Effective April 1, 2003, the Government of Canada

streamlined the Youth Employment Strategy to make it

more responsive to the needs of youth, employers and the

Canadian labour market. Fourteen federal departments and

agencies work in partnership with all levels of government,

the private sector and community organizations to deliver

the Youth Employment Strategy, an important component

of Canada's Innovation and Learning Strategy .

The re-aligned Youth Employment Strategy integrates all

initiatives into three targeted programs: Summer Work

Experience, Skills Link and Career Focus.

Summer Work Experience encompasses all summer

employment initiatives available to Canadian students

under the Youth Employment Strategy, including Summer

Career Placements.

Skills Link targets youth facing barriers to employment,

such as single parents, Aboriginal youth, young persons

with disabilities, recent immigrants, youth living in rural

and remote areas, and high school dropouts. Through

Skills Link, these youth will benefit from a more flexible

and coordinated approach to programs and services that

ensures assistance is tailored to meet individual needs over

longer periods of time. Advisors help youth assess their

needs and develop an employment action plan by choosing

a series of activities from available programs and services.

Youth then work through the steps of their action plan until

they find and keep a job or return to school.

Career Focus provides post-secondary graduates with

career-related work experience in Canada and abroad to

build their skills and enhance their employability. It offers

them workshops and seminars on advanced employment

skills, coaching support and mentoring opportunities.

Ideally, Career Focus will help ensure that young

Canadians have the skills and experience required to take

advantage of opportunities in the global marketplace.

Overall, the re-aligned Youth Employment Strategy will:

» ensure that assistance is tailored to individual needs;

» be more relevant and accessible for those facing

barriers to employment, who often require more help

over longer periods of time;

» become more flexible and effective in delivering youth

services by increasing partnerships among all levels of

government, the private sector and community

organizations; and

» continue to provide Canadian youth with the

information on skills, education and work experience

they need to make informed career decisions.