Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I am joining you today from outside London, Ontario, on the traditional territory of the Anishinabe, Haudenosaunee and Attiwandaron peoples.
Thank you to the members of the committee for inviting the YMCA to share our experience and recommendations.
My name is Krista Gillespie. My pronouns are she/her. I'm the vice-president of youth engagement and employment programs at the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario.
I am here to speak to the impact of the Canada summer jobs program on youth who participate through our local YMCA, as well as 36 other YMCAs across Canada. The YMCA is a leading Canadian charity with a focus on health and well-being. As an employer, we understand that work is an important aspect of health and wellness, and can provide focus and meaning. At the YMCA, through the Canada summer jobs program, young people are engaged in high-quality, high-value and meaningful work experiences.
We're encouraged by the committee's commitment to undertake this study, as we believe it provides an excellent opportunity to explore and, hopefully, build on the strengths of this remarkable program. We have several ideas on how to build on those strengths, but let me start by sharing that the charitable sector is where a great career can begin for young people, as we support civic engagement and a sense of belonging.
Youth are at a greater risk of unemployment than the general population is. Many young people are entering the labour market for the first time and lack work experience.
At the YMCA, Canada summer jobs youth are often employed as camp counsellors. Other positions may include membership services staff, facilities and maintenance, lifeguards and ECEs. This year, we were able to hire a digital coordinator. Young employees in these fields gain important skills, such as leadership, conflict resolution, communication and problem-solving. These are foundational roles that get youth started and support them throughout their entire career trajectory. This entry point facilitates a transition to longer-term careers. In my own experience, we often hire people through Canada summer jobs and see them return for a second year, when they grow in leadership and level of responsibility.
We have five recommendations to build on the strengths of the Canada summer jobs program.
One, evolve the Canada summer jobs program to a year-round youth jobs program, with flexibility for part-time positions. This would facilitate access to the labour market, especially given that the pursuit of education is departing from the traditional “semester one, semester two, break” model. This would allow employers to offer a more comprehensive and diverse mix of roles that would be appealing to a larger and more diverse number of young people.
Two, introduce predictable, multi-year funding that would enable employers to better plan and to have meaningfully engaged youth employees. The earlier the funding is announced, the earlier we can begin recruitment for Canada summer jobs positions. This allows young people to plan accordingly.
Three, enhance the administrative efficiencies of the program. I certainly agree with many of the things that Mr. Cougler already identified. A few points we have include removing the requirement of detailed reporting of short absences, allowing for a start date window without requiring additional paperwork if there is a change to the start date in the original application, and consolidating reporting to not need an individual report for each staff member, especially when hiring multiple staff for the same role.
Four, include funding for paid mental health or sick days. At the YMCA, our goal is to support our youngest workers and ensure they have healthy and productive work experiences. Including a mental health or sick day allocation in the program would benefit young people who encounter and experience a variety of health-related challenges.
Five, expand hiring to include not just Canadian residents but also those who have a work permit, including international students.
As an organization that employs thousands of young people annually, the YMCA is continuously striving to provide young employees with great job experiences. We believe the Canada summer jobs program offers an impactful experience to young people in our communities, and we look forward to building on that program's success.