Photo above: A volunteer crew leader cuts wood for framing while a student looks. Students participated in the build through an educational partnership between Habitat for Humanity Peterborough and Kawartha Region and PACE (Peterborough Alternative and Continuing Education).
Canada faces a severe shortage of affordable housing, with as many as 1.8 million new homes needed to meet demand, according to a report by Scotiabank Economics. Much of the gap, according to the report, has been due to population increasing more rapidly than new housing units since 2015. That gap will grow as the government ramps up immigration levels. At the same time, some 22% of the construction sector’s labour force is expected to retire within a decade, a 2021 BuildForce Canada report says.
The Every Youth Initiative, launched in 2017 by Habitat for Humanity Canada, is helping to bolster the ranks of Canada’s skilled trades workers. The program combines the non-profit’s goal — with the help of volunteers and prospective homeowners — to build decent and affordable homes that allow families to build stability through affordable home ownership, with that of engaging youth to build a foundation for future careers in the construction industry.
“The idea for Every Youth was to give young people opportunities to volunteer and see themselves as being part of the community, while exposing them to skills they may not have a chance to be hands on with,” says Julia Deans, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada.
“Achieving something and seeing it and being proud of it and getting the praise and confirmation that they’ve contributed to a family’s future — that’s pretty amazing,” she said.
Addressing the labour shortage
Keenly aware of Canada’s labour shortage, Deans notes that the program will play a small role in helping fill the need in local communities. “Every Youth Initiative participants get the confidence to not only pick up a hammer, but that they can help build a house. It allows them to envisage what a successful career in the trades could look like. Many, many people haven’t seen that before, and understood how they can turn an interest or aptitude into a going concern,” she said.
Working on a few projects with Habitat for Humanity Fredericton confirmed Carl Allen’s desire to find work in carpentry. The Grade 12 student at Oromocto High School in Fredericton, N.B. initially worked on a drywalling project organized through an educational partnership with his school, followed by assisting with various carpentry work on two other home builds. Post-graduation, Allen hopes the skills he gained will help him get a carpentry apprenticeship. In addition to building skills, he said he gained confidence, and improved his organizational and communication skills, and a sense of pride in being able to help others in his community.
“It was really cool to be a part of building a home for someone while learning more about carpentry,” he said.
Photo: Habitat for Humanity Canada CEO Julia Deans
ScotiaRISE partnership
Scotiabank recently donated $900,000 to Habitat Canada’s Every Youth Initiative, a national program that provides work experience to youth, including at-risk youth, as part of the Bank’s commitment to remove barriers to career advancement for disadvantaged groups. The community partnership is part of ScotiaRISE, the Bank's 10-year, $500-million initiative that aims to promote economic resilience among disadvantaged groups. A long-time supporter of Habitat Canada, Scotiabank donated $80,000 in 2019, and again in 2020, to fund a number of Every Youth Initiative projects at local Habitat for Humanity organizations.
“As a national partner, we are pleased to continue supporting Habitat Canada’s Every Youth Initiative. The initiative is uniquely aligned with the ScotiaRISE program, not only helping youth build their skills and work experience needed for post-secondary education and jobs, but also providing them with meaningful opportunities to engage with their communities and support local economic inclusion and resilience,” said Maria Saros, Vice President and Global Head, Community Investment Strategy and Communications at Scotiabank.
“We are proud to be a partner with Habitat Canada helping inspire and motivate youth through projects that enhance their education while enabling each young participant to remove some of the barriers to their own future career development.”
The partnership with ScotiaRISE will help significantly grow the program across Habitat’s 50 Canadian affiliates giving more youth the opportunity to take part, said Deans, noting that while all provide volunteering for young people it is not always through the formal program.
“ScotiaRISE has made a meaningful and significant commitment in funding but also in championing what Habitat achieves for people — young people in particular — and for communities, and it really matters a lot to us,” Deans said.
On-the-job training
To date, more than 4,000 youth have participated in the initiative, with nearly 1,900 of them working on 60 homes between 2019 and 2020. The program operates through partnerships between local Habitats across Canada and youth employment groups, construction associations and local colleges, high schools and Red Seal Trade instructors, with participants receiving volunteer hours to apply toward school credits, high school diplomas, or apprenticeships.
Participants get on-the-job skills training in everything from architecture and design to carpentry, workplace safety, and building codes and regulations. Youth can also volunteer at Habitat Restores, which accept and resell donations of new and used furniture, appliances, décor and home improvement building supplies, and gain valuable experience in customer service. Equally important, it has helped them build confidence and life skills ranging from teamwork and leadership to communication, time management and conflict resolution.
Like many charities, Habitat had to adapt to continue operating through the pandemic. While some jobs were forced to shut down and supplies were late to arrive, Deans said, most of the time local Habitats were able to keep building, while maintaining safety protocols. In 2021, local Habitats completed 13 Every Youth Initiative projects across the country.
One example was a project that was part of an Indigenous housing partnership with the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation in Neyaashiinigmiing on the eastern shore of the Saugeen (Bruce) Peninsula, and Habitat for Humanity Grey Bruce and the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation. When COVID hit and the First Nation community shut down, the people onsite, including some youth, continued with the build under the leadership of the son of a Neyaashiinigmiing family who became homeowners through this partnership in 2019.
“More than ever, young people are searching for meaningful opportunities to build their skills and futures and to connect to their communities,” Deans said. “The Every Youth Initiative is a great way to do that, and we so appreciate ScotiaRISE helping us to make it available to more youth across Canada.”