Youth Break Barriers to Employment (YBBE)
What is YBBE, and what were its goals?
YBBE aimed to support young people in overcoming obstacles to employment and find meaningful employment in Toronto, Hamilton, and St. Catharines. The programme achieved this by supporting youth (ages 15-30) to develop skills, knowledge, networks, and meaningful work experiences related to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In collaboration with Employment & Social Development Canada, UNA-Canada offered 21 hours of paid training to programme participants in the following subjects:
- Negotiation in the Workplace
- Burnout Recovery
- Networking
- Equity, Diversion and Inclusion
- Communication in the Workplace
- Career Coaching
- Sustainable Development and Activism
- Resume Writing
- Sustainable Entrepreneurship
- Financial Literacy
- Truth and Reconciliation
- Sustainable development and your career
UNA-Canada’s ability to pay participants for the time that they attended the trainings was a critical measure in ensuring that no participants would face a financial cost to programme participation.
What is the programme's connection with the Sustainable Development Goals, and how does this link make the programme unique?
The 17 SDGs form part of a global blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet that were adopted by every United Nations Member State in 2015. Given the historic barriers faced by Indigenous, racialized and LGBTQ2SIA+ youth in Canada, programmes such as YBBE are essential in helping Canada’s youth attain an equitable future in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, such as Reduced Inequality.
YBBE stands apart from other job readiness programmes through its alignment with the SDGs: we have worked actively to ensure that the employers we partner with and the trainings we offer advance one or more of the 17 SDGs, listed below.
Programme Impact?
The YBBE programme had two concrete benefits to participants. Firstly, the 21 training hours helped participants to gain critical knowledge and skills to help them achieve favorable outcomes in their professional and their personal lives. For example, the tools learned at our communication and financial literacy workshops can be applied equally at home as in the office.
Secondly, the programme helped participants establish a professional network and build connections that could serve them well as they navigate the early stages of their careers. While many participants were already employed by the employer partners, we were able to support some youth participants in getting a foot in the door at different workplaces. The feedback we received indicates that many participants were successful in establishing positive relationships with their employers and coworkers that they could leverage later on.
Of the 164 youth who participated in YBBE:
- 106 individuals (65% of the total served) were employed or self-employed
- 35 individuals (21% of the total served) had plans to return to school
