YES was thrilled to have the opportunity to visit the eBay, Kijiji and StubHub offices in September. As part of eBay’s 20th birthday celebrations, their Toronto team hosted YES’ BizStart group for an event filled morning. Our young entrepreneurs had the opportunity to meet team members from across the three divisions including participating in a panel discussion with the executive team. Thank you to the entire Toronto team for providing our youth with such a great experience!

YES was thrilled to join our ‘Hero’ partner Starbucks Canada at a special hiring event on Saturday April 23^rd.

The event saw over 100 youth come and interview with the Starbucks Canada team for jobs across the Toronto region. YES employer Metro also joined us for this fantastic event which saw 80% of the youth who participated receive employment offers! We look forward to working further with Starbucks to hire more youth in the coming months. Thank you from all of our team for your tremendous support of youth in Toronto!

Photography generously donated by Gerry J. Diaz www.gerryjdiaz.com

Would you like $3,000 to help launch your own company?

HOW IT WORKS: As a Summer Company recipient, you’ll be eligible to receive up to $1,500 in grants to get you started, along with business training and mentoring. You’ll receive up to an additional $1,500 in grants when you successfully complete the program at the end of the summer.

ELIGIBILITY:
You’re eligible if you:

• are a student at a high school, college or university in Ontario
• are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• are between 15-29 years old as of April 30, 2016
• are not working at another job and/or attending school for more than 12 hours/ week during the program
• are returning to school after the program ends

APPLY NOW:

You should apply early: space is limited, and Summer Company fills up quickly. Deadline for 2016 is May 6th, 2016

Contact Us: Dion Walcott, Dion_Walcott@yes.on.ca, 416.504.5516 x278

Visit us at ontario.ca/summercompany to apply or to get more information about the program.

The Rotary Club of Toronto West awarded its prestigious 2016 Community Service Award to YES for “Meritorious Service to Youth” at the 17th Annual Awards Gala on Friday, Jan. 29 at the Old Mill Inn in Etobicoke.

Tim Lang (left), President & CEO of YES, Sinead McCarthy, VP of Growth and Development of YES and Brian Spencer, President of Rotary Club of Toronto West

Click here for more information of the Rotary Youth Impact Awards.

YES is now accepting applications for the Summer Company program, which helps youth start their own business and gain the skills they need to succeed.

L-R: Han Dong, MPP for Trinity-Spadina, Michael Coteau, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport and Timothy Lang, President and CEO of YES

On behalf of Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure, Michael Coteau, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, joined by Han Dong, MPP for Trinity-Spadina made and announcement regarding youth entrepreneurship opportunities.

Tim Lang CEO of YES joined the Minister, MPP Hong as well as Tim Seabrook, Vice Principal of Central Toronto Academy and members of the press to speak on the official launch of Summer Company. YES is pleased to be offering an expanded Summer Company program for the Ministry this year.

Province Fostering Youth Entrepreneurship Opportunities

Summer Company offers mentorship, training and awards of up to $3,000 to students aged 15 to 29. Students can apply online until May 6.

Last year, 865 students launched their own companies, including Eric Dolan. Eric developed Neutun — an app that works with smart watches and wearable devices that warns the wearer when an epileptic seizure is imminent. Dolan’s innovation led to securing new business partnerships, developing a user base, and expanding into his latest wearable technology endeavour to monitor a range of chronic conditions in addition to epilepsy.

Helping young entrepreneurs succeed is part of the government’s plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs. The four-part plan includes investing in people’s talents and skills, making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario’s history, creating a dynamic, supportive environment where business thrives, and building a secure retirement savings plan.