New Youth Employment Program - Outward Bound Canada's Youth Career Catalyst
Fiona Hough
Hello all,
Just sharing news of a new employment skills program being offered by Outward Bound starting this spring.
Outward Bound Canada is a non-profit that empowers youth to build resilience, develop social and emotional skills, and navigate stress and challenge, through experiential, outdoor learning. Our newest initiative, the Youth Career Catalyst (YCC) program, is funded in part by the Government of Canada under the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy program and is building a bridge to meaningful careers for youth who are not currently in education, employment or training. Through this program, we prepare individuals aged 18-30 for employment by combining training, mentorship and immersive outdoor experiences.
The program is made up of 3 distinct parts:
1. Paid In-Person Training: 24 days of immersive, engaging hands-on training, including a 14-day outdoor journey and 10 days of experiential workshops. In BC this portion of the program will take place near Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island from May 13 - June 6, 2025.
2. Paid Work Placement: Up to 14 weeks of paid work experience with ongoing support will follow the in-person training. We will work with participants to find a placement that fits their interests and needs.
3. Mentorship and Career Coaching: Personalized guidance to help navigate their career journey throughout the rest of the calendar year.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
This program is designed to support individuals facing unique challenges related to employment. We are looking for youth:
· Between 18 and 30 years of age at the start of the program
· Eligible to work in Canada
· Not currently employed
· Not currently in school or a recognized training program
· Not currently in an apprenticeship or intern role
We are prioritizing folks who are facing multiple barriers, including Indigenous and racialized youth, and 2SLGBTQ+ youth.
In addition to recruiting for participants, we are also looking for potential work placements partners, who would benefit from a wage subsidy option. If you think organisation would like to explore a partnership for a work placement please contact our Work placement coordinator Thunder via thunder...@outwardbound.ca
For further information about the intake process or the program, you can speak to one of our YCC Facilitators - Chantal Solomon at chantal...@outwardbound.ca. 1.888.688.9273 ext 259.
Fiona Hough
I gratefully and humbly acknowledge that the land where I live and work is on the unceded territories of the W̱SÁNEĆ, specifically the Pauquachin people.
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