United Way Toronto & York Region launches Career Navigator

Yorkregion.com
Dec. 4, 2015
By Chris Traber

United Way Toronto & York Region today launched Career Navigator, an initiative designed to help youth who face barriers, such as poverty and discrimination, get ready for good jobs

and launch successful careers.

Career Navigator is a major expansion of United Way’s Youth Success Strategy, United Way CEO Susan McIsaac said. For the first time, a diverse range of partners, including employers, community agencies, post-secondary institutions, the City of Toronto and the Government of Ontario, have been brought together by United Way to provide a co-ordinated response to the serious challenge of youth unemployment in this region, she explained.

Career Navigator works by recruiting young people who have the hardest time getting on a career path. It connects them with training and accreditation to get into good jobs with long-term potential. And it ensures these youth have the support they need to do well over time, both in training and on the job.

“This is a win-win for everyone,” McIsaac said. “Young people are getting both the hard qualifications and the soft skills they need to succeed. Employers can access talented youth who are job-ready.

“By coming together, we’re making an important contribution to the social and economic development of our entire region.”

Ontario is committing $1.3 million to support the program through 2018, Children and Youth Services Minister Tracy MacCharles said.

The funds will help remove barriers that might otherwise make it hard for a young person to build their career, such as not having housing or child care, mental health issues or lack of access to education and skills training.

The project is part of the enhanced Ontario Youth Action Plan, which is investing $55 million in at-risk youth, MacCharles said.

United Way also recognized individual donors who have made the first significant private sector investments in United Way’s Youth Success Strategy. Shirley Granovsky and Donald Guloien, with Irene Boychuk, have each donated $1 million to United Way Toronto & York Region to help launch the strategy.

“At United Way, we believe community-wide challenges demand a community-wide response and we’re committed to doing our part to address serious problems like youth unemployment,” McIsaac said. “It’s inspiring to see United Way’s generous donors and all of these partners come together to make a real difference.”