Toronto doubles youth job-training program to reach 2,000 young people in 2026

What is the background?

Youth unemployment and underemployment leave many young Torontonians without the certifications or work experience that entry-level jobs increasingly require. Youth employment Toronto programmes like Building Skills Through Recreation try to close that gap through the city’s own Parks and Recreation division rather than relying solely on private employers.

What happened?

The City of Toronto announced it is doubling the capacity of its Building Skills Through Recreation program, aiming to support up to 2,000 youth in 2026 — twice its previous capacity. Alongside this, the city will run more than 100 certification courses and 60 local hiring events over the year.

The expansion sits within a broader city target: working toward 10,000 additional summer jobs for young people by 2026.

How did it happen?

Building Skills Through Recreation runs through Toronto’s Parks and Recreation division, combining hands-on recreational programming with employment-readiness training — certifications, workplace skills, and direct connections to hiring events — rather than treating the two as separate tracks. Doubling capacity means expanding both the number of programme spots and the certification and hiring infrastructure that supports them.

The 60 local hiring events give participants a direct route from training into an actual job interview, rather than leaving youth to search independently after completing certification.

Why does it matter?

Certifications alone do not guarantee a job if a young person has no route to an employer who is hiring. Pairing more than 100 certification courses with 60 hiring events specifically addresses that gap, connecting the supply of newly certified young workers directly to local hiring demand.

Doubling an existing city program, rather than launching a new one from scratch, lets Toronto scale a model it already has operational experience running, reducing the risk of early implementation problems that a brand-new programme might face.

What were the key results?

• Building Skills Through Recreation program capacity doubled to support up to 2,000 youth in 2026
• More than 100 certification courses planned for the year
• 60 local hiring events scheduled to connect trained youth with employers
• City-wide target of 10,000 additional youth summer jobs by 2026
• Program delivered through Toronto’s Parks and Recreation division
• Combines recreational programming with employment-readiness training
• Builds on an existing program rather than launching a new one

What happens next?

The City of Toronto plans to track how many participants secure jobs through the 60 hiring events connected to the program.

City officials will report on progress toward the 10,000 additional summer jobs target as 2026 progresses.

Parks and Recreation staff are expected to evaluate whether further capacity increases are needed based on 2026 enrolment demand.

The city said it will use 2026 outcomes to decide whether to expand certification course offerings further in future years.