Now successfully working in his field as an electrical apprentice, Josh Robbins is a proud graduate of both Niagara College and the College’s Employment-Ontario funded Youth Job Connection program.
Delivered by Niagara College’s Employment and Training Solutions division, Youth Job Connection is one program in a comprehensive and targeted suite of employment programs and services implemented by the Ontario government to help young people with a broad spectrum of needs to improve their skills and find work.
The Youth Job Connection program serves youth aged 15 to 29 who experience multiple and/or complex barriers to employment by providing more intensive supports beyond traditional job search and placement opportunities.
It provides paid pre-employment training to promote job-readiness; job matching with financial incentives for employers and special support allowances for participants; mentorship services; and education and work transitions supports.
Josh, age 22, graduated from Niagara College’s Electrical Engineering Technician program in June 2015 participated in the Youth Job Connection program in March 2016. He attended a variety of workshops, including Workplace Expectations, WHMIS, AODA, Health and Safety and Employment Standards, along with a variety of additional job readiness components.
Upon completion of the Youth Job Connection program, Employment and Training Solutions staff was able to place him into an electrical apprentice position with Roy Wormald Electric Inc., a local electrical contracting company.
The company is one of many enthusiastic employers who support youth and apprenticeship programs and has also participated in other programs that assist Niagara Youth to find employment and begin to establish their career goals.
Youth Job Connection was developed as part of the government’s major reinvestment in the Ontario Youth Jobs Strategy, as well as its initiative to modernize and transform employment and training programs and services to make them evidence-based, better coordinated, more targeted and more effective for people across the province, including young people.
Youth Job Connection
- Assists unemployed and out of school youth aged 15-29 with a focus on those with employment barriers
- 60 hours of paid pre-employment training (in-class workshops)
- Provides year round job opportunities
- Mentoring, training, work transition and employer hiring supports available
Youth Job Connection: Summer
- Assists high school students aged 15-18 with a focus on those with employment barriers
- 20 hours of paid pre-employment training that must completed within three weeks (combination of online and in-class workshops)
- Provides summer job opportunities and part-time job placements during the school year
- Mentoring, training, work transition and employer hiring supports available
Youth Job Link
- Assists all youth, including students, aged 15 to 29 with little or no employment barriers
- Pre-employment training available at no charge to the participant (combination of online and in-class evening and Saturday workshops)
- Supports available to help participant with work-related costs (i.e. transportation, work clothing, etc.), Supports can also be used as an employer financial incentive (participant must have no prior work experience)
Contact:
Niagara College Employment and Training Solutions Office
1 St. Paul Street, St. Catharines, Ontario
L2R 7L4 (905)641-2252 ext. 4660
[email protected]
