Special Promotional Feature

The unemployment rate for Canadian youth is almost double that of the general population, and many talented, young people face increasing difficulty finding employment. Over-represented in these numbers are youth who already have lived experience of homelessness.

For these youth, finding meaningful and good work is often incredibly daunting as a result of stereotypes and the conditions that have caused them to experience homelessness. However, through their hardship, these individuals often become stronger, setting their focus on gaining control of their lives and maintaining stability.

HireUp Youth is a new and dynamic national youth employment program, developed by Impakt, The Home Depot Canada Foundation and Workopolis, which works with businesses and youth-serving organizations to support unemployed youth in their bid to gain good good work and end their experience of homelessness.

“Taking the time to train, employ or even mentor young people is always an investment in the future of our society and economy,” shared Jocelyn Helland, associate director of Broadway Youth Resource Centre and Vancouver Youth Services for Pacific Community Resources Society.

“Young people with lived experience [of homelessness] have so much to offer BC employers and often they make very loyal employees. There are skills and abilities inside our young people just waiting to be developed and noticed and all they need is for employers to give them an opportunity,” explained Helland.“HireUp is a fantastic way to match employers with young people hungry for opportunity.”

Top business leaders agree. “It’s a smart business decision,” said John Gross, president of Peak Products, a Richmond-based company that is one of Canada’s fastest growing firms in the home improvement and construction industries. “We’re helping to solve a social problem and accessing an untapped resource. By engaging underemployed youth we’re able to hire from a pool of dedicated, enthusiastic employees with a range of experiences, skills and knowledge.”

HireUp will re-invest all profits to help youth serving organizations improve employment programs for youth. “Workopolis’ mission is to help all Canadians connect with the opportunities they need to be successful,” said Tara Talbot, vice president, human resources and communications at Workopolis. “HireUp allows us to bring our tools and technology to a group of people who are particularly disadvantaged on the job market and we expect many employers will benefit.”

“Homelessness comes with extraordinarily high personal, and socio-economic costs,” said Deborah Berwick, senior manager, community affairs, The Home Depot Canada Foundation. “As part of the Foundation’s three-year, $10-million pledge to help end youth homelessness in Canada, we are proud to support the HireUp initiative as it creates opportunity for BC employers to find and engage a talent pool who will bring unique perspectives and value to their organization. Providing opportunities for employment is the transition into healthy, secure adulthood and an essential factor in breaking the cycle of homelessness.”

On Nov. 4, 2015, HRMA members can address their recruitment needs and make an impact on the lives of these youth by joining HireUp—Canada’s first national hiring portal for youth who have experienced homelessness. HireUp will connect employers to youth who are fully prepared for employment and to employment support staff who will ensure that youth and employers are positioned for success. Employers who hire youth will receive a designation as a “HireUp Employer” and have exclusive access to tools and research to guide their hiring and onboarding processes.

As an HRMA member, your company can benefit from a 10 per cent discount. For more information about HireUp call Olivia Larkin at 416-483-6191 x 27or email olivia@impaktcorp.com