Item - 2020.EC13.1

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council authorize the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration to receive funds in the amount of $287,500 from the Toronto Arts Foundation as specified through the Future Skills Centre funding agreement.

2.  City Council authorize the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration to enter into agreements with other entities, including the Toronto Arts Foundation, other federal agencies, community organizations, private entities, or individuals, and to spend federal funding in accordance with the federal program requirements and guidelines.

3.  City Council increase the Social Development, Finance and Administration 2020 Council Approved Budget by $62,500 gross, zero net and one temporary position funded by the contribution received from the Toronto Arts Foundation.

This report seeks authority to receive funds in the amount of $287,500 from the Toronto Arts Foundation through a grant from the Federal program, Future Skills Centre (https://fsc-ccf.ca/), for the ArtWorksTO workforce development project for 2020-2022 and to increase the 2020 Council Approved Operating Budget of Social Development, Finance and Administration by $62,500 gross, zero net, as well as one temporary position to provide project management. 

In March 2020, ArtWorksTO received funding from the Future Skills Centre to deliver an expanded workforce development model in partnership with the City of Toronto, the Toronto Arts Foundation – Neighbourhood Arts Network, the Remix Project and the Ontario College of Art and Design University.  The funded project will run from June 30, 2020 to June 30, 2022.

ArtWorksTO provides youth, including youth vulnerable to violence and crime, racialized youth, LGBTQ2S youth and youth with disabilities with customized training and professional development to upskill credentials in business training for creative industries and paid project-based internships to create communications products for City of Toronto programs and services.  With the funding provided to the Toronto Arts Foundation from the Future Skills Centre, the ArtWorksTO project will expand to a workforce development model to support youth furthest from the labour market to mitigate against the negative impacts of COVID-19 on the employment prospects of vulnerable youth. The project team will work to ensure that the digital divide is bridged for participants who require this kind of modular workforce development and educational attainment.

ArtWorksTO was launched by the City of Toronto in 2015 as part of the Toronto Youth Equity Strategy, Action 1D: "The City of Toronto will invest in youth artists and arts groups to develop youth sensitive and appropriate communication materials (posters, videos, songs, stories, etc.) that will promote key City programs that serve youth needs (at all levels of vulnerability) and also promote best practices in youth-led collaboration initiatives."