all•a•board youth ventures inc. started in 1997, is a private, non-profit charitable organization that creates small businesses to employ youth in a year-on-the-job training experience. To date, we have an astonishing success rate of 85%, which means 85% of the youth that have entered our program either found full-time employment, returned to school or transferred to other youth programs.



Unemployed Youth in Toronto:



Many youth in our city are struggling to access employment. For thousands of young people with limited education, work experience or marketable skills, the doors are closed. To decrease youth unemployment we need to create opportunities for them to gain both the necessary skills and on-the-job experience for future employment.



In the final report, from the Mayor's Homelessness Action Task Force, "Nine Strategies to Break the Cycle of Homelessness" it states as a key strategy "Pursue economic development strategies to create jobs for extremely low income people and recipients of social assistance".



all•a•board has created a response to this need. We are the only employment readiness program in Toronto that offers sophisticated work environments. all•a•board youth ventures inc. has created transitional employment for Toronto's homeless and at-risk youth. Despite a growing economy and a lower unemployment rate thousands of young people are unable to access the job market due to:



- Limited education (less than Grade 12)



- Work experience



- Employment skills



We discovered the unnecessary constraints of Government support, requiring training programs to help youth in 3 month cycles - demonstrably too short a time to help a broken spirit. Our program is up to a year long in order to fully prepare youth for the world of work.



According to the Toronto Youth Profile 2001, an annual report on the situation of youth living in the City of Toronto, there was a 13% increase in the number of youth using emergency shelters (1994-99). A central key to breaking the cycle of homelessness and poverty is earning a livable wage. all•a•board, unlike most programs, provides a wage and bonuses for meeting training and performance goals. Stable income for youth eliminates dependence on shelter system and alleviates economic strain on community services.



Our Doors are Open:



In 1998, all•a•board youth ventures opened River a friendly fine dining restaurant in west-end Toronto, and the Wood Shop, a downtown manufacturer of furniture and multi-unit wood products. Annually these businesses prepare over forty youth for future, long-term employment by providing them with both technical and life skills training. We complete their one-year experience at all•a•board with employment placement and follow-up.