The Career Foundation is a non-profit, government funded organization that has provided employment support and skills training to the community for the past 34 years. Our mission is to help people to find meaningful employment, become financially independent, and feel confident to renter the workforce. We have seven locations across the Greater Toronto & Hamilton Area. Five of these offices are resource and information centres, offering front desk service, snacks, faxing, printing, photocopying, a bulletin board with latest events, and weekly résumé support drop-ins. Our teams work together to connect job seekers with employers in their local communities.
The Completing the Circle Program (CTC) is one of our most popular programs, specifically designed for young people aged 15 to 30 years. It is a no-cost program that has helped hundreds of youth find employment that fulfills their employment goals and supports their financial stability. The program consists of 5 weeks of paid online training, followed by a 12-week paid work placement.
CTC was created to help youth gain the skills and experience they need to enter the labour market. The program has changed a lot since its creation as the labour market has changed since the pandemic began in March 2020. As of Q1 2023, jobs in many industries have become restricted, resulting in increasing mental health challenges and financial instability.
The program begins with up to five weeks of paid online training through a series of workshops. These vital sessions help participants get job-ready by teaching them skills such as résumé building, public speaking, and certifications like First Aid. Youth are paid $15.50 per hour to attend these online workshops. The training is followed by a 12-week paid full-time entry-level job placement. We consider participants’ job goals and place them in positions based on their interests. Once the program is successfully completed, youth are awarded a $750 completion bonus. We also provide subsidies as needed, to support participants with financial needs for childcare, clothing, groceries, and transportation.
All program participants receive specialized guidance and mentoring throughout the program and ongoing support with job retention after the program ends.
To be eligible for CTC, participants must be:
- Between 15 to 30 years old
- Able to work a minimum of 30 hours a week
- Have Canadian citizenship, Permanent Resident status, or Convention Refugee status with permission to
work - Unemployed or underemployed (working 20 hours or less per week)
- Not enrolled in full-time school
Our next session is starting September 18 th . Registration will close September 10 th .To learn more, contact our Outreach Worker, Muneezah Jawad, by phone (416) 806-3757 or email mjawad@careerfoundation.org.