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Mapping Youth Pathways from Education to Employment: What We Know and How to Strengthen Supports Across Canada

Canada’s youth are facing mounting challenges in their journeys from education to employment. Having borne the brunt of labour market disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, young people saw a brief reprieve in 2022 and early 2023 as employment conditions temporarily improved. But those gains appear to have since eroded.

This brief is part of a broader effort to strengthen Canada’s understanding of how best to support youth in their journey from school to work. Funded by the Future Skills Centre (FSC), the work situates Blueprint’s evaluation portfolio of FSC-funded youth interventions within the wider landscape of youth programming.

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Key insights

There are significant knowledge gaps on funded projects: Information on youth programs in Canada remains fragmented and incomplete. Publicly available materials often lack key details on target populations, delivery models, and outcomes, making it difficult to understand what services are available or how effective they are.

Governments at all levels can play a role in strengthening the knowledge base for youth programming.

Reactive programming is more common than proactive approaches: Most youth employment programs in Canada are reactive, addressing challenges only after young people fall behind in education or employment.

A proactive approach, focused on prevention, early guidance, and informed decision-making, would better prepare youth for a changing labour market and reduce further challenges.

There are challenges in engaging the youth most in need of support: Even where strong programs exist, many youth—especially NEET youth—struggle to find or access them. Supports are often fragmented, delivered by multiple actors with limited visibility or coordination.

Reaching youth who are most in need requires more than program quality—it demands visibility, trust, and simplicity of access.

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Have questions about our work? Do you need access to a report in English or French? Please contact communications@fsc-ccf.ca.