Item - 2021.EC21.4

The Economic and Community Development Committee:

1.  Received the report (April 13, 2021) from the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation for information.

This report responds to Member Motion MM27.13, adopted by City Council on December 16, 2020, requesting City staff to report back on how the 2021 recreation hiring season will meet the stated goals of the 2019-2022 Poverty Reduction Strategy Term Action Plan, particularly as they apply to Black youth.

The Poverty Reduction Strategy identifies several employment-related actions, including creating employment opportunities for low-income groups as well as developing new pathways, training opportunities and flexibility for low-income residents to enter into City jobs and support advancement once employed. Statistics Canada data in January 2021 indicates job losses among youth aged 15 to 19 during the pandemic. In the three month period ending in August 2020, Indigenous youth aged 12 to 24 living off reserve had an unemployment rate of 26.3 percent (Statistics Canada, 2020). For Black youth aged 15 to 24, the pre-pandemic unemployment rate was 24.3 percent relative to 15.5 percent for the total population of racialized groups in Canada (Statistics Canada, 2016). These numbers are further magnified by the fact that in Toronto, Black Torontonians made up the highest percentage of the working poor (10.5 percent), with second and third generation Black Torontonians being more vulnerable (Metcalf Foundation, 2019).

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to intensify pre-existing systemic barriers that prevent Black and Indigenous youth living in Toronto from accessing sustainable employment and training initiatives.

Through its hiring power of youth, Parks, Forestry and Recreation is uniquely positioned to help advance Poverty Reduction Strategy actions and be part of a response to Toronto employment for Black youth through the employment it offers and effective recruitment efforts.

This report outlines Parks, Forestry and Recreation's Recruitment and Outreach Plan for the 2021 hiring season that engages and provides employment supports to Black youth. This work builds on annual recruitment, engagement and employment support programs and continued work to advance the stated goals of the Poverty Reduction Strategy through these part-time employment opportunities and creating new pathways and training opportunities for youth experiencing systemic barriers.

Parks, Forestry and Recreation services are delivered by a team of skilled leaders who supervise and instruct seasonal recreational programs and services for residents across the City. They are lifeguards, camp leaders, fitness instructors and customer service staff. Parks, Forestry and Recreation has a high return rate with 82 percent of staff returning to seasonal positions each year. New staff are hired to fill any vacancies following extensive outreach, recruitment and employment support programs designed to connect local youth to available recreation jobs. Recreation recruitment and employment support programs have and continue to focus on reaching youth in local communities who require information, tools, resources and supports to help connect them to available employment, understand what qualifications are needed and access job readiness programs that can help them be successful through the hiring process.

Parks, Forestry and Recreation's part-time staff have and continue to reflect the diversity of the communities served who, over time, grow within the organization gaining experience and leadership and other transferable skills. Recruitment strategies in 2021 build on the outreach and employment readiness work the division advances annually to be more intentional in reaching Black and marginalized youth, particularly in Neighbourhood Improvement Areas and other communities most impacted by the pandemic. To date, that effort has reached over 1,000 youth through 34 employment information and readiness virtual workshops.