Editorial

What is Youth?

Regular readers may have been expecting our Settlement Guide at the end of the summer, but we have decided to move the 2010 Settlement Guide to Ontario closer to the beginning of the calendar year. It’s our most popular and requested issue, so watch for it in November and make sure you get your copy.

In the meantime, welcome to our first ever Youth issue.

Young people face their own obstacles to entering the workforce. And combined with the additional barriers faced by all new immigrants, getting a job can be especially challenging for youth. We’re pleased to introduce our readers to the Ontario Association of Youth Employment Centres and their fabulous “First Work Website”. We profile an array of member agencies and give you some tips to make your job search shorter and more productive.

This issue also features stories on one of the largest and most influential youth agencies in North America – the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, not to mention articles on exciting youth programs like Voices: The YMCA Newcomer Youth Film Project, the Toronto District School Board’s Newcomer Services for Youth program, Youth Employment Services’ Passion for Fashion and Halifax, Nova Scotia’s Welcome Home to Canada project.

If you are a parent of a young adult you face some extra stress, watching your children adapting and fitting into a new culture. You play vital roles in preparing your children for their lives in Canada.

Many of our stories in this issue are interesting and useful not just to young readers, but to their parents and grandparents. Check out Youth Programs Change Lives to see how different generations can work together to hold onto your culture while building a bright future in your new home.

The story “I Would Have It No Other Way” looks at the importance of letting your children make their own choices and our “Canadian Lifestyles” column looks at our society’s passion for staying young.

We have stories for students as well as pieces about youth health, managing money, going back to school, leadership and more!

Dale Sproule, Editor