Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program – Youth Focused Projects in Canada

Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program – Youth Focused Projects in Canada

What this program offers

The Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program (YESS Program) provides funding to organizations to deliver a range of activities that help youth (aged 15 to 30) overcome barriers to employment. In particular, the YESS Program focuses on youth facing multiple barriers to employment by supporting them to develop the skills and gain the experiences they need to find and keep quality jobs. The YESS Program supports a flexible approach that offers services tailored to each individual.

As such, applicants must clearly demonstrate how their project will respond to individual youth needs. This can include mentorship, wrap-around supports (for example, mental health counseling, coaching, etc.) and paid work experiences. The 2023 YESS Program CFP is expected to provide eligible organizations with over $300 million over four years, with a maximum funding per agreement of $5 million per year.

Program objectives

The objectives of the YESS Program are:

To help youth overcome barriers to employment, with a particular focus on under-represented youth including Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+, Black and other racialized youth, youth in Official Language Minority communities, and youth with disabilities

Ensure all youth participants have access to wrap-around supports that are tailored and responsive to their individual needs

Ensure organizations engage with employers to inform the design of programming or facilitate successful conditions and opportunities for quality work experiences for youth facing barriers

Assist youth in developing a broad range of skills and knowledge in order to participate in the current and future labour market

Promote education and skills acquisition as being key to labour market participation

Improve capacity, increase performance, and increase impact measurement across the youth employment sector

Funding priorities

Priority may be given to proposed projects that:

Are submitted by youth-led organizations (with at least 50% of organization's leadership (director positions and above), and/or if applicable, at least 50% of the organization's governance body (for example, Board of Directors) being between 15 and 30 years of age.)

Are submitted by grassroots organizations that are often small, local organizations that offer supports to youth at the community level

Are submitted by organizations whose leadership (at least 50% of organization's leadership (director positions and

above), and/or if applicable, that at least 50% of the organization's governance body (for example, Board of Directors)) reflects the youth communities they aim to serve

Are submitted by organizations that serve equity-deserving communities that are key priorities for the YESS Program including: Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+, Black and other racialized communities, and persons with disabilities

Support youth facing multiple and compounding barriers to employment (for example, early leavers from high school, youth living in low-income households, unhoused youth and youth experiencing precarious housing, single parent youth)

Involve working in partnership with other youth employment stakeholders

Test social innovations to improve project outcomes for youth

Eligibility

Applicants

This Call for Proposals aims to provide funding to successful applicants whose projects are designed to support youth facing barriers to employment, equipping them with a diverse range of skills and knowledge, and preparing them for active participation in the current and future labour market. The applicants must offer activities with demonstrated effectiveness in addressing the needs of the targeted youth.

The selection process will prioritize applicants who present inclusive programming that considers the intersectional identities and experiences of all youth. The goal is to provide comprehensive and individualized support for the applicants’ target youth participants.

Eligible Contribution Recipients

Eligible organizations may only submit one application.

Eligible recipients for this Call for Proposals include:

Not-for-profit organizations (including registered charities, voluntary organizations, and foundations)

Municipal governments

Indigenous organizations (including band council, tribal councils, and self-government entities)

For-profit organizations (provided that the nature and intent of the funded activity is non-commercial and not intended to generate a profit)
Public health, educational and cultural institutions

Provincial and territorial governments, institutions, agencies, and Crown Corporations.

How to Apply

For more information and job application details, see; Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program – Youth Focused Projects in Canada

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