The BC Centre for Employment Excellence is pleased to release a new research study on the potential role that social enterprises can play in supporting youth employment in the Greater Victoria area.

Prepared for the CfEE by Sarah Amyot of the Community Social Planning Council and Kristi Fairholm Mader of Scale Collaborative, this study examines social enterprises from the perspective of developing opportunities for people facing barriers to employment, considers the potential role of social enterprises in creating solutions to youth unemployment, and assesses the potential of this approach for BC’s Capital Region.

The study uses a mixed-methods approach to explore the potential of the social enterprise model to address the local labour market needs of both employers and young job seekers. The authors find that social enterprises effectively build on many of established best practices in employment development while combining them in innovative ways to create new synergies and outcomes. The authors conclude that, “for vulnerable youth in particular, this approach provides clear pathways towards employment success that should be explored and adopted.”

The full paper can be downloaded here (PDF)

The authors presented an overview of their research findings during a CfEE webinar on August 27, 2014. Click through to find a recording of their presentation as well as a link to their slides.

This paper is the first of five studies the CfEE will publish on various topics concerning youth employment under our research programme, Understanding Current Employment Programming and Services for BC Youth. Please watch our website or mailing list for further releases.

For queries about this project or other research activities being undertaken by the BC Centre for Employment Excellence, contact Shawn de Raaf, the CfEE Research Coordinator.