Yes CEO Timothy Lang was on hand with Premier Doug Ford, Minister Monte McNaughton, (Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development), Minster Peter Bethlenfalvy, (Minster of Finance), and Minster Stephen Lecce, (Minster of Education) for the “Grade 10 to Apprenticeship Pathway” announcement.  YES CEO said, “The government is creating safer, stronger, and more prosperous communities with programs like this one that allow YES and other organizations to help young people find careers in “in-demand” areas.  The Ontario government has led unprecedented support for disadvantaged youth, which will create a more prosperous province for generations to come.”   This program means students can enter the trades faster than ever before.  In the construction sector alone, 72,000 new workers are needed by 2027 to fill open positions and to help deliver the province’s infrastructure plans, including building 1.5 million homes by 2031, more people are needed in the skilled trades.  Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development said “When you have a career in the skilled trades, you have a career for life. Our government will continue to provide students with the tools they need to land well-paying and life-long careers.”  Lang said, “The Ontario Government funding has a positive net return of billions to the economy in the short term, -and because employment is a critical social determinant to health, the ROI is hundreds of billions of savings to taxpayers in the long term. We are so pleased to see this continued support for Ontario and especially for those in need.  The Government of Ontario is giving hope to so many who were hopeless. They’re helping YES help change lives every day.

Press Release:  YES Truth to Youth video released:  Click here for video

‘TRUTH to youth program’ to help Canadians NAVIGATE social media in the age of misinformation

YOUTH EMPLOYMENT SERVICES – YES Offering Free Program to help stop divineness and build trust amongst youth during this new age of mass misinformation via social media

(TORONTO – NOVEMBER 22, 2022) – YOUTH EMPLOYMENT SERVICES (YES), Canada’s leading youth employment services provider, helping hundreds of thousands of youth find employment for free, has launched its ‘Truth to Youth Program’ to help reduce the increasing spread of fake news and false information over social media.  Misleading news and the twisting of data has led to greater mistrust and divisiveness.  The innovative YES program will help youth navigate information more effectively and find the real facts and science, which will lead to a more civil discussion of important issues.

YES President & CEO stated “social media was supposed to help give all people, no matter what their socio-economic situation, access to information and help educate and inform.  We hoped it would bring different peoples and cultures together. Instead, social media has been used more to spread false stories and twist facts and science to try to generate more readers and make money by using sensational and fake news.  This has led to a more divisive society and even violence.  The ‘Truth to Youth Program’ will help youth spot fake news and use social media to search for the truth.  This will create a more civil debate and stronger communities.”

The Truth to Youth Program is a video-based program with leading experts in media, law and politics including former Liberal and Conservative Cabinet Ministers, Navdeep Baines and Lisa Raitt, award winning authors and media personalities Amanda Lang and Andrew Cohen, and University of Toronto Law professor, Abdi Aidid.  These experts discuss the various pitfalls of believing false information and spreading fake news, along with ways to use social media for good and have a more civil discussion and debate, even with people you disagree with.

Attached is the free link to the Truth to Youth video: Click here for video

The Truth to Youth Program is a free video-based program available to all on yes.on.ca and via YES Programming and facilitators.  Since 1968 YES has supported and trained youth to help prepare for the future and create a stronger Canada.  The Truth to Youth program will further help in this endeavour.