RDÉE Canada and its members recognize the importance of supporting the youth of Francophone and Acadian communities in their efforts to find employment, start a business and/or participate in their community’s economic development. The Network, made up of 12 provincial and territorial members, is carrying out more than 75 projects in support of Canada’s Francophone youth. In 2014, the Network formed a pan-Canadian working group to develop a national youth economic strategy to
- Build RDÉE members’ youth entrepreneurship and employability capacities;
- Form and strengthen strategic partnerships; and
- Promote the development of structuring employability and entrepreneurship projects.
Today’s youth are bilingual—even multilingual—and aware of the fact that the labour market is changing and that technologies are advancing at lightning speed. Young people are open to the entire country and the rest of the world and want to be involved in large-scale projects. Maintaining Canada’s linguistic duality depends largely on its youth (Youth Business International, OECD LEED, 2013). Francophone and Acadian communities are embracing a vision in which young people can see a future in terms of employment and living in a community: education, culture, services and recreation.
The employability and entrepreneurship of Francophone and Acadian youth are at the heart of the national “youth and economics” issue. The Network is working with its partners to encourage young entrepreneurs, increase the number of entrepreneurs, reduce the unemployment rate, facilitate the transition from school to work, and ensure the retention of young people in the regions. To this end, the “youth and economics” issue focuses on the added value of bilingualism, technology, the creation of sustainable partnerships and structuring projects.
A bilingual and entrepreneurship career awareness day for Grade 11 and 12 students in Francophone and French-immersion schools in the eastern and western regions of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The PERCÉ PEI program focuses on educating Prince Edward Island postsecondary students about the economic/cultural resources and opportunities in their region to show them that it is possible to make a living and have a career in PEI. It provides participants with the opportunity to gain work experience in their field of study (through a paid internship) and to learn about employers and jobs available in their home province.
The working group on youth and the economy has five strategies:
- Continue sharing tools and information on projects carried out within the Network: to share good practices and mobilizing projects.
- Expand funding opportunities for the development of new projects and initiatives: for the development of joint ventures.
- Develop employability and entrepreneurship initiatives for young people at the primary, secondary and university levels: to give young people the necessary skills from an early age.
- Set up a structuring project at the national/regional level.
Give priority to the allocation of human resources to youth initiatives and projects in the strategic planning of Network members.
