Employment

Recommendation 65: Zero Ceiling is a promising practice that has integrated employment and housing to help bridge youth out of homelessness into a sense of purpose. They provide mental health support and a strong recreation component that helps youth thrive in wellness.

Employment

Recommendation 66: Develop fun workshops that connect youth to employers and gets employers feeling a sense of responsibility and achievement from employing youth.

Supporting a resilient sector

Recommendation 67: Increased and sustained funding to manage additional expenditures of housing and supporting youth. Funding for wages should be adequate, so organizations are able to hire qualified and trained staff to offer meaningful support to youth.

Supporting a resilient sector

Recommendation 68: Increased transparency from government organizations on the recovery plan.

Supporting a resilient sector

Recommendation 69: Advocacy with the Federal government to ensure Indigenous organizations are able to access benefits as the current benefit through Indigenous Services Canada is only for people on reserve resulting in a gap. There needs to be advocacy so Indigenous youth are equally able to access relief funds and the same benefits provided to youth on reserve. In Burns Lake, the Friendship Centers are struggling to provide hampers, food, and to continue providing services to those most impacted by the pandemic.

Supporting a resilient sector

Recommendation 70: Continued access to phones, computers, and personal-protective equipment in order to maintain a quicker recovery response in the event of a second wave.

Supporting a resilient sector

Recommendation 71: Support with administrative and operational costs such as buildings and proper infrastructure. It is common in our sector to have “bunk-bed desks”, which don’t work during a pandemic.