Youth Employment

Prince’s Trust Canada delivers programs that empower young people to build positive futures for themselves and their communities by supporting them with the skills, confidence and meaningful opportunities to survive and thrive now and in the post-COVID economy

We take a unique approach to youth employment by partnering with community organizations and businesses to create sector specific, employer-led, and hands-on employment training.

This work addresses the needs of young people (ages 18 to 30) who are the most distanced from employment opportunities through two distinct programs – Get Into and Discover.

In addition, we create program offerings delivered virtually, based on the priorities identified by young people.

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Get Into

Get Into, our flagship program, is an intensive four-to-eight-week employability program that provides immediate hands-on training for young people in Canada looking to enter the job market in a specific sector. Participants are usually job-ready but require additional supports and training to secure and maintain meaningful employment.

The Get Into program:

supports young people across Canada who are aged 18-30 and face multiple barriers to employment
works directly with employers who are ready to hire
delivers tailored training solutions based on identified skills shortages
allows participants to acquire sector-specific certifications and work experience
provides leadership opportunities for staff who support participants in their work placements
maximizes outcomes for young people as employers commit to hiring at least 50% of participants
draws on the expertise of community-based organizations to create and deliver localized content

Read about how our Get Into Customer Service program helped Seth overcome obstacles, build confidence and develop leadership skills.

Taster and Celebration Days are powered by RBC Future Launch.

Success Story – Tyrell

Without any work experience or positive role models, Tyrell felt hopeless and discouraged. He wanted to provide for his family but had no job prospects and lacked confidence. He signed up for our “Get Into Warehousing” program, delivered in collaboration with Winnipeg Harvest and Youth Employment Services Manitoba. Since then, Tyrell’s life has changed. Read his story.

“After the program, I felt like I could branch out and become a productive member of society.”

– Tyrell, Get Into participant

Discover

Discover allows participants to explore a range of careers and employment opportunities within specific sectors. Young people learn about new roles in an engaging way, develop their networks, and gain employability skills as they move forward on their employment journey. The program is usually delivered over the course of one to four days.

The Discover program:

breaks down barriers between employers and young people
provides a first step towards employment
increases a participant’s understanding of the labour market, develops confidence and showcases new career options
allows young people to have face-to-face interactions with employers and develop their professional networks
provides development opportunities for staff as they share their expert knowledge and inspire the workforce of the future

Read about our Discover Finance and Technology program delivered in Toronto with partners Youth Employment Services Toronto, RBC, KPMG and Finastra.

Sustainability

We are developing programs to help mitigate the impacts of climate change and to help young people facing barriers prepare for new careers.

Given the power of trees to erase carbon emissions, we are creating a Discover Urban Forestry program to raise awareness of the growing career opportunities in the sector. We are also helping young people discover and train for careers in green trades. A low-carbon future must include energy retrofits on an unprecedented scale and there is a growing demand for talent in this area.

Learn more about our new sustainability programs for 2020-2021.

Key Facts

Our Youth Employment programs are delivered in centres across Canada, including in Ottawa, Toronto, GTHA, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.

We are actively expanding the geographical reach of our programs and will soon launch in Montreal and Halifax. Programs focus in a range of sectors including finance and technology, customer service, hospitality, and banking.

Since launching our programs, 100% of participants have reported an increase in core skills such as confidence, reliability, communication, leadership, and working with others.

Program expertise

Our youth employment programs are developed with the experience, knowledge and methodologies shared throughout The Prince’s Trust Group – a network of charities focused on transforming lives and building sustainable communities around the world.

We build on a 40+ year track record of high-impact programs that have collectively supported over 950,000 young people. We adapt and co-create initiatives relevant to the context in Canada, building from this background.

What participants are saying

The voices of young people inform our programs.

Hear from participants of our Get Into Customer Service program with employer partner Cineplex and community partner Yonge Street Mission in Toronto, ON.

Join us as an employer partner

Prince’s Trust Canada is passionate about connecting enthusiastic young people between the ages of 18 and 30 with businesses looking to grow and have social impact. We bring fresh ideas and a track record of results to help organizations:

recruit and develop new talent
advance equity, diversity and inclusion
improve employee engagement, and
provide young people facing barriers with access to opportunities

We are actively recruiting employer partners to help deliver the Get Into and Discover programs in cities across Canada. Join employers who have included Marriott International, Loblaws, Parian Logistics and Cineplex, and start recruiting talented young people while making a positive impact in your community.

Click here for more information about becoming an employer partner or please contact janet.mccausland@princestrust.ca