Question Period Note: Youth Services

• Young Canadians are one of Canada’s most important resources. They represent one third of the population and reflect Canada’s entire diversity.
• We will continue to work to implement Canada’s first-ever Youth Policy commitments – to release a State of Youth Report in 2021, and to model youth inclusion by ensuring that 75 percent of Crown Corporations have youth representatives on their boards.
• We are also committed to listening to the voice of youth through the Prime Minister’s Youth Council, and through engagement sessions shaping this first State of Youth Report.

• The Government launched the Prime Minister’s Youth Council in 2016 as a platform for youth to share their advice with the Prime Minister. Since then, the Council has met nine times in-person and three times virtually with the Prime Minister and various Ministers to discuss issues of importance to youth.
• The Prime Minister launched Canada’s first-ever Youth Policy during the Canada Youth Summit in May 2019. It reflects the values and priorities of young Canadians, gives young people a voice in matters important to them, and creates more opportunities for young people to build a stronger and more inclusive Canada.
• The Youth Policy includes two objectives: Creating meaningful opportunities for youth voices to be heard and respected; and Providing accessible supports that meet the evolving needs of youth.
• Specific commitments contained in the Policy include: to publish a State of Youth Report every four years; and to have youth representation on the board of 75 percent of crown corporations by 2024.
• The Department anticipates that almost all engagements for the State of Youth Report will be concluded by December 31, 2020, and that the report will be published in the Spring of 2021. As many youth voices as possible will be heard during these consultations for the State of the Youth Report.
• Minister Chagger’s mandate letter commitments related to youth include:
o Continue the work of the Youth Secretariat to implement Canada’s first-ever Youth Policy and ensure that the upcoming State of Youth report adopts an intersectional approach that includes race.
o Support the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion to enhance the Youth Employment Strategy and the Canada Summer Jobs program.
o Serve as Vice Chair of the Prime Minister’s Youth Council and provide it with departmental support so that I have an opportunity to draw advice from an engaged group of young Canadians.
o Lead, with the support of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, the development of a signature national youth service program within the Canada Service Corps to allow youth to gain skills and leadership experience while making a meaningful difference in their communities.

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