The Canadian Community Economic Development Network is excited to invite organizational members to apply to become host organizations through the CreateAction: Inclusive Social Innovation program. Not already a member? Check out how you can join the network (including barrier-free options) by visiting CCEDNet’s membership page.

About CreateAction

The purpose of CreateAction is to provide employment and career-relevant learning opportunities to young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) and facing barriers to employment to further their career in community economic development and the social economy. These placements will take place under the terms and conditions of a contribution agreement between the Canadian CED Network and Employment and Social Development Canada as part of the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy. 

The Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet) and the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) are working in partnership to deliver the CreateAction program with funding by Employment and Social Development Canada and with evaluation support from the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation.

The first cohort for this program will take place from January 11 to July 9, 2021.

Host organizations will be selected according to the following criteria:

• relevance of proposed work experience to community economic development and social innovation (visit the Canadian CED Network’s definition of CED);
• commitment and organizational capacity to assist youth participants with their daily work, providing coaching and career development support;
• geographic diversity (e.g. rural, remote, Indigenous, northern, francophone communities outside of Quebec, and urban disadvantaged communities with recent immigrant populations);
• demonstrated ability to recruit and host people who are Indigenous, Black, racialized, LGBTQ2S+, newcomers to Canada, francophone, and/or live with disability;
• commitment to participate in a peer support network of host organizations;
• dedication to leveraging the work experience into full-time employment or study for the youth participant;
• ability to recruit youth participants not in employment, education or training (NEET);
• ability to recruit youth participants from diverse backgrounds with barriers to employment;
• capacity to adequately support skills development for participants, with additional support from the CreateAction partners;
• willingness to increase organizational capacity to accommodate needs of youth facing barriers.

Host organizations will:

• offer a meaningful 26-week employment opportunity;
• actively seek out participant candidates from diverse backgrounds with barriers to employment;
• become a member of the Canadian CED Network, if not already a member;
• provide participants with an orientation to the host organization;
• develop, at the beginning of the placement, a Learning Plan with participants;
• develop and implement a plan to provide sufficient support services to enable the participant to succeed at their placement;
• provide sufficient resources and time to effectively supervise and mentor work experience participants;
• commit to weekly meetings with participants to support their learning objectives;
• set aside a minimum of:
  • six (6) hours per week for the work experience participant to participate in peer learning activities, including those organized by the Canadian CED Network;
  • 1.5hrs per month to participate in national virtual participant learning sessions; and
  • three (3) working days for the participant to participate in an in-person or online learning event. 
• provide, with support from the CreateAction program, career advice, regular feedback and guidance to participants and assist participants in laddering into further career relevant employment or education at the end of the placement;
• provide participants with all reasonably required working materials;
• provide the Canadian CED Network with periodic progress reports and report on outcomes at the end of the work experience;
• participate in three (3) host organisation national virtual sessions with the Canadian CED Network and other selected organisations;
• work with the CreateAction program evaluators on evaluation related activities, such as activities involved with midterm and final evaluations;
• identify candidates by December 21, in order for work experience participants to start placements on January 11.

CreateAction partners (CCEDNet, NAFC and SRDC) will:

• directly cover employment costs for work experience participants;
• assist host organizations with the necessary advice and support to carry out the activities and realize the objectives of the program;
• provide, in concert with host organizations, tailored wraparound supports for youth participants;
• oversee the peer learning and mentoring program;
• complete skills assessments for each participant;
• coordinate monthly video conference calls for youth participants to learn, share experiences, and to network;
• coordinate three (3) video conference calls for host organizations to share experiences and to network;
• contribute ongoing career coaching and employment related support to the participants;
• provide, with support from host organizations, career advice, regular feedback and guidance to participants and assist participants in laddering into further career relevant employment or education at the end of the placement;
• conduct mid-term evaluations and exit surveys with participants and host organizations to monitor progress, track participant learning, and capture participant outcomes, career expectations and satisfaction.

To participate in the CreateAction program, eligible youth must be:

• between 15 and 30 years of age (inclusive) at start of placement;
• Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or protected persons as defined by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act;
• legally entitled to work in Canada;
• legally entitled to work according to the relevant provincial/territorial legislation and regulations;
• experiencing one or more barriers to employment and/or not in education, employment, or training (NEET);
• a first-time participant in a Youth Employment and Skills Strategy placement.

How to apply?

Complete an application online here

If you require an offline application please contact Matthew Thompson at the coordinates below. Deadline for host organizations to submit an application is November 17, 2020, 12pm Eastern Time.

Youth interested in the program should apply directly to the host organizations. The successful host organizations will be announced on the Canadian CED Network's website.

For more information, please contact Matthew Thompson, Director of Engagement, at mthompson@ccednet-rcdec.ca.