Allan Yu
Mississauga, Ontario – October 21, 2021 – Achēv, one of the largest non-profit providers of employment, newcomer and language services in the Peel Region with locations across the GTA, is pleased to announce it has been awarded $804,700 from the Ontario government in partnership with Project Liftoff. This funding will support youth facing barriers in Mississauga, Brampton and Toronto with digital skills training to prepare them for technology sector jobs.
“There has never been greater urgency for programs like Career Pathways for Youth and the work we do at Achēv,” said Ms. Tonie Chaltas, Achēv’s Chief Executive Officer. “Youth in the GTA, particularly racialized youth, continue to face numerous barriers to meaningful employment, and those barriers have been greatly exacerbated by the pandemic. Those barriers include lack of work-related networks, lack of job experience, challenges accessing learning and mental health needs.”
Career Pathways for Youth (CP4Y) is funded by Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development through the Skills Development Fund. The program is in response to a growing need to fill the growing digital skills gap in the Technology Sector, which is expected to grow to 305,000 jobs by 2023.[1] Employers in the technology sector who are using Salesforce’s CRM need entry-level skilled talent, but they are struggling to find job seekers with the right skills. This program responds to that need and provides career opportunities for youth facing barriers in our communities.
“With nearly 150 projects so far, the Skills Development Fund has been a tremendous success, helping 260,000 workers and job seekers around the province take the next step in their careers,” said Minister Monte McNaughton. “However, we know employers are still having difficulty finding the talented workers they need to stay competitive and grow their businesses. That’s why I’m so pleased to see organizations like Achēv stepping up and breaking down barriers to employment for young people in Mississauga and Brampton.”
Career Pathways for Youth is a collaborative partnership with Project Liftoff to create and implement a seamless job training and placement experience for youth facing barriers to successfully launch careers in the digital economy. Youth will have placement opportunities at multiple employers that use Salesforce’s technology. The program includes digital skills training and certification, hands-on training, job placements, employability skills training and career coaching.
”As enterprise tech giants like Salesforce, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft continue to bring the worlds of business and technology together, ‘Working in tech’ will soon become, simply – Working”, said Marcus Bernard, Founder of Project Liftoff. “At Project Liftoff it’s our mission to prepare young underserved job seekers for that opportunity by providing the digital skills training and recruitment services needed to launch meaningful business and technology careers in the digital economy.”
As one of the largest providers of employment services, newcomer settlement and language services in the GTA, Achēv makes it easy for clients to get the support they need — all under one roof. Last year, Achēv served over 91,000 clients. We provided 1-on-1 job assistance to over 3,000 job seekers and helped over 12,000 youth gain employment skills. Over 11,000 newcomers used our services to help them settle into the GTA.
To learn more about the Career Pathways for Youth Program, visit: Career Pathways for Youth – Achēv (achev.ca)
Contact:
Program information: Gwendolyn Fluker, CP4Y@achev.ca
Media inquiries: Kristen Neagle, kneagle@achev.ca
[1] Canada’s digitally skilled talent demand to reach 305,000 by 2023: ICTC Outlook to 2023 – Information and Communications Technology Council (ictc-ctic.ca)
