The Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) Program is federally funded through ESDC to provide employment skills training for newcomers, Indigenous, persons with disabilities, and racialized from 15 to 30 years old.
Through this program, we partner with local employers to provide eight-weeks of job placements for the participants. We ask the employer to put this participant on their payroll and treat them like an employee. Lead Disability Inclusive Society BC will reimburse their minimum wage for 30 hours/8 weeks.
Perhaps you need to hire for a position anyway – we can help you on-board our participants as the new hire, liaise their experience for the first eight weeks, and pay for those first eight weeks of placement.
The idea behind the work placements is to provide young newcomers with the opportunity to gain Canadian work experience and references to add to their resume, build networks in their field, gather insight into the Canadian workplace, and transition them into the labor market. The Employer Liaison is involved to make sure that these eight weeks are a good learning opportunity for the participant and make sure there are clear lines of communication for everyone.
If you are an employer who wishes to host a work placement or use the work placement to onboard new-hires, please contact the Employer Liaison, Zainab Mansaray.
How to Become an Employer Partner
- Tell Us Your Hiring Needs: Share the roles you’re looking to fill (e.g., administrative, HR, IT, customer service, cashier, or financial).
- Review & Select Candidates: We’ll send you resumes of participants with relevant experience. You choose who to interview, and we’ll arrange the meetings.
- Finalize the Placement: Let us know your selected candidate and their schedule (30 hours/week for eight weeks), and we’ll handle the work placement contract, security clearance, and wage reimbursement plan.
- Onboard & Support: Treat the participant as a new employee, and we’ll provide ongoing support throughout the placement. You’ll also complete mid and final performance evaluations.
For more information, email or call the numbers below:
Email: leaddisabilityinclusivesbc@yahoo.com
Liaison Person: Zainab Mansaray;
kadijah12@live.com
+ 1 (604) 401–1419