of Toronto has also got in the action, partnering with private sector employers to deliver the Partnership to Advance Youth Employment (PAYE) program, which guarantees participants interviews with employers in the financial, corporate or retail customer service sectors.
Youth with significant barriers
Although many of the above programs focus on clients with at least one barrier to employment, some youth have greater needs than others and, happily, there is support for them as well.
For instance, the City of Toronto runs Youth Employment Toronto (YET) in which outreach workers meet youth throughout Toronto in community centres, malls, youth hostels and drop-in centres and provide them with employment assessments, counselling support and referrals.
Another City-funded program, the 21-week Toronto Youth Job Corps (TYJC) program for youth facing difficult situations, is delivered by St. Christopher House, West Scarborough Neighbourhood Community Centre and JVS Toronto. In phase one of TYJC, participants receive supportive counselling as well as employment readiness and career planning workshops. In phase two, participants work in a subsided placement for 16 to 24 weeks.
At its Eglinton-Keele office, YES also works with homeless youth or young people at risk of becoming homeless. The Streets to Jobs program offers pre-employment and life skills training, job search assistance, financial incentives, subsidized work placement and supportive referrals.
JVS Toronto delivers two programs for youth who have been in conflict with the law: YouthReach Toronto (Jane-Finch and Scarborough locations) and YouthReach II York Region.
Operation Springboard’s Scarborough location operates Youth at Work, an intensive pre-employment program for youth who face significant barriers to employment.
Youth Employment Link, a project of the Toronto District School Board, provide youth with multiple barriers a stipend to attend an intensive three-week pre-employment workshop.
A satellite program of Horizons for Youth emergency shelter, Career Horizons is a four-week pre-employment program for youth living in shelters, transitional housing and other unstable conditions.
Youth with disabilities There are a few employment options for young people with disabilities. For example, in North York the Workplace Essential Skills Partnership (WESP) delivers one-week workshops for professionals under 30 who have disabilities. At its west end office (near the Dundas West subway station), YES runs YESAbility, an employment program for students or recent graduates with disabilities.
Finally, the YMCA’s Heads UP program in Newmarket provides skill-building workshops, individual counselling, job shadowing and volunteer opportunities to youth and young adults with an identified disability.
Self-employment programs
Workshops geared to would-be entrepreneurs are on the rise in this city, and a number of them cater specifically to youth. For instance, the Rise Youth Small Business Program helps young people who have a mental health or addiction challenge and would like to run their own business but don’t know how. Sessions based on Rotman School of Management curriculum are taught by alumni and industry experts, and participants receive coaching from Rotman MBA alumni.
The aforementioned YES is also in the self-employment game. Its BizStart Entrepreneurship, offered downtown, is an 11-month program that gives training in marketing, business planning, web design and other business-related topics as well as mentoring. As well, YES (in partnership with the Toronto Fashion Incubator) has developed an entrepreneurial program specifically geared to aspiring fashionistas. Passion For Fashion offers youth six workshops on such topics as setting up a fashion business, developing a line, marketing, and pricing.
This article originally appeared on poss.ca.