Youthlink

YOUTH SKILLS ZONE

Program Overview

In response to growing concerns expressed by motorists and residents about “squeegee youth”, the City of Toronto issued a challenge to youth serving agencies to work together to create an integrated service model for this target population of homeless, street-involved youth.(“Street-involved” includes those youth who engage in panhandling, the sex trade, “squeegeeing”, and drug dealing) The program resulting from this collaboration was originally known as the SWYM Project (Squeegee Working Youth Mobilization Project) and was delivered by a consortium of twenty youth serving agencies including employment preparation services. Now the project is officially called SIYP (Street Involved Youth Project) and is known in the community as Youth Skills Zone. It continues to operate in collaboration with a range of youth serving agencies and is fully integrated within the continuum of services offered by YOUTHLINK.

The project uses a harm reduction approach and serves as a catalyst supporting chronically homeless/street involved youth (16-24 yrs) to take the first step toward lifestyle stabilization. Youth participate in 10 week Lifestyle Stabilization Modules that combine life skills enhancement with computer repair. Through individual goal planning, participants are helped to develop employable skills and establish critical links to supportive services including housing, employment, legal assistance, mental health assessment and treatment, addictions counseling and educational programs.

Service Components

The project offers the following services:
Street Outreach
Assessment and Counselling
Lifestyle Stabilization and Job Readiness Modules
Employment Preparation
Referral and assistance to access supportive services
Case Management Support and Personal Goal Setting.

Access to Youth Skills Zone

Age Mandate: 16-24 yrs
Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Location: 7 Vanauley Street, Toronto, ON M5T 2V9
Tel: (416) 595-9902 Fax: (416) 595-5219

You can visit us online at www.youthskillszone.org

Referrals: can be made directly to by calling the program. Youth participants are also recruited through Street Outreach staff.

Funding for this Programme is provided by Supporting Community Initiatives Programmes and Human Resource Centre of Canada.

For additional information contact the Supervisor at (416) 595 9902 or the Manager, Prevention and Community Services at (416) 967-1773 x 203