Employment Programs & Services

Partnering with Y Works has been a meaningful and collaborative experience for the Youth Empowerment Program team. The Y Works creates a supportive environment where youth are engaged, motivated, and encouraged to grow. Through our group sessions, we work alongside Y Works to help participants build social and emotional skills that complement their employability training. Together, we empower youth to build confidence, overcome employment barriers, and strengthen workplace relationships.

This has been a great program to help train unemployed people who are looking for work in various industries.  Not only do they train their participants to succeed in a business environment; they also subsidize the new employer for weeks, to assist while training them to become an effective staff member in your business.  I, along with several other businesses I know, have had great success with this program. 

I have had the privilege of facilitating quarterly Art Therapy workshops through the Y-Works program at the YMCA. These workshops invite participants to engage in structured art directives designed to explore career pathways, aspirations, and future goals. From collaborating closely with staff to working with a new cohort each quarter, the experience has been consistently engaging and rewarding. It is always inspiring to witness the diverse insights and outcomes that emerge from each group. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such an impactful program, which provides meaningful support for youth and young adults as they enter or re-enter the workforce.

I am privileged to work with the YMCA Southwestern Ontario in various capacities.  It has been a pleasure to offer a multitude of seminars, as well as have the wonderful opportunity to facilitate the “Living Life to the Full” course for many cohorts of their Y Opportunities and Y Works Programs.  It is so fulfilling because the staff are amazing to work with, passionate about what they do, and very personable…They are making such a positive difference being so connected and caring about their clients, who also put in really great effort and are very engaged!!  It’s all around amazing to be part of something so positive and life-giving!!

We truly value our relationship with the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario, and it has been a pleasure working alongside your team. From the very beginning, the collaboration has felt thoughtful, respectful, and grounded in shared values. There is a clear sense of care in how participants are supported, and that care carries through in the referral process, communication, and ongoing collaboration.

The YMCA team is consistently responsive, organized, and deeply invested in the well-being of the individuals you serve. Referrals are handled with clarity and compassion, and we genuinely appreciate the collaborative approach — it feels like we are working together, rather than in parallel. This makes a meaningful difference for participants, who benefit from feeling supported and understood during what is often a vulnerable time.

We genuinely enjoy working with the YMCA program and hold this partnership in high regard. We’re grateful for the trust you place in us and for the opportunity to support participants through such a well-run and values-driven program.

We are so happy with our YMCA Employment Services experience. Participant T.M is a committed and dedicated employee, and immediately fit right in with our team. She took the job seriously right from the beginning, and learned everything very quickly. She consistently shows initiative and seeks out new information and better ways of doing things. The salary reimbursement took the risk out of onboarding and training a new staff member and helped us keep on budget while we grew our team. We highly recommend the program to anyone in a similar growth phase looking for good people!

As a service provider and community partner, I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside the Y Opportunities program from a different perspective, and that experience has only reinforced its value. The program offers strong wraparound employment support that meets participants where they are, while also collaborating effectively with partner organizations to address more specialized needs.

Through my work with CNIB’s Come to Work program, I’ve seen how partnerships with Y Opportunities enhance outcomes for participants, particularly those with disabilities. While CNIB provides disability-specific training and accommodations support, Y Opportunities complements this by offering broader employment readiness services such as job coaching, confidence-building, application support, and ongoing encouragement. Together, these services create a more holistic pathway to employment.

As a presenter and collaborator with the YMCA, I’ve seen firsthand how the program invests in participants not just as job seekers, but as individuals with long-term potential. The combination of individualized support, community connection, and strong employment coaching makes Y Opportunities a valuable and impactful program for people navigating barriers to employment.

As an early-stage business with big goals and a not-so-big budget, the Y Works program was vital in helping us achieve our next phase of growth. In 2025, we worked with three Y Works participants on a large data management initiative. We received the benefit of each participant's unique strengths and skills, along with their shared sense of dedication, professionalism, and enthusiasm for our project. We are proud to have partnered with Y Works; and we're grateful for their efforts in developing and connecting talented young adults with businesses who appreciate their help!