Minister Marci Ien announces volunteer service opportunities for youth through Canada Service Corps

From: Employment and Social Development Canada

News release

July 14, 2023              Gatineau, Quebec              Employment and Social Development Canada

Getting involved and giving back to communities through youth volunteer opportunities is a fantastic way to build leadership skills, grow personal and professional networks, and impact local communities in a positive way. That is why the Government of Canada continues to invest in volunteer service opportunities for youth through the Canada Service Corps (CSC).

Each year on July 15, Canada celebrates World Youth Skills Day by highlighting the importance of equipping young people with the skills needed to succeed in all aspects of their lives. To mark this special occasion, the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, Marci Ien, is pleased to announce that over 5,000 volunteer service opportunities for youth will be made available through the CSC’s Service Placements National Stream in partnership with 15 national organizations.

With over $40.8 million in funding, these organizations will offer a vast array of innovative and creative civic engagement opportunities for youth that will lead to skills development in fields they are passionate about. These types of service projects allow youth to explore and build a wide-range of technical and soft skills while supporting Canada’s goal to encourage life-long learning and foster a culture of volunteer service across the country.

CSC traditionally serves youth ages 15 to 30, however as part of a new pilot project this year, six CSC-funded organizations will offer volunteer service opportunities to youth aged 12 years-old and up. By enabling younger people to participate, CSC aims to support early development of key life skills such as leadership, teamwork, and communication skills that will benefit them throughout their youth and early adulthood.

Youth who want to apply for a CSC-funded volunteer service opportunity or apply for a micro-grant to lead their own project, can visit Canada.ca/CanadaServiceCorps. New opportunities are added and updated throughout the year.

Quotes

“We know that many youth struggle to find programs where they can develop their leadership skills and gain work experience. Through this pilot project, we will work with youth to strengthen their core life skills and cultivate a desire to help others. We’re empowering the future leaders of this country to make sure they have the skills needed to lead successful projects, pursue professional opportunities, and continue making positive change in their communities”.
– The Honorable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth

Quick facts

  • Since 2018, the CSC has funded more than 100 organizations to support volunteer service opportunities across the country, creating more than 24,000 service opportunities and more than 6,600 micro-grants.

  • CSC continues to support diversity by ensuring that the participation of Indigenous and under-served youth is a key focus of the program. This goal aligns with the Government of Canada’s commitment to youth programming and the pledge to equity, diversity and inclusion through the new Anti-racism Strategy.

  • From February 8 to March 22, 2022, Employment and Social Development Canada held a call for proposals under the CSC. Organizations across Canada were invited to submit their applications for funding for one or more of the following four streams: the Service Placements National Stream, the Service Placements Regional Stream, the Micro-grants stream, and the Micro-grants Diversity stream. Additionally, a competitive solicited intake was launched to fund Accelerator Micro-grant projects.

  • The World Youth Skills Day theme this year is “Skilling teachers, trainers and youth for a transformative future.” This highlights the key role educators play in providing youth with the skills they need to transition from school to the labour market and ultimately succeed.

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Contacts

For media inquiries, please contact:

Johise Namwira
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, Marci Ien
873-353-0985

Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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