November 22, 2024 Gatineau, Quebec Employment and Social Development Canada
Canadian youth are one of the country's greatest strengths and sources of potential, and the Government of Canada is supporting them at every stage of their journey toward a prosperous future. Every young person deserves a good job, but we know that many youth face barriers to employment. Creating opportunities for young people to gain the skills and experience they need for a fair chance at financial success is key to strengthening our economy, building a more inclusive country, and ensuring that no one is left behind.
Today, the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, and Jean Yip, Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Agincourt, announced over $1.2 million over 4 years to Rehabilitation Network Canada for their Youth Matters program. Funding is being provided through Employment and Social Development Canada's Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) Program.
Over the next four years, YESS Program funding for Youth Matters will assist 87 youth, aged 15 to 30, who face barriers to employment develop the skills and gain the experience they need to find and keep quality jobs. The project will support racialized youth, youth with disabilities, 2SLGBTQI+ youth, newcomer youth and youth experiencing homelessness. Along with employment skills training and quality employment opportunities, Youth Matters will offer mentorship, coaching, support for child care/dependant care and other forms of support to participants.
In total, the YESS Program is expected to fund more than 200 new projects worth approximately $370 million between now and 2028. This is part of the Government's plan to create 90,000 youth job placements per year between 2024 and 2026. These projects will provide flexible employment services and holistic supports tailored to each participant to help young people gain transferable skills with a lasting positive impact on their careers. This approach has already demonstrated success, with over 80% of participants from June 2019 to December 2022 either employed or returning to school following their participation in YESS programming.
The Government of Canada recognizes the vital role governments can play in making sure young people succeed. That is why, as announced in Budget 2024, the Government is helping to restore fairness for every generation by unlocking access to post-secondary education, investing in the skills of the future, and creating opportunities for younger Canadians to get good jobs.
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