THUNDER BAY — The Northwestern Innovation Centre has started its annual Youth Effect program, matching young adults between the ages of 18-29 with businesses to work together on innovative projects.
The project provides innovation training and job skills with mentorship, a leadership retreat, and peer network for those showing a passion for entrepreneurship and innovation.
The Innovation Centre is receiving applications for participating businesses and will start recruiting young workers in March through social media and college and university professors.
“Companies can apply to the program with an innovative project . . . not just necessarily day-to-day work, but a project that maybe they’ve had on the backburner or haven’t been able to bring to life,” said Bridget Postuma, a business development advisor with the Innovation Centre.
“They put an application into us, and if they are accepted into the program, we will help them find a use that matches the categories and matches what they need. From there, we bring the youth and the company together.”
Wages are $16 an hour with an opportunity for a $2-an-hour wage top up if the youth completes all their milestones and the programming, says Postuma.
Those chosen for the work initiative don’t necessarily need to be students but they must be physically located in Northwestern Ontario. They will become employees with their matched company.
The Innovation Centre will subsidize the wages, with the business contributing $1,000 plus HST and mandatory employment-related costs as part of the program.
Postuma says this will be the centre’s sixth year of the project.
“We’ve seen over 45 companies in Northwestern Ontario go through it and a lot of the times (the young workers) stay on with the companies filling those positions, so it’s creating a lot of new jobs, which is great,” she said.
For more information or to register for the program, go online at www.nwoinnovation.ca, email [email protected] or call 807-768-6689. Company applications are due by Feb. 28.
The Chronicle Journal
