The Collective Impact for Inclusive Youth Employment (CIIYE) initiative sought to provide meaningful employment and professional development opportunities for diverse, young people (ages 18 – 34) across Nova Scotia.
Through meaningful collaboration with community members, employment service providers, initiative participants (young people and employers) and the Government of Nova Scotia’s Department of Labour, Skills, and Immigration (LSI), the CIIYE incorporated best practices in long-term labour force attachment, which includes an intentional focus on accessibility, equity, and inclusion and person-driven leadership development opportunities, to support a more inclusive, resilient and effective workforce across Nova Scotia.
This initiative was available to unemployed or underemployed young people who self-identify as Indigenous, African Canadian, racialized individuals (including Persons of African Descent), persons with a disability, and Nova Scotians on Employment Support and Income Assistance (ESIA). Participating employers were organizations committed to ongoing learning related to creating safe, welcoming and inclusive workplaces.
The initiative had five main components:
- Meaningful employment for at least 20 young people from diverse communities who received a minimum wage of at least $15 per hour. The employer had access to a wage subsidy of up to $10.50 per hour over a two-year period.
- Training and development for both participating employees (young people) and employers was available. This would included support for employers to create a more safe, inclusive, and productive workplace and support for participating youth to further develop their skills and abilities.
- Ongoing, wrap-around supports were accessible over the two-year initiative. This included required resources for success (e.g., mental health support, mentorship, childcare, elder care, accessibility adaptations, assistive technology, transportation, troubleshooting, etc.)
- Through Communities of Learning, participating youth and employers had access to peer networks and opportunities for personal and professional development throughout the two years. This included participant-driven leadership development opportunities for young employees.
- Participants of the CIIYE and other community members external to the program had opportunities to participate in community engagement initiatives to encourage inclusive workforce development. Young employees worked collaboratively with their employers to identify converging areas of interest and develop strategies to engage with the broader community.
With the developmental evaluation, critical reflection, conversations, and real-time adjustments, the CIIYE aimed to be responsive to and reflective of the initiative’s participants. What has been collectively learned alongside the partners of the CIIYE is intended to support ongoing workforce development as well as inform the policy and program design of other labour market programs, thus impacting the participation rates of under-represented groups into the future.
*The Collective Impact for Inclusive Youth Employment initiative was made possible through the generous financial support from the Government of Nova Scotia’s Department of Labour, Skills, and Immigration (LSI). We extend our deepest appreciation and thanks for not only their financial support of this important initiative, but also as collaborators and learning partners in the development, design, and implementation of the CIIYE initiative.
