World Youth Skills Day
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Today marks the 10th anniversary of World Youth Skills Day. In 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared July 15 as World Youth Skills Day, to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment.
The Impact of Youth Homelessness on Skill Development
As reported by the 2023 Homeless Count in Greater Vancouver, at least 385 young people under the age of 25 experience homelessness on any given night. Although, we know this number must be much higher, based on the limitations of this survey.
According to the Homeless Hub, youth who are homeless “typically lack the experience and skills necessary to live independently.” They are “leaving a home in which they are embedded in relations of dependence, thus experiencing an interruption and potential rupture in social relations with parents and caregivers, family members, friends, neighbours, and community.”
So, when a young person becomes homeless, where can they interact and learn the skills needed to pursue an education or career aspirations and live independently in the community?
How Covenant House Vancouver Helps Build Skills
Every youth is on a unique journey, so the life skills that CHV offers are as diverse as the youth they serve.
Food is a necessity, and in addition to receiving nutritious meals at CHV, youth can learn all about the process of cooking. Youth learn how to create a shopping list, based on their budget, how to navigate the grocery store so that hot or frozen foods are acquired last, and how to prepare meals. When it comes to preparing meals, youth are taught how to properly cook food, avoid cross contamination of foods, and safely store foods, as well as knife skills.
Youth have the opportunity to enhance their skills through the Cook Up Your Future Program that is offered through La Tablée des Chefs, and takes place in CHV’s teaching kitchen.
For youth interested in education, staff support them with filling out applications, applying for scholarships, acquiring supplies, and any other hurdles that may be new experiences for youth. To further support youth throughout their educational journeys, they have the opportunity to work with mentors and tutors. Tutoring at CHV helps youth build confidence, improve academic skills, and unlock opportunities for a brighter future.
For youth who wish to enter the realm of employment, staff help youth with resume and cover letter creation, obtaining any certifications that they may need for work, interview preparation, and obtaining proper clothing for the job they desire.
Life skills coordinators host workshops to help with everything from self-care to living in the community. Some workshops are drop in and address skills, such as sewing, in a fun and relaxed environment. Some workshops are scheduled and focus on bigger topics, such as budgeting, communication, tenants’ rights, and how to safely navigate the rental market.
Community Partners
Community partners play a valuable role in helping youth learn new skills or advance their current skillset. For example, to support neurodivergent youth, CHV works with the Pacific Autism Family Network. Through their Employment Works program, youth learn their strengths and interests, employment culture, develop their skills, and job shadow to discover what environments and opportunities suit them best. If youth have an interest in customer service or working in a café setting, they may receive six months of supported training at the Paper Planes Café.
For youth interested in music, CHV works with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) to offer free weekly sessions at the VSO’s rehearsal space. The rehearsal space has a variety of instruments such as a grand piano, guitars, basses, violin, flute, and drums, and singing is also an option that youth can pursue. Not only can youth learn to play an instrument, but the sessions build self-esteem, confidence, create a sense of belonging, and is a way to communicate without words.
Help Youth Build Skills
This World Youth Skills Day, help more youth develop the skills that they need to thrive. When you support Covenant House Vancouver, you are supporting youth in your community. Donate today.
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