By Emily Yeap
A new Ottawa youth employment centre will soon become a reality, thanks to financing from Human Resources Development Canada.
Scheduled to open in January, the centre will be named Youth Zone Jeunesse and will provide employment services to residents aged 16 to 30 who have difficulty finding jobs. It will be located in the Employment and Financial Assistance Centre at 370 Catherine St.
“The decision is made. HRDC fully supports the project so the funds have been committed,” says Michel Guilbeault, Ottawa’s employment program manager.
HRDC will pay the centre’s initial capital and operating expenditures of about $750,000 until March.
“My hope is that this (money) gets it going and then after that additional funders will come on board,” says Cheri Crosby, director of the Ottawa Human Resource Centres.
Annual operating costs are estimated at $400,000. The city will contribute in-kind services such as free rent for the first three months.
Somerset Ward Coun. Elisabeth Arnold says the main reason for the centre’s location is that an employment resource facility is already based there, so it would be easier to set up the centre and combine services. In addition, Catherine Street is central to Ottawa.
“A lot of youth who could use the service are living in the downtown area or coming downtown and it’s easy to get to by transit,” Arnold says.
Guilbeault says the centre will not only provide information and services, but also give referrals to similar organizations.
“So, if you’re out in the Kanata area, there’s a number of resource centres there. The employment centre will make sure you’re connected with the one that’s closest to your home and better serves your need,” he explains.
The city expects more than 500 youths to use the centre in the first year. While it will manage the centre, Guilbeault says most of its services will be delivered through partnerships with community agencies.
Services to be offered at the centre include an employment resource library, one-on-one employment support by employment specialists, introductory-level workshops in basic computer skills, access to computers, the Internet, fax machines, photocopiers and telephones for job related phone calls and on-site childcare.
Guilbeault says the centre will make the job-hunting process for Ottawa youth a little easier.
“Studies that were undertaken indicated that youth aren’t tapping into the programs and services that are out there, so we want to facilitate that and simplify things for them.”
Nathan Hauch, Centretown representative in the Ottawa Youth Cabinet, a City of Ottawa advisory committee, says youth employment is an important issue in the city and that’s why the centre is needed.
“It’s a very good step in that youth can access the job market and connect with employers,” he says.
Arnold says the centre will be particularly useful for youth without a high school or university education. The centre’s services will give them a better chance of finding both high paying and interesting employment.
Recognizing the need to deliver employment services through a central site and improve communication among Ottawa youth agencies, HRDC, the city and local service providers came up with the idea of the centre two years ago.
The Ottawa Youth Services Bureau, an organization providing support services to youth, is one of the main youth agencies involved in the project.
“We look at this as kind of like a value-added service to Ottawa area youth,” says Jeff Burry, Ottawa Youth Services Bureau youth employment services program director. “We want to continue working in partnership with the city and HRDC to make sure that this particular centre on Catherine will be successful.”
He adds once the centre is up and running, the bureau hopes to place some staff there to work with youth.
Hauch says the youth cabinet will do whatever it can to make the centre known to young people like publicizing the centre on the youth portal of the City of Ottawa’s Web site once it’s open.
“The centre is only as successful as the people who know how to use it.”
Senator Mac Harb, a former Ottawa Centre Liberal MP, has thrown his support behind the centre. He says it won’t threaten other area youth agencies because they all have complementary services and a similar objective – helping youth lead better lives.