The Youth Employment Strategy

1. The Youth Employment Strategy Communicating the Strategy

2. Youth Employment Strategy YES is a key element of Canada’s Innovation and Learning Strategy that will ensure that Canada has a highly qualified and skilled labour force prepared to meet the current and changing labour market needs.

3. Objectives YES is the government of Canada’s commitment: • To help young people aged 15 to 30 particularly those facing barriers to employment, i.e. single parents, Aboriginal youths, young persons with disabilities, recent immigrants, youth living in rural and remote areas and high school dropouts, get information and gain the necessary skills and work experience to make successful transition to the workplace • To ensure Canada has a highly qualified and skilled labour force prepared to meet current and future about market needs

4. Delivered with Fourteen GOC Departments • HRDC (lead department) • Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada • Canada Mortgage and Housing • Canadian Food Inspection Agency • Canadian Heritage • Canadian International Development Agency • Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade • Environment Canada • Fisheries and Oceans Canada • Indian and Northern Affairs • Industry Canada • National Research Council • Natural Resources Canada • Parks Canada

5. Youth Population Developments • Canada has had a rebound in its youth population after a significant decline in • the 1980s. • During the 1990-2002 period, the number of youth aged 15-24 grew by 5.3% • after a decline of 17.3% in the 1980s. • In the boom, bust and echo cycle these children are the echo. The increase is not • related to increased immigration but increased fertility rates. Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey

6. Labour Market Participation • Between 1990 and 1996, the youth labour force participation rate declined significantly. • A significant proportion of the decline could be attributed to the fall in the labour • force participation of students. Students became less attached to the labour • market in the 1990s because the prospects of finding work while in-school were • poor. • The other major factor was the continued growth in school enrolments. Youth • tended to postpone their entry into the labour market and stay in school longer. Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey

7. Labour Market Participation • Since 1997, increasingly available jobs have brought youth into the labour market. • The youth participation rate rose, as youth traded off between the future returns to getting an education to participate in today’s knowledge-based economy and the immediate returns to entering the labour force at a lower skill level. Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey

8. Employment • Similar to participation rate trends, youth employment rates fell during the early- to mid- 1990’s and have since increased. The increase in youth employment can be attributed to an improved Canadian economy. Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey

9. Background • In ranking G8 youth unemployment rates Canada is ranked 5th lowest Source: OECD Labour Force Statistics

10. New Direction for YES Three streamlined programs effective April 1, 2003: • Skills Link • Provides funding for community organizations to help youth facing barriers to employment develop the skills, knowledge and work experience to participate in the labour market. • Career Focus • Employers are funded to help post-secondary graduates get career related work experience and develop advanced skills. • Summer Work Experience • Provide wage subsidies that create summer employment for in-school youth returning to school. Support summer employment offices

11. Youth Initiatives Directorate Youth Employment Initiatives continued Information and Awareness: • Information initiative allows for the development and dissemination of information services and tools for young Canadians including those facing barriers to better prepare them for the transition to the labour market, including: • Youth Employment Information Web Site – http://www.youth.gc.ca • Youth Info-Line • Youth Link and Employer Link publications • HRDC Youth Info Fairs

12. Features of Streamlined YES Programs • Client assessment / Case management • Return to work employment action plan developed to meet client needs • Individual skills enhancement • Increased community planning/ more effective partnering • Outreach

13. FeaturesOf Strategy • Client-centered approach • Flexibility to meet individual needs • Responsive to labour market • Improved Accountability • Review 2008

14. Sample Projects Official Language Minority Communities • A log home manufacturing company north of Montreal was contacted by the Community Economic Development and Employability Committee (CEDEC) serving the local English community in northern Quebec. The company submitted an application to the local HRCC for a youth work experience wage subsidy under Skills Link. Because the language regularly used in the workplace is English, the proposal specified an English speaking youth participant. • The 17 year-old participant completed a one-week workplace orientation and safety training before starting the six-month full-time work experience. • As a result, the participant was offered a full-time position based on her performance during the subsidized work placement and both the employer and the local minority language community retained an English speaking youth in a rural area of Québec.