We asked Choices for Youth, what they learned while working with us on the Youth Employment Toolkit. Here is what they said:
We need to share. We need to support each other. Bettering the lives of at-risk and homeless youth in our community requires this of us: a spirit of collaboration and a belief in possibility. This is perhaps the greatest learning that came from working with the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness/Homeless Hub.
Young people in our communities face a wide array of complex barriers and situations to which the right solutions are not always in place. Our programs must be as dynamic, as comprehensive and as complex if they are to make a difference. This is where collaboration is critical – in program design, delivery and evaluation.
As an emerging social enterprise – new ventures and approaches in this sector have few comparative examples and narratives to draw upon. That unfamiliarity can pose issues at all levels of program development. Funding proposals may be perceived as lofty endeavors. Decision-makers in governments may perceive too much risk. The task of getting the ‘buy-in’ can begin to seem unmanageable with each step forward. Under this reality, working with local partners, national associations and a network of social enterprises in Canada becomes all the more crucial.
Working with the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, we’ve developed a deeper understanding and appreciation of this. Collaboration is not only critical to effective program design, but it also opens up a suite of tools and perspectives to tackle road blocks and challenges we may face. We learned both from success stories and from hardships.
Specific to Train for Trades, knowledge sharing has become a priority -- not only across the organization at Choices for Youth, but across the sector. The Train for Trades program at Choices for Youth is the result of adapting the work and leading examples of other organizations across Canada. It is our hope that the through the Train for Trades case study and the Youth Employment Toolkit, additional organizations can capture this spirit of sharing, improve on our work and deliver powerful programs and opportunities for at-risk youth. We are grateful to the Canadian Observatory on Homeless for their rallying force and roles as facilitator, aggregator, researcher and leader in the sector.
Employment and training opportunities should exist in concert with individualized supports
Train for Trades truly represents a powerful combination of skills training, employment supports and individualized personal supports. The unique combination of a structured work environment and a comprehensive and consistent continuum of support options helps youth achieve their long term goals and realize their potential.
Individualized personal supports help youth manage and overcome their struggles, while building meaningful relationships with staff. This relationship, this foundation of trust, is critical. Relationships are leveraged to help youth achieve work goals, and proceed through training, learning and educational opportunities.
As the program grows, and is adapted for other organizations and communities across Canada, our hope is that a greater number of at-risk youth are able to transition into full time and sustainable employment and can be of service to their broader community.
To learn more about Choices for Youth visit: www.choicesforyouth.ca.