Youth Get the Digital Download on the Future of Work
TORONTO, Oct. 18, 2019 /CNW/ – Today, over 400 youth and youth workers gathered for the launch of CivicAction’s YouthConnect, a program which gives participants hands-on training using online tools that will prepare young people for the future and open doors to new skills, jobs and connections.
Research predicts that one in four jobs in Canada will be heavily affected by automation over the next ten years. With youth (aged 15 to 24) comprising almost 20 per cent of workers at high risk of being impacted, it is essential to prepare them for what’s coming. YouthConnect has responded with a new focus on online learning and a double click on the skills youth need to be successful in an unpredictable future. A digital livestream will also be available to bring the program to more people than ever before.
“When CivicAction set out to tackle youth unemployment in new ways, we had two puzzle pieces that weren’t fitting together: 800,000 young Canadians not in a job or on a road to get there; and 30 per cent of employers having trouble filling entry-level roles,” said Sevaun Palvetzian, CEO of CivicAction. “Today, the puzzle is much more complicated with the rise of precarious work, the gig economy and massive technological changes in how work gets done.”
At YouthConnect, workshops on creating an online brand and building a digital network, led by LinkedIn Canada, were rounded out by sessions on continuous learning, resiliency and financial literacy—skills that will be essential in the future. The program’s shift to a future of work focus marks the first new action coming out of Canvas, CivicAction’s 2019 Summit, which generated hundreds of ideas on how to make the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area a better place to live.
To help our region continue to prepare for the changing nature of work, CivicAction has established a Champion’s Council (link) of leaders from across sectors Co-Chaired by Zabeen Hirji, Chair of CivicAction and Executive Advisor, Future of Work at Deloitte, and Stephen Gardiner, Managing Director for Accenture Digital in Canada.
“The future of work is already here,” said Hirji. “Through the leadership of the Champion’s Council and programs like YouthConnect, we can and will accelerate progress in building a future that works for all.”
YouthConnect’s unique “train the trainer” model has trained 750 front-line youth workers, with the capacity to reach approximately 32,000 youth. As part of this year’s program, thousands of LinkedIn Learning subscriptions will also be given out to youth and youth workers in Greater Toronto, Calgary and Halifax, providing access to over 14,500 expert-led online career courses plus a curated curriculum just for them.
YouthConnect is delivered by the CivicAction Leadership Foundation in partnership with LinkedIn Canada, RBC and the City of Toronto, and with support from the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, EY, and TELUS.
Our thanks to Cision for sponsoring this announcement.
About CivicAction: Complex challenges need an all hands on deck approach, and collective impact is what CivicAction does best. As a premier civic engagement organization in Canada CivicAction has nearly two decades of experience creating and implementing effective solutions to the most pressing challenges in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and beyond. Every four years CivicAction holds a Summit to identify which issues are keeping the region up at night. Because we’re CivicAction, not civic chit chat, we then hit the pavement and get to work, leveraging partnerships across sectors to create initiatives that transform our region. To find out more visit civicaction.ca or follow @CivicActionGTHA.
Building on a decade of high-impact and award-winning leadership programming, CivicAction launched the CivicAction Leadership Foundation to further elevate and catalyze our region’s leadership potential. With a focus on advancing education, the Foundation harnesses the power of diverse leaders and empowers and activates all voices to influence and shape our region. For more information visit leadership.civicaction.ca.
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For further information: For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact: Jeff Junke, Senior Manager, Communications and Marketing, CivicAction, Office: (416) 309 4480 x 533, Cell: 647-471-9957, jeff.junke@civicaction.ca
Related Links
www.civicaction.ca
