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Skills Link Helps Youth Build a Brighter Future
Welland, Ontario – When Niagara Peninsula Homes selected Stephen Cecchin as a participant in their youth employment project to work as an apprentice builder, he was given the tools he needed to build a better life. Stephen was able to take advantage of this project thanks to support from the federal Skills Link program.
Skills Link funds youth employment projects that help youth such as single parents, Aboriginal youth, young persons with disabilities, recent immigrants, youth living in rural and remote areas, and high school dropouts, to obtain the knowledge and develop the skills and experience needed to find a job, or the confidence to return to school.
After high school, Stephen worked in seasonal and part-time minimum-wage jobs that did not offer the kind of skills training he needed to start a career. “When I began my apprenticeship, he says, “I was impressed with the value of this project and the help it gave to local youth.”
Youth participating in Niagara Peninsula Homes’ employment project received one-on-one coaching and attended group-based workshops that focused on developing skills such as communication, teamwork, and job search techniques. At the completion of the program, Stephen continued to work with the company and was later offered an apprenticeship position with an electrical contractor. He said his involvement with the Skills Link program equipped him with the skills he needed to move forward and create a brighter future for himself and his family.
Youth employment programs are part of the Government of Canada’s broader strategy to create an educated, skilled and flexible workforce. The Government highlighted its commitment to this strategy in Canada’s Economic Plan. A key element of the Plan includes increasing and improving opportunities available to Canadian workers through skills development. For more information, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.