Education/training
Youth program aims at 1,000 jobsLike others who work in downtown Toronto, the increase in youth violence is a concern to Norm Bacal and the lawyers at his firm. Unwilling to sit back and let others try to resolve the problem, he welcomed an opportunity to make a difference by offering jobs to at-risk youth. LINDA WHITE |
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 [ 2006-04-05 ] |
YEP success story
"We started slowly and cautiously. We were thrilled with the work ethic of the young people coming in here, with their willingness to learn and desire to move ahead," says Bacal, managing partner at Heenan Blaikie LLP.
"We've gotten as much out of the experience -- if not more -- than the young people we've hired ... I was frustrated that I couldn't do anything, but this has allowed us to play a small part in the solution."
The Toronto Board of Trade is hoping other businesses will follow that example. It launched its Youth ONE Campaign last week with the goal of creating 1,000 jobs, apprenticeships or training opportunities for at-risk youth. It's working with the City of Toronto's Youth Employment Partnerships (YEP) to connect businesses and at-risk youth looking for work.
"Violence is a big complex problem with no magic solution," says Glen Stone, the Board's public affairs manager.
Stakeholders have identified jobs as an important part of the solution. "We have a huge number of young people who don't see opportunities around them and are surrounded by other influences. If they see an alternative, there's hope they'll get out and do something different," Stone says.
"The Board of Trade is not an expert on youth violence, but we are an expert in business and job creation. If we can connect those two dots ... we can make a difference. This is not just about being a good citizen, but being a smart business."
If people don't feel safe in Toronto, they are less likely to shop, visit, invest and work here, Stone reasons. "If you operate a business in Toronto, you have a stake in this and you can do something about it."
YEP is funded and co-ordinated by the City of Toronto. It works with youth employment centres to offer free job placement services to businesses in a variety of areas, including customer service, retail,hospitality,administra- tion, technology, manufacturing and construction.
"Young people are really wanting, but they need a little help and support," says Manjit Jheeta of YEP. "We offer pre-employment support, interview preparation. These kids might need a suit or a hard hat ... It's a wraparound approach."
Isha Brown is a YEP success story. She was on social assistance when she landed an internship at Heenan Blaikie, the law firm mentioned above. She now works there full time as a hostess, receptionist and legal administrator.
Brown lives "smack dab in the middle" of two of 13 "priority" neighbourhoods and believes jobs will make a huge difference in resolving youth violence. "Some of these kids are already so far deep into a gang and don't know where to turn," she says.
"I believe (employment) will give them some inspiration instead of being looked down upon ... If these kids have something to occupy their time and can make some money, they won't be able to get into trouble because their days will be filled with doing something constructive and making a contribution to society."
CALL FOR HELP
The Toronto Board of Trade is calling on its members to create 1,000 jobs, apprenticeships or training opportunities for young people living in one of 13 "priority" neighbourhoods identified by the City of Toronto and the United Way.
Interested businesses can call the Youth Employment Partnership (YEP) hotline at 416-397-JOBS or register at www.toronto.ca/yep. YEP will use your company's criteria to search for pre-screened youth and provide you with appropriate resumes.
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