The YMCA Youth Employment & Skills Strategy (YESS) Program aims to provide youth 15 -30 years old in the Hamilton and Flamborough areas to overcome barriers in finding employment.
The YESS Program assists newcomer and rural youth in overcoming barriers to employment through participation in our eight-week paid pre-employment and skills development in class training followed by paid eight-week work experience placements.
The eight -week Skill Development Training is designed to educate and prepare participants to overcome barriers and challenges in securing work. The in-person workshops are paid, run Monday – Thursday, 9:30 AM– 3:00 PM (20 hrs / week), up to 160 hours for eight-weeks consecutively.
The pre-employment topics covered include:
- Resume Writing
- Interview preparation
- Labour Market Research
- How to Network
- Job Search
- Career Planning
- Breaking the digital application barrier
- Workplace expectations
- Job Maintenance
- Workplace Safety
Essential Skills development highlights:
- Communication at work
- Financial Literacy
- Problem Solving and Conflict resolution on the job
- Digital Skills for the workplace
- Reading/Comprehension- job postings and workplace
Paid Work Experiences:
Our Youth Employment Coach will support the participants in every step of securing paid work experience. Job ready participants are connected to employers and mentors in the participants’ desired area of interest.
Work experience will provide:
- An opportunity to gain hands on skills and work experience
- Career Exploration: further exposure to the desired career or first job
- One-one employment supports with a Youth Employment Coach
- Learning how to maintain and retain a new job
One-One Supports:
Our Youth Employment Coach aims to support participants with labour market knowledge to aid in overcoming barriers to their employment. The Youth Employment Coach will assist with one-one pre-employment tools and guidance to jump start their employment journey with career exploration and planning, labour market information, job search, resume development, and interview preparation.
Register
Interest in Joining the Program? Complete the below form or call 365-366-3825.
