Youth Job Connection (YJC) offers paid pre-employment workshops and paid job placements to help youth overcome barriers to employment. The goal of this program is to equip youth with the skills they need to secure long-term and meaningful careers.
Registration for the YJC program is open all year. Please note, this program is only available at the following branches: Ajax, Bruce County, Etobicoke, Georgetown, and Oshawa.
Are you an employer looking to hire youth? Contact us today.
Program Benefits
- Free job placement services
- Full-time, part-time and summer jobs
- Paid pre-employment workshops – earn minimum wage while you learn
- One-on-one career guidance and mentorship
- Job-search skills training
- Financial support for those in need
Program Details
Youth Job Connection
- Serves youth who are unemployed and not enrolled in school (15-29 years old)
- Job placements are year-round – part-time and full-time opportunities
- 60 hours paid pre-employment training
- New streams of workshops start monthly
- Registration is always open
Youth Job Connection Summer
- Serves students who are unemployed and actively enrolled in school (15–18 years old)
- Job placements are year-round – part-time opportunities during the school year and opportunities to work full-time or part-time during the summer
- 20 hours mandatory paid pre-employment training
- New streams of workshops start every Spring
- Registration is always open
EMPLOYMENT BARRIERS
The main goal of the Youth Job Connection program is to help youth overcome circumstances, conditions and situations that make it difficult to secure full-time employment. The paid pre-employment training portion of this program supports this goal by providing more intensive supports beyond traditional job search and placement opportunities. Common barriers faced by program participants include:
- New to Canada
- Limited work experience
- Mental illness
- Disability
- Homelessness
- Living in poverty
- Low motivation
- Limited education
- Socially marginalized
- Limited literacy
- Conflict with the law
Eligibility and Suitability
Youth
To be eligible for this program, non-students must be:
- 15-29 years old at time of registration
- Not employed or participating in full-time training/education
- Facing multiple or complex barriers to employment
- Eligible to work in Canada
- Resident of Ontario
- 15-18 years old at time of registration
- Returning to high school or starting a post-secondary program in the Fall
- Facing multiple or complex barriers to employment
- Eligible to work in Canada
- Resident of Ontario
Employers
In order to be eligible for this program, employers must:
- Intend to hire program participant after placement period
- Provide program participant with standard employment terms, conditions and benefits; including placement on payroll
- Offer a job placement based in Ontario
- Be licensed to operate in Ontario
- Not receive government funds for the same job placement
- Not displace existing staff or replace laid-off staff
- Not hire immediate family (e.g. parents, spouse or child)
- Not be a federal, provincial or municipal government agency
- Not be a service provider for Employment Ontario
- Maintain good standing regarding:
- Occupational Health and Safety Act, Employment Standards Act, and all applicable federal and provincial human rights legislation, regulations, and any other relevant standards
- WSIB or alternate workplace safety insurance coverage
- Adequate third party general liability insurance (if applicable)
This Employment Ontario program is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.