Youth Employment and Skills Program

To be eligible for the Youth Employment and Skills Program (YESP) grant, applicants must meet the following criteria: 1. They must be hiring youth or young adults who are facing barriers. These barriers can include being Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and/or Métis), living with a disability, being a racialized youth, a recent newcomer to Canada, part of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community, living in an Official Languages Minority Community (OLMC), residing in a remote, northern, or fly-in community, living in a low-income household, being a single parent, or being an early leaver of high school. 2. Employers hiring individuals who qualify as youth or young adults facing barriers are eligible to receive 80% of total eligible costs, up to a maximum of $14,000. 3. Funding support can also be provided to offset employment barriers faced by the employees hired, up to $5,000. 4. Applicants must be willing to share the costs of the project, with the program offering contributions towards eligible costs as follows: - For non-barrier applications, the program will cover 50% of total salary to a maximum of $14,000. - For barrier applications, the program will cover 80% of total salary to a maximum of $14,000. - Additional relocation costs and barrier-related costs of up to $5,000 may be eligible for funding support at the specified percentages. 5. Stacking of government funds is permitted, but the total project financing must not exceed 100%, and applicants are responsible for ensuring the compatibility of other funding sources. These criteria outline the eligibility requirements for the YESP grant, designed to support projects employing youth and young adults facing various barriers in Canada.

Evaluation and Selection Criteria for this grant are as follows: - The extent to which the application demonstrates a clear understanding of the project goals and objectives. - The potential impact of the project on the youth employed and the community. - The relevance of the project to addressing barriers faced by youth participants. - The feasibility and sustainability of the project. - The quality of the work plan and timeline for project implementation. - The budget and cost-effectiveness of the project. - The capacity of the applicant to successfully carry out the project. These criteria will be used to evaluate and select projects for funding under the Youth Employment and Skills Program.

Step 4. How to apply

- The program offers support for 50% of wages to a maximum of $14,000. - Employers who hire a youth facing barriers can receive 80% of total eligible costs, up to a maximum of $14,000. - Additional support of up to $5,000 is available to offset the employment barrier faced by the employee hired. - Reasonable expenses related to relocation within Canada for youth facing barriers may be eligible under barrier expenses, supported at 80%. - Non-barrier youth may be eligible for pre-approved relocation costs at the 50% funding level to a maximum of $5,000. - Contributions towards eligible costs are typically shared between AAFC and the applicant, with varying percentages depending on the type of application (non-barrier or barrier). - Stacking of government funds is permitted, but the total project funding cannot exceed 100% from municipal, provincial, or federal sources.