Toronto’s Employment Program for the Black Youth

According to one expert, a new project to help Black youngsters break into high-opportunity areas has advocacy support and is, in some ways, a culmination of all that has come before.

The Toronto-based Heritage Skills Development Centre (HSDC) introduced the Black Youth Lead to Succeed initiative (BYLS) in late January, a two-year employment and wraparound support programme established in collaboration with the Ontario government.

It seeks to teach participants in essential leadership and professional development skills and will include mentorship, employer networking, paid placement, career counselling and needs assessments, and other complete assistance for Black youth aged 22 to 35 who are looking for full-time job.

BYLS began on February 13 with a skills development and employment retention training programme, but registration and more information for forthcoming sessions and registrations are available on the HSDC’s Black Youth Lead to Success Program homepage.

HSDC is a non-profit grassroots organisation that works to improve the lives of immigrants and visible minorities in the GTA.

The program’s goal, according to the news release, is to help young Black individuals break into high-growth industries, with a concentration on technology.