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Many Ontario youth are leaving the school system without the necessary training to succeed in the workforce, while newcomers encounter significant challenges in securing quality employment due to language barriers and limited awareness of available services. Youth unemployment is rampant across the province, growing steadily in recent years to 16.5 percent, while the unemployment rate for newcomers averaged 7.4%, more than the 5.2% average for Canadian-borns. These high unemployment rates not only threaten the livelihoods of communities across Ontario, but reflect wasted productivity and growth for the Canadian economy.
First Work, Ontario’s leading employment network, aims to address youth and newcomer unemployment by providing targeted training, comprehensive support services, and employer engagement to help these communities transition into meaningful and sustainable employment.
To enhance and digitize their services, First Work launched a partnership with FutureFit AI to provide a virtual front door to career and wraparound support for Ontario’s youth and newcomers through “GPS for your Career”. This collaboration is supporting thousands of job seekers across Ontario in navigating personalized career journeys, offering a blend of public accessibility and tailored user experiences for various regional employment services. Ultimately, the partnership aims to empower Ontario job seekers to secure jobs that allow for short- and long-term economic mobility.
Designed to support youth and newcomers across Ontario who are seeking personalized guidance on their career paths, job seekers can access the public-facing FutureFit AI platform where they can explore career resources, tools, and personalized guidance. AI-driven assessments provide detailed insights into their skills and career aspirations, helping them identify suitable learning programs and job opportunities.
After taking a detailed assessment of their needs, those identified as needing more intensive support will be automatically referred to one of First Work's delivery partners. Each of the 12 employment service providers across Ontario have access to a customized platform as well, providing a unique user journey tailored to regional specifics. This includes local learning options, employment resources, and specific support services, ensuring that job seekers receive the most relevant assistance.
Since the platform's launch in September 2022, over 12,000 job seekers have registered, and critically, more than 1,500 of those have been automatically referred to First Work’s delivery partners for more intensive support. Feedback from users has been exceptionally positive – more than 90% of users said they felt better equipped to find employment by using the platform, and the same percentage (+90%) said that the platform has helped them find learning programs or upskilling opportunities.
After losing her previous position, Ally, a determined young adult job seeker, encountered significant challenges in her search for new employment. Her journey was further complicated by an invisible disability, which made finding the right role more difficult. Although her experience was primarily in customer service, it wasn't her preferred career path.
After enrolling in the FutureFit AI Partner Platform, Ally experienced a transformation:
“I just finished a program in Digital Marketing from York that I found on “GPS for your career”. I didn't know certificate programs existed! It was amazing – intense, but I loved it and got 100% grades. I feel like I’m expanding my career. I currently work for my mom as an administrative assistant. Now I’m talking about doing marketing for her as she goes to school in September and helping her shift her business online.”
Together, First Work and FutureFit AI are creating an easily accessible, scalable, and localized one-stop solution for youth and newcomers seeking career exploration support, wraparound resources, and job opportunities. By offering a virtual front door to services and AI-powered personalized support, First Work can scale its services to more individuals without sacrificing on program quality or outcomes. Ultimately, this partnership has the potential to provide Ontario’s youth with real pathways to economic mobility, significantly enhancing their lifetime earning potential and placing them on career paths with abundant opportunities.
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Many Ontario youth are leaving the school system without the necessary training to succeed in the workforce, while newcomers encounter significant challenges in securing quality employment due to language barriers and limited awareness of available services. Youth unemployment is rampant across the province, growing steadily in recent years to 16.5 percent, while the unemployment rate for newcomers averaged 7.4%, more than the 5.2% average for Canadian-borns. These high unemployment rates not only threaten the livelihoods of communities across Ontario, but reflect wasted productivity and growth for the Canadian economy.
First Work, Ontario’s leading employment network, aims to address youth and newcomer unemployment by providing targeted training, comprehensive support services, and employer engagement to help these communities transition into meaningful and sustainable employment.
To enhance and digitize their services, First Work launched a partnership with FutureFit AI to provide a virtual front door to career and wraparound support for Ontario’s youth and newcomers through “GPS for your Career”. This collaboration is supporting thousands of job seekers across Ontario in navigating personalized career journeys, offering a blend of public accessibility and tailored user experiences for various regional employment services. Ultimately, the partnership aims to empower Ontario job seekers to secure jobs that allow for short- and long-term economic mobility.
Designed to support youth and newcomers across Ontario who are seeking personalized guidance on their career paths, job seekers can access the public-facing FutureFit AI platform where they can explore career resources, tools, and personalized guidance. AI-driven assessments provide detailed insights into their skills and career aspirations, helping them identify suitable learning programs and job opportunities.
After taking a detailed assessment of their needs, those identified as needing more intensive support will be automatically referred to one of First Work's delivery partners. Each of the 12 employment service providers across Ontario have access to a customized platform as well, providing a unique user journey tailored to regional specifics. This includes local learning options, employment resources, and specific support services, ensuring that job seekers receive the most relevant assistance.
Since the platform's launch in September 2022, over 12,000 job seekers have registered, and critically, more than 1,500 of those have been automatically referred to First Work’s delivery partners for more intensive support. Feedback from users has been exceptionally positive – more than 90% of users said they felt better equipped to find employment by using the platform, and the same percentage (+90%) said that the platform has helped them find learning programs or upskilling opportunities.
After losing her previous position, Ally, a determined young adult job seeker, encountered significant challenges in her search for new employment. Her journey was further complicated by an invisible disability, which made finding the right role more difficult. Although her experience was primarily in customer service, it wasn't her preferred career path.
After enrolling in the FutureFit AI Partner Platform, Ally experienced a transformation:
“I just finished a program in Digital Marketing from York that I found on “GPS for your career”. I didn't know certificate programs existed! It was amazing – intense, but I loved it and got 100% grades. I feel like I’m expanding my career. I currently work for my mom as an administrative assistant. Now I’m talking about doing marketing for her as she goes to school in September and helping her shift her business online.”
Together, First Work and FutureFit AI are creating an easily accessible, scalable, and localized one-stop solution for youth and newcomers seeking career exploration support, wraparound resources, and job opportunities. By offering a virtual front door to services and AI-powered personalized support, First Work can scale its services to more individuals without sacrificing on program quality or outcomes. Ultimately, this partnership has the potential to provide Ontario’s youth with real pathways to economic mobility, significantly enhancing their lifetime earning potential and placing them on career paths with abundant opportunities.
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