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Increasing employment opportunities for youth in underserved communities

Get Into – Youth employability program

This unique program is run in collaboration with employers from sectors with identified skills shortages. It is supported by community based organizations who provide training from qualified professionals and aims to build up a young person’s skill set, improve their communication skills, and boost their confidence, ultimately leading them into paid employment.

The Get Into model:

  • Targets skills shortages in specific employment sectors
  • Supports young people into employment by giving them relevant work experience
  • Maximizes direct employment outcomes through employer involvement in the development and delivery of the program

We focus on helping NEET youth (not in employment, education or training) aged 18-29 from underserved neighbourhoods across Canada.

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Key Facts

In our pilot phase, we ran seven Get Into cohorts in Winnipeg and Hamilton in a range of sectors including: administration, retail, food services, and landscaping. Of our 80 graduates, 83% were hired by participating employers.

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

We are actively expanding the program across Canada. This year there will be 14 cohorts in Calgary, Winnipeg and the Toronto area.

Success Story

Joanne moved to Canada in 2015 from China. Although she had a post-secondary education and Canadian college degree, she was continuously rejected from jobs due to a lack of Canadian work experience. The practical training and work experience offered by the Get Into program was the perfect solution. After graduation, Joanne received a job offer from Loblaws, jump-starting her career in business administration.

“I am very happy that Prince’s Trust Canada and Loblaw gave us this opportunity. Usually what happens when you apply for a job, your resume just gets stacked up and you don’t really get an opportunity. I feel really lucky that I’m in a place right now where Loblaw has given us an opportunity to actually experience working in the company.” – Joanne

Program expertise

In the UK, the Prince’s Trust has been running Get Into programs for more than 10 years, and has supported more than 18,000 young people through these programs. The key strength is its unique employer-led approach to skills-based training for young people, through which robust program methodologies have been developed, bringing together employers and young people.

The Get Into model:

  • Breaks down barriers between employers and young people
  • Provides young people with the skills and experience needed to move into a specific sector and secure sustainable jobs
  • Reduces skills mismatch
  • Helps change young people’s lives by giving them the first foot on the employment ladder
  • Motivates and develops employees by involving them in the program
  • Makes a difference to the local community by providing support, training and job opportunities

Founding partners

RBCKPMGScotiabankBirch Hill EquityGeorge Weston Limited

Additional supporters

CIBCPricewaterhouseCoopersThe Winnipeg FoundationOttawa Community Foundation