Government of Canada seeking input on improving youth employment – Yahoo Finance

Report on Canadian Youth Employment Initiative and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Introduction: “Building Canada Strong” Initiative

On November 24, 2025, the Government of Canada launched an online public engagement initiative titled “Building Canada Strong: Youth in the Labour Market.” This consultation, led by the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Federal Minister of Jobs and Families, aims to address the challenges facing youth in the Canadian labour market. The initiative directly supports Canada’s commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by focusing on creating an inclusive and sustainable economy that provides opportunities for all young people.

The engagement period is scheduled from November 24 to December 19, 2025, during which Canadians are invited to contribute through:

• Written submissions
• An online questionnaire

2.0 Alignment with SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The core objective of the initiative is to promote full and productive employment for youth, directly aligning with SDG 8. The government seeks to find practical solutions to help young people secure and maintain decent jobs, thereby addressing SDG Target 8.6, which aims to reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education, or training.

3.0 Contribution to SDG 4: Quality Education

The initiative builds upon existing government programs designed to equip youth with relevant skills for the workforce, a key component of SDG 4 (Quality Education). These efforts support SDG Target 4.4, which focuses on increasing the number of youth and adults with technical and vocational skills for employment and entrepreneurship.

1. Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program: Provides skills development and work experience.
2. Canada Summer Jobs: Offers summer work opportunities for students.
3. Student Work Placement Program: Facilitates hands-on learning in professional settings.

4.0 Advancing SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

By inviting all Canadians, particularly young people, to share their experiences, the initiative emphasizes inclusivity. The goal of creating a “more inclusive workforce” directly supports SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by seeking to empower all youth and promote their social and economic inclusion, irrespective of their background.

5.0 Commitment to SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The consultation process embodies the principles of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The government is actively engaging multiple stakeholders to achieve its objectives:

• The Canadian public and youth
• Provincial and territorial partners

This collaborative approach, which includes leveraging Labour Market Transfer Agreements (LMTAs), is essential for developing comprehensive and effective labour market solutions.

6.0 Financial Investment and Future Outlook

The government’s commitment is reinforced by significant financial investment aimed at achieving these sustainable development objectives. Budget 2025 allocated over $1.5 billion to enhance youth skills and career prospects.

Key Investment Outcomes:

• The investment is projected to support approximately 175,000 youth in the 2026–27 fiscal year.
• The focus is on developing work-ready skills through hands-on experience and training to build lasting career pathways.

As stated by Minister Hajdu, the government is acting with “urgency and purpose so youth can thrive in the labour market,” underscoring the long-term vision of empowering the next generation to lead in a changing world of work.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• The article’s central theme is youth employment in Canada. The government’s initiative, “Building Canada Strong: Youth in the Labour Market,” directly aims to build an economy that gives young people the “chance to grow and succeed” and helps them “secure and maintain good jobs.” This aligns with the goal of promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.

SDG 4: Quality Education

• The article emphasizes the importance of skills development for employment. It mentions government programs like the “Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program” and investments from Budget 2025 to “help youth gain the skills and experience they need for successful careers.” This connects directly to ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities, particularly those that lead to employment.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• The initiative aims to create a “stronger, more inclusive workforce” and an economy that gives “everyone, especially young people, the chance to grow and succeed.” This focus on inclusivity and empowering a specific demographic (youth) to overcome labour market barriers relates to the goal of reducing inequality within and among countries.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• The article mentions that the federal initiative will involve “discussions with provincial and territorial partners” and highlights that provinces and territories provide support through “Labour Market Transfer Agreement (LMTA) programming.” This collaboration between different levels of government exemplifies the partnerships required to achieve sustainable development goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Under SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Target 8.5: “By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people…” The article’s entire focus on helping youth “secure and maintain good jobs” and thrive in the “labour market” is a direct effort towards this target.
• Target 8.6: “By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training.” Although the target year has passed, the initiative described in the article is a continuing effort to address this core issue. The consultation on the “state of youth employment in Canada” is designed to find solutions for this specific challenge.

Under SDG 4: Quality Education

• Target 4.4: “By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.” The article explicitly mentions investments to “empower about 175,000 youth in 2026–27 to develop work-ready skills through hands on experience and training,” which directly supports this target.

Under SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• Target 10.2: “By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age…” The government’s stated goal of creating a “more inclusive workforce” and empowering “young people” to overcome economic challenges aligns with this target of promoting inclusion for all age groups.

Under SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Target 17.17: “Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships…” The article’s reference to federal collaboration with “provincial and territorial partners” through mechanisms like the “Labour Market Transfer Agreement (LMTA)” is a clear example of the public-public partnerships described in this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Indicators for SDG 8 Targets

• Implied Indicator for Target 8.6 (Proportion of youth not in employment, education or training): The entire initiative, “Building Canada Strong: Youth in the Labour Market,” is designed to understand and address the challenges of youth employment. While a specific rate is not mentioned, the focus of the consultation implies that the proportion of youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET) is the key problem being measured and tackled.
• Implied Indicator for Target 8.5 (Youth unemployment rate): The goal to “secure and maintain good jobs” for youth suggests that the youth unemployment rate is a primary metric for success. The initiative’s outcomes will likely be measured against changes in this rate.

Indicator for SDG 4 Target

• Specific Indicator for Target 4.4 (Number of youth with work-ready skills): The article provides a concrete metric from Budget 2025. The investment of over “$1.5 billion” is intended to “empower about 175,000 youth in 2026–27 to develop work-ready skills.” This figure of 175,000 youth serves as a direct, measurable indicator of the number of young people being provided with skills for employment.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: finance.yahoo.com