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Summer Work Placement Program, funded through Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada and offered by Child & Family Services of Western Manitoba, sets program record for continuing employment
When Bethany McGregor was deep into her job search last October, she couldn’t imagine where her employment journey would lead her less than a year later.
Originally from Russell, MB, McGregor entered care when she was six years old. Now 21, she graduated last year from Assiniboine Community College (ACC) in nearby Brandon with a diploma in business administration.
But like many Canadians connected to child welfare, McGregor had a tough time finding a meaningful job, let alone one she was excited about. Even as a college grad, “it took me a long time,” she says, citing a lack of a social support network. “It felt like you had to have an inside connection with people in the job you’re looking for to actually get hired, or else you wouldn’t really get a response.”
McGregor’s story changed this spring when she applied for Youth Works’ eight-week Summer Work Placement Program. The program is funded through Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada (CAFC) and offered by Child & Family Services of Western Manitoba, in partnership with local employers.
The program ran from July to August, and by the end of the summer, McGregor became one of four Youth Works placements (so far) to land continuing employment through the program. She is now the Office Assistant for The Backyard on Aberdeen by Aida’s Catering in Brandon.
“It’s my dream job. I wanted to be an event planner, and I got the job through the youth employment program. They liked me and my work through the program so much that they hired me full-time.”
— Bethany McGregor
How Youth Works Works
Youth Works is a career development program generously funded by RBC Foundation, Minto, State Street Foundation, and Element Fleet. Since 2017, CAFC has partnered with six child- and youth-serving partners to deliver the program:
- Child & Family Services of Western Manitoba
- Connections Community Services Society in Richmond, BC
- Trellis Society in Calgary, AB
- Pape Adolescence Resource Centre (or PARC, as part of the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto), in ON
- Children’s Aid Foundation of Ottawa
- Partners for Youth in Fredericton, NB
With a focus on youth in care or previously in care, Youth Works has supported some 4,000 young people across Canada from 13 to 29 years of age, with an average age of 19. In 2025, 61% of the program’s participants were working, compared to only 27% working when they entered the program.
In addition to job support, the program also offered more than 300 workshops in 2025 and covered a range of topics to help youth prepare for employment and improve workplace and life skills. Further support includes pre-employment preparation like cover letter and resume writing, interview skills, and job-search strategies.
Youth Works is designed to help youth connected to care overcome frequently cited barriers to meaningful employment, including:
- Financial issues
- Limited social support network
- Health and mental health concerns
- Transportation challenges
- Precarious housing
Among young people who participated in Youth Works last year, 79% expressed increased confidence in their employment skills and preparedness while 88% said they felt more optimistic about their future.
Youth Works: Moving the needle in Western Manitoba
In Western Manitoba, McGregor was one out of nearly two dozen youth between 16 and 22 years old accepted into the Youth Works Summer Work Placement Program this year. Nine local employers provided 18 summer placements, with four now being offered continued employment – a personal best for the Western Manitoba program.
In its first year, 17 employers participated and two youth secured ongoing employment. McGregor had completed the program that year with a placement in the bakery section of a grocery store in her hometown of Russell. In 2025, 10 employers participated and three youth transitioned into continued employment.
“Many of our youth come from backgrounds where employment hasn’t been something that they saw in their circle,” says Karen Enns, a Youth Employment Mentor at Child & Family Services of Western Manitoba.
“These are kids with barriers many teenagers don’t have,” Enns adds. “When the youth don’t show up on time, it’s not the same reason that another kid might not show up on time. It could be that something really bad happened that morning at home, or that something on the way to get to work happened, and it just changed the projection of their day.”
Throughout the program, participants work 20 hours per week while receiving a program-funded allowance of $60 per day, $300 per week – or $2,400 for the completed eight weeks. To encourage participation in the program, there is no cost for employers. Youth Works also provides required safety equipment, uniforms, and transportation assistance, allowing employers to focus on mentoring and supporting participants in the workplace.
For many young people in the program, this is their first job, first pay cheque, and first workplace reference, Enns points out. These experiences help build confidence, develop practical skills, and open doors to future careers.
How Youth Works promotes community connection
Not only does Youth Works benefit young people directly, but it also strengthens the community, Enns says. “This is about community connection as much as anything. We had nine employers that were willing to do this little community project with us – that’s big.”
To further amplify the positive impact, Enns planned a Youth Works Brandon awards and reception on Sept. 3 to “honour youth achievement, recognize employer support, and reflect on powerful journeys.”
McGregor was among the youth honoured, earning the Outstanding Achievement Award for Emerging Leader, “special recognition (that) is given to a youth whose performance during the program demonstrated exceptional potential, initiative, responsibility, and the ability to influence others.”
“Being able to overcome the rough spots and shine through, you get recognition for that in this program,” Enns says. “It’s been so rewarding to watch these young people getting up in the morning and going to work. Some of them have to be on a bus by 7:30 in the morning to get to work. That wasn’t easy in the first couple weeks, it was a struggle, but they did it and they got into a rhythm and they committed to it.”
Enns adds: “These kids get a reference out of it if it went well, they get skills on their resume, they get a sense of accomplishment.
“I had a guy walk in here the other day after his last day of work, and he was over the moon. He was like, ‘I’ve even got a wallet!’ I’m like, ‘Well, you’re a working man now – you need a wallet.’”
