Item - 2026.EC29.10

The Economic and Community Development Committee:

1. Received the report (May 26, 2026) from the Executive Director, Social Development for information.

The Director, Community Resources, Social Development, and the Manager, Youth Development, Social Development gave a presentation to the Economic and Community Development Committee on Update on Reducing Barriers to Youth Employment and the Diversity Youth Fellowship Program

This report provides an update on the implementation of City Council direction for Item EC25.7 – Reducing Barriers to Youth Employment, including actions to address barriers to youth employment and an assessment of the feasibility of expanding the Diversity Youth Fellowship Program to include a cohort for youth with disabilities.

Youth unemployment in Toronto remains a significant challenge, particularly for equity-deserving youth who continue to face systemic barriers to employment. In April 2026, the unemployment rate for youth aged 15 to 24 in Toronto was 16.8 percent, nearly double the rate for adults aged 35 to 44, and significantly higher than the pre-pandemic youth unemployment rate of 9.8 percent in April 2019.

The City is the largest employer of youth, aged 15 to 29, per capita than any other Canadian municipality. As highlighted in staff report EC25.7, more than 16,000 youth are employed across the City system each year. Building on this strong foundation, the City is advancing a more coordinated and equity focused approach to youth employment by strengthening partnerships, expanding workforce development opportunities, and creating clearer pathways from skills development to meaningful, long-term careers.  These efforts align with City Council direction for item EC27.3, City of Toronto's Inclusive Economic Development Framework and its two core pathways: Inclusive Employment and Sector Pathways, and Inclusive Entrepreneurship and Ownership.

Key actions highlighted in this report include:

- The establishment of the Youth Employment Table, co-chaired by the City and United Way Greater Toronto, which has supported the identification of a projected 2,800 new youth employment, training, entrepreneurship, and workforce development opportunities across the City and Table partners.

- Improved workforce navigation supports for youth, including a dedicated youth employment website and chatbot in collaboration with Findhelp 211, United Way Greater Toronto, and The Neighbourhood Group.

- The delivery of 11 career activation and job fair events between January and May 2026, that engaged 1,085 youth and provided 250 job opportunities and employment and pre-employment supports to 180 youth.

- Progress on workforce development initiatives that connect youth, particularly from Indigenous, Black and equity-deserving communities to opportunities on major-city building initiatives and large-scale events, such as the FIFA World Cup 2026™, CityServe summer expansion, Community Youth Academy, and the 2026 Municipal Elections.

- Continued development of the Diversity Youth Fellowship Program, which supports pathways into public service and civic leadership for equity-deserving youth through paid placements in Council Members’ offices, including exploration of accessibility enhancements and a potential disability-focused cohort.

This report introduces a Youth Employment Pathways framework to support a more coordinated approach to youth employment and workforce development across City initiatives. In addition, the report outlines initial accessibility and program design considerations related to a potential disability-focused cohort within the Diversity Youth Fellowship Program, as well as next steps for engagement with accessibility advocates, community partners, and youth with lived experience.