Building Skills and Creating Opportunities with Essa Youth

June 15th is World Youth Skills Day, a day to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship. With thanks to the RBC Foundation and the RBC Future Launch Program, Essa Public Library has provided youth facing multiple barriers access to skills as part of our Unleash Your Future program. The program has delivered skill development opportunities to youth to help grow their potential for future careers.

Unleash Your Future initially focused on the skilled trades.

It was something Essa Public Library had never done before and we met youth who had never participated in library programs before. There was such excitement over these opportunities and it opened up new possibilities and pathways to explore the trades. Suddenly youth were exposed to new possibilities and shared some moving testimonials:

“I’m going to get this summer job FOR SURE!”

“I’ve been waiting to get this certificate but it’s only offered in Barrie and I didn’t have a ride.”

“I now know what I want to do with my future.”

“I’ve changed what I want to go to university for.”

In 2020, COVID-19 arrived, we quickly rallied and, with the help of several community members and teachers, transitioned Unleash Your Future to a virtual platform. In some ways, a virtual platform broke down barriers. The youth no longer had to rely on transportation to and from the program.

Throughout the pandemic, Unleash Your Future worked on soft skills that are vital to a successful career. We hosted speakers and workshops that challenged youth to envision their future careers and then plan steps to get there. Skills like resiliency, goal setting, confidence, and positive mindset were achieved. It was also important to address and support our youth with social issues like the Black Lives Matter movement, Residential Schools, and truth and reconciliation.

The skills the youth were building were different, but the impact and importance was still there.

“I appreciate how he addressed so many different privileges with grace. I know what kind of workplace I want to be a part of and what I can do to create it.”

Altogether, more than 3000 youth in Essa Township have participated in some or all of the Unleash Your Future events and we look forward to continuing the program in 2021. For more information about the Unleash Your Future program or to register for the next event, please contact the Essa Public Library's Manager of Library Services, Glenda Newbatt at this address: gnewbatt@essa.library.on.ca

#UnleashYourFuture #RBCfoundation #EPLprograms

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By Glenda Newbatt