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Program directory · Employment and Social Development Canada

Youth Employment and Skills Strategy

Program code
BGO06 (HRSD)
Core responsibility
Learning, Skills Development and Employment
In Departmental Plans
2018-19 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan

What it does

The Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) is a horizontal Government of Canada initiative led by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and delivered in partnership with 11 federal departments, agencies, and Crown corporations. YESS projects provide employment services, and supports that are tailored to the individual needs of youth (aged 15-30). In particular, programming focuses on youth facing multiple barriers to employment, providing opportunities to gain work experience and develop the skills they need to find and keep employment. The Strategy offers a diverse range of programs, including Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ), which provides wage subsidies to employers to create jobs for youth in not-for-profit, public and private sector small businesses (e.g., 50 employees or less).

Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.

History and lineage

First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2018-19. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).

2018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262026-272027-282028-29Youth Employment and Skills Strategy 2018-19: $410MYouth Employment and Skills Strategy 2019-20: $486MYouth Employment and Skills Strategy 2020-21: $563MYouth Employment and Skills Strategy 2021-22: $873MYouth Employment and Skills Strategy 2022-23: $716MYouth Employment and Skills Strategy 2023-24: $543MYouth Employment and Skills Strategy 2024-25: $488MYouth Employment and Skills Strategy 2025-26: $472MYouth Employment and Skills Strategy 2026-27: $656MYouth Employment and Skills Strategy 2027-28: $519MYouth Employment and Skills Strategy 2028-29: $251MYouth Employment and Skills StrategyYouth Employment StrategyYouth Employment and Skills Strategy
Bars: spending by fiscal year (dark: actual; light: actual restated on the 2017-18 program structure; outlined: the latest plan's forecast; grey: related programs). Bands: each program in the lineage over the years it has data. The line at the bottom shows this program's names over time.
ProgramRelationYears with dataActual spending over those years
Youth Employment and Skills StrategyThis program2018-19 – 2028-29$4.08B

No earlier or later program in the same department has a similar name.

Significant changes in scope and budget

Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.

YearWhat changedSource
2019-20Indicators dropped: Employment or returns to school following training/supports; Number of Canadians receiving training and/or employment supports; Number of Canadians receiving training and/or employment supports; Number of Canadians receiving training and/or employment supportsDepartmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase)
2020-21Indicators dropped: Employment or returns to school following training/supportsDepartmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase)
2021-22Employees (FTEs) 617, against 473 in 2020-21 (+30%).FTEs (GC InfoBase)
2021-22Renamed from “Youth Employment Strategy” to “Youth Employment and Skills Strategy”.GC InfoBase program names by year
2021-22Spending $873M, against $563M in 2020-21 (+55%).Actual spending (GC InfoBase)
2025-26Indicators added: Number of youth receiving wraparound social support, skills training, and/or employment opportunities.Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase)
2025-26Indicators dropped: Number of youth receiving training and/or employment supports, or taking part in a job placement.Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase)
2026-27Planned spending $656M, against $472M in 2025-26 (+39%).Latest Departmental Plan
2028-29Planned employees (FTEs) 312, against 575 in 2027-28 (−46%).FTEs (GC InfoBase)
2028-29Planned spending $251M, against $519M in 2027-28 (−52%).Latest Departmental Plan

Success criteria

The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.

Historical: targets against results

Number of youth receiving training and/or employment supports, or taking part in a job placement.
Expected result: Youth, especially those who are facing barriers, have access to programs that allow them to acquire the skills, learning experiences and opportunities they need to find and maintain employment or return to school.
1,7712018-19✓ met64,1452020-21✓ met35,7732021-22✓ met132,2442022-23✓ met93,3302023-24✓ met82,4652024-25✓ met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2018-19≥ 1,45120191,771Met
2019-20Target TBD202099,859
No targets were set for 2019-20. The department used 2019-20 to establish baseline targets following the modernization of the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy.
No result reported
2020-21At least 9,200202164,145
In 2020-21, the YESS received additional funding through the Public Health Events of National Concern Payments Act (COVID-19), increasing the ESDC YESS program target to 14,500 placements, and CSJ to 80,000. However, due to the pandemic, ESDC did not fully meet its pandemic target while it did meet the targets set for the YESS stream (8,000) and the Goal Getters stream (1,200). No target was set…
Met
2021-22≥ 35,171202235,773
In 2021-22, the YESSP has surpassed the target of 35,171. However, these results only include numbers from 11 of the 12 departments (missing ISC) given this information, the actual result is most likely higher. Actual results do not include results from the Canada-Québec Contribution Agreement as they are not available for the program “Jeunes en mouvement vers l'emploi” as well as partial Covid r…
Met
2022-23≥ 112,0002023132,244
The YESS has two programs: Canada Summer Job (CSJ) and Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program (YESSP). In 2022-2023, CSJ served 115,003 youth and YESSP 17, 241, surpassing the established targets of 100,000 and 12,000 respectively. Note: These results do not include results from the Canada-Québec Contribution Agreement which are anticipated in Fall 2023.
Met
2023-24≥ 28,000202493,330
In 2023-2024, Canada Summer Job served 74,527 youth and Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program served 18,803. The target was surpassed due to supplementary funding provided in 2023-2024. Note: These results do not include results from the Canada-Québec Contribution Agreement which are anticipated to be provided to ESDC in Fall 2024.
Met
2024-25≥ 75,240202582,465
In 2024-2025, Canada Summer Jobs served 72,779 youth and the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program served 9,686, surpassing the established target. Note: These results do not include results from the Canada-Québec Contribution Agreement which are anticipated to be provided to ESDC in Fall 2025.
Met
Employment or returns to school following training/supports
Expected result: Youth have access to programs that allow them to acquire the skills, learning experiences and opportunities they need to find and maintain employment or return to school.
1,8292018-19✓ met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2018-19≥ 1,16120191,829
Actual result: 1,829 (1,741 for employed or self-employed and 88 returns to school).
Met
2019-20Target TBD202066,214
No targets were set for 2019-20. The department used 2019-20 to establish baseline targets following the modernization of the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy.
No result reported
Employment or returns to school following training/supports
Expected result: Youth have access to programs that allow them to acquire the skills, learning experiences and opportunities they need to find and maintain employment or return to school.
7,8352018-19✓ met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2018-19≥ 5,39520197,835
Actual result: 7,835 (6,874 for employed or self-employed and 961 returns to school). The actual result is specific to Skills Link.
Met
Number of Canadians receiving training and/or employment supports
Expected result: Youth have access to programs that allow them to acquire the skills, learning experiences and opportunities they need to find and maintain employment or return to school.
12,9432018-19✓ met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2018-19≥ 8,993201912,943
Actual result is specific to Skills Link.
Met
Number of Canadians receiving training and/or employment supports
Expected result: Youth have access to programs that allow them to acquire the skills, learning experiences and opportunities they need to find and maintain employment or return to school.
70,1102018-19✓ met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2018-19≥ 69,000201970,110
Actual result is specific to Canada Summer Jobs. Summer job placements for youth exceeded initial targets due to additional funding as well as improvements to program administration processes.
Met
Number of Canadians receiving training and/or employment supports
Expected result: Youth have access to programs that allow them to acquire the skills, learning experiences and opportunities they need to find and maintain employment or return to school.
1,5292018-19✗ not met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2018-19≥ 2,12820191,529
Actual result is specific to Summer Work Experience – Green Jobs. As a result of the projects starting later in the fiscal year, delivery partners were not able to reach out to participants in time to meet the target.
Not met

Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets

Number of youth receiving wraparound social support, skills training, and/or employment opportunities.
Expected result: Youth, especially those who are facing barriers, access the wrapround support, skills training, and employment opportunities they need to obtain employment or return to school.
37,0002026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 37,0002027—Planned

Future goals: targets due after 2026-27

No targets with a later due date.

Spending and employees: planned against actual

Spending

2018-19: $423M2018-19: $410M2018-192019-20: $516M2019-20: $486M2019-202020-21: $358M2020-21: $563M2020-212021-22: $803M2021-22: $873M2021-222022-23: $774M2022-23: $716M2022-232023-24: $539M2023-24: $543M2023-242024-25: $475M2024-25: $488M2024-252025-26: $472M2025-262026-27: $656M2026-272027-28: $519M2027-282028-29: $251M2028-29
Outlined bar: planned in that year's Departmental Plan (dashed: the latest plan, for years not yet reported). Filled bar: actual.
Show the numbers
Fiscal yearPlannedActual
2018-19$423M$410M
2019-20$516M$486M
2020-21$358M$563M
2021-22$803M$873M
2022-23$774M$716M
2023-24$539M$543M
2024-25$475M$488M
2025-26$472M—
2026-27$656M—
2027-28$519M*—
2028-29$251M*—

Employees (FTEs)

2018-19: 3912018-19: 5122018-192019-20: 5252019-20: 5002019-202020-21: 3882020-21: 4732020-212021-22: 6212021-22: 6172021-222022-23: 6402022-23: 6332022-232023-24: 6552023-24: 6002023-242024-25: 6352024-25: 5612024-252025-26: 6192025-262026-27: 5802026-272027-28: 5752027-282028-29: 3122028-29
Outlined bar: planned in that year's Departmental Plan (dashed: the latest plan, for years not yet reported). Filled bar: actual.
Show the numbers
Fiscal yearPlannedActual
2018-19391512
2019-20525500
2020-21388473
2021-22621617
2022-23640633
2023-24655600
2024-25635561
2025-26619—
2026-27580—
2027-28575*—
2028-29312*—

Planned spending, plan by plan

Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans

Plan2018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262026-272027-282028-29
2018-19 plan$422,524,755$349,446,017$247,255,479
2019-20 plan$516,130,849$244,664,481$244,664,481
2020-21 plan$357,910,804$357,913,406$357,918,327
2021-22 plan$802,778,254$361,723,664$250,614,920
2022-23 plan$773,884,859$326,811,743$248,214,626
2023-24 plan$538,870,303$470,828,161$246,851,479
2024-25 plan$475,216,747$251,613,879$251,421,646
2025-26 plan$472,260,012$251,853,156$251,853,156
2026-27 plan$656,145,388$518,847,083$250,792,535
Actual$410,084,131$486,146,210$562,566,814$873,455,161$715,736,302$543,289,703$488,292,755

Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.