Next intake not announced Partly repayable

Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) Program

by Employment and Social Development Canada

Also known as: YESS · Youth Employment Strategy · YESS Program - Youth Focused Projects

The YESS Program funds organizations, mainly nonprofits, to deliver employment supports for youth aged 15-30 facing barriers: skills training, mentorship, wraparound services, and paid work experiences. Funding flows through periodic national calls for proposals, not continuous intake (2025 saw $23M+ across 35+ new projects, reported). Northern Ontario employers and youth access it through funded delivery organizations rather than applying to ESDC directly.

Amount: Amount not published by funder
Instrument: Conditional contribution
Status: Next intake not announced watch this page or subscribe to the calendar
Who qualifies: Nonprofits and charities Groups and collectives
not-for-profit organizations
other organizations serving youth (varies by call)
Funds organizations that deliver employment supports to youth aged 15-30 facing barriers to employment, youth and employers access services through funded organizations, not by applying to ESDC
National program; eligible organization types are defined per call for proposals
canada.ca · Last verified Oct 1, 2026 · Reported, verification pending
Where: Algoma District · Cochrane District · Greater Sudbury (single-tier census division) · Kenora District · Manitoulin District · Nipissing District · Parry Sound District · Rainy River District · Sudbury District (excl. Greater Sudbury) · Thunder Bay District · Timiskaming District · District Municipality of Muskoka
11 of 11 Northern Ontario districts are eligible for this program. A filled dot is eligible, an outline is not.
Built for: Nonprofits & charities Students & individuals

How do you apply?

Watch for a national call for proposals on canada.ca (or contact YESS-SCEJ@servicecanada.gc.ca)
Apply during the open call window
Funded organizations then deliver wraparound supports, skills training, and paid work experiences to youth

canada.ca · Last verified Oct 1, 2026 · Reported, verification pending

Common questions

Can my business get YESS money to hire a young person?

Not directly, YESS funds delivery organizations, which then arrange paid work experiences with employers. Ask local employment-services nonprofits whether they hold YESS funding. For direct hiring subsidies, look at Canada Summer Jobs or SWPP instead.

When is the next call for proposals?

Calls are periodic with no fixed annual date. Check the Youth Focused Projects page on canada.ca or email YESS-SCEJ@servicecanada.gc.ca for current status.

How is YESS different from Canada Summer Jobs?

CSJ is a wage subsidy paid directly to employers through an annual application window. YESS funds organizations to run programs for youth facing employment barriers, a project grant to service providers, not an employer subsidy. Both sit under the same federal youth strategy.

Where else could this money come from?

Chosen by what these programs have in common with this one, not by hand. The reason is shown for each, so you can judge whether it holds.

Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) Open while funds last
same funder (ESDC); both for nonprofits & charities and students & individuals; esdc, national program — Up to $5,000
Canada Summer Jobs Status unconfirmed
same funder (ESDC); both for nonprofits & charities; youth — Varies; see program

Notes on this record

canada.ca blocked automated fetch on 2026-08-17, so details are from search results including official canada.ca snippets and 2025-2026 federal announcements, confidence 'reported'. Amounts omitted deliberately: per-project maximums vary by call and could not be confirmed against the official page. Skills Link and Career Focus were folded into YESS in 2019 (historical context, not separate records).

Apply

Apply on the funder’s site and confirm current terms there: