2008 ANNUAL REPORTDREAMING A BRIGHTER TOMORROW

T his year YES celebrates our 40th birthday. That’s forty years of dreaming a brighter future, helping our clients turn young dreams into their realities.When The Rotary Club of Toronto started YES

in 1968 to help disadvantaged and vulnerable

better name: Youth Employment Services YES. It’s powerful and positive. Nor could they have imagined that 40 years later their creation would not only continue to strive, but would still make

young people.In forty years we have grown. In 1968, our

founding year, we helped 100 young people from one downtown location. Last year over 8,000

around the city, with an incredible 80% success rate.

Over our 40 years as service providers we’ve pioneered new, innovative programs that stay in touch with the problems and challenges that youth face daily. For example last year 14% of our young people were street involved, lived in shelters, group homes, and had unstable living conditions. In response we developed the Streets to Jobs program funded by the City of Toronto. We say YES to helping youth off the streets or out

Thanks to grants from foundations and individuals we also launched the Empowering Youth to Empower Seniors (E-YES) program in the past year. In this new program, young people teach seniors computer skills. We partnered with St. Clair West Seniors who share a building with us near Keele and Eglinton. The program empowers youth to discover and believe in their skills and demonstrate they can contribute to

empowerment it then becomes easier to place

Partnerships with the private sector continue to grow and expand also. Most recently, Manulife and YES have teamed up to deliver a summer

Town, Canada’s most densely populated urban neighbourhood.

Can we help youth off the streets and out of crime? Can we help those confronted with

employment? Can we play our part in building safer communities? YES WE CAN.

We worked with 1,000 employers last year and we placed 1,200

that our programs contribute to the economic health of our City. Our research indicates that if the 1,200

have contributed $840,000 to Revenue Canada. The return on investment speaks for itself.

While it costs almost $100,000 a year to incarcerate a youth, or $50,000 to provide shelter for him or her, it costs YES only $1,500 to get a

help youth now rather than pay the higher costs of social assistance, incarceration, health care and other social programs later on.

Canada is facing huge labour shortages, so helping our young people is not only the right thing to do, it is what we must do. Immigration cannot address this challenge alone. Canadians are having fewer babies, suggesting there are fewer youth today than when YES started in 1968.

every young person’s future counts. There is more of a need for Youth Employment Services YES today than ever before.

Our successes during the past 40 years are exceptional but we haven’t accomplished them on our own. We do it everyday with the help of our

support of the government and private sector, our board of directors and staff. We are grateful for all their collaboration and support.

Special thanks to Service Canada, the Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities and the City of Toronto. Particular thanks go to our outgoing Chairman of the Board, Hugh Rennie. Under Hugh’s energetic and able leadership we have continued to advance YES as an International Centre of Excellence in Youth Employment and Empowerment.

It’s been a remarkable 40what about our future?

We shall vigorously pursue our mission. Wherever there is a young person in need of support and help, wherever there are young

will be there. We’ll continue to innovate our programming; we’ll keep building places of trust and caring; we shall empower youth to be the masters of their destiny; and we will decisively put youth employment and empowerment on the national agenda to build healthy and safe communities.

YES WE CAN.

Nancy Schaefer President, Youth Employment Services YES

Canada’s disadvantaged and vulnerable youth are in crisis. Out of school and out of work, many feel they are out of options, and resort to crime, violence, gangs, and drugs in the absence of alternatives.

Recent estimates suggest that 66,000 young

Canadian streets at some point during any given year.1 That’s the equivalent of 50 average Toronto high schools. Toronto shelter use data shows that youth are one of the fastest growing groups of homeless.2 As more than half of Canadian street

3 YES recognizes that these youth are particularly vulnerable to making bad choices, and may not know how to get back on the right path. Their hopes of a better life quickly fade, like the fabric of a forgotten dream.

Denied access to stable living conditions and other necessities of childhood, many disadvantaged youth fail to complete high school, and as a result, can’t secure gainful employment or relevant experience. There are over 200,000 high school dropouts across the country who are under 24 years old.4 As the unemployment rate for these youth is 19%, double that of all 20–24 year olds (10%), and four-times as high as the national average (5.4%),5 YES believes these youth are in dire need of support.

Some of these youth may have stopped

believe most simply don’t realize their dreams can come true with a bit of help. These youth need someone to believe in them before they can believe in themselves.

66,000 homeless youth across Canada.1

19% unemployment rate among young dropouts.5

62,000 employable youth are out of school & work in Toronto.4

352,000 employable youth are out of school & work in Canada.4

Sources: 1 2 City of Toronto, Housing and Homelessness Report Card. 2003. http://www.toronto.ca/homelessness/index.htm 3 Jean Dupuis, Governemnt of Canada Economics Division. “Homelessness: The U.S. and Canadian Experience.” 12 September 2003. http://dsp-psd.tpsgc.gc.ca/Collection-R/LoPBdP/BP/prb0002-e.htm. 4 Statistics Canada 2006 Census, http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/ 5 “Young dropouts” refers to youth between 20-24 years old without intention to return to school. Statistics Canada. Canada’s Changing Labour Force 2006 Census. Catalogue no. 97-559, pp. 15.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

LIVING A NIGHTMARE

YES believes that employment is empowerment and the cornerstone of safe and healthy communities. YES leads the Canadian youth sector with innovative programs that empower disadvantaged and vulnerable youth to become self-

society.When young people are given the

chance to realize their potential, to make their dreams of success their reality, the results are safer, healthier communities. YES understands the critical issues facing youth today,

in overcoming many of these. We

have seen that employment is empowerment for our clients, and not merely because so many of them secure work or training opportunities through our programs and services. YES clients learn to be empowered, productive members of society, as they leave with renewed self-

Making a positive difference in young people’s lives is YES’s priority, but we are no less committed to engaging the community at large on the importance of youth employment. We are dedicated advocates for youth employment as a national public policy priority.

The focus of the Streets to Jobs

youth overcome the primary barriers to employment that keep them out of work. YES provides pre-employment

The program enrolls 60 youth, all of whom acquire the skills they need to re-integrate into community life,

participation in society.Youth are targeted by a dedicated

YES staff member, who seeks them out in shelters and group homes through outreach activities that link them to Youth Employment Services YES. This ensures those most in

it, enroll, and are given the chance to succeed.

case management, intelligent

development, and access to subsidized work placements. It helps homeless youth move to

and, importantly, by building their self-esteem.

Employers are also targeted by program staff, bridging a gap between these youth and employment in the community. By further providing follow up support to youth three months after program completion, STJ helps ensure these youth remain on the right track to success.

83.6% of YES clients

training.3

65% of YES clients haven’t finished high school.1

93% of YES clients face many barriers to employment.2

Notes: 1 23

HELPING YOUTH OFF THE GROUND

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT:

STREETS TO JOBS

We were thrilled to launch a new program this year: e-YES (Empowering Youth Empowering

experience and soft skill development by providing a unique opportunity to assist seniors looking to improve their computer skills.

e-YES is a cross-generational computer

senior services organization in Toronto — St. Clair West for Seniors. Youth stand to receive positive references and employment experience after teaching a small group of seniors basic computers skills, including how to navigate the web and manage email systems.

The cross-generational component of the program supports two generations in a mutually

stigma and discrimination between the two.

designed to help bridge an enormous gap between two generations, and offers both groups the chance to feel empowered and

For many youth participants, e-YES serves as an introduction to the intrinsic rewards of

of a respectful audience, and of making a meaningful contribution to someone else’s success. This renewed self-worth encourages participants to aim for that level of success in all aspects of their lives. For the seniors, the program encourages empowerment by providing the skills to better access information and communication via the world wide web.

As an initiative addressing systemic change, the cross generational computer learning

marginalized communities, helping them overcome adversity and discover renewed self-empowerment and independence.

YES has a rich history of innovative programming. Programs and services are regularly adapted to changing social and labour conditions in order to ensure continued success in delivery and execution. Our current programs reveal the depth of these innovations through their diversity:

Job Connectemployment planning and preparation services

supportresource and phone centre

Summer Job Service / Student Services

opportunities

pre-employment training in high schools

Job Camp

employability and life skills group program

BizStarttraining and counselling for youth committed to starting their own businessnew business incubation

Youth Collaborationassessment, counselling/case management and employment preparation for unemployed youthFrench servicesin partnership with other youth training agencies

Bloor-Dundas Employment Centreself-service resource centrestaff-assisted employment resource

Entry Point

employment services to students and recent graduates with disabilities

Reconnect to Employmentassessment, case management, employment preparation for youth and adults

Ontario Work Programemployment planning and preparationcareer exploration

Youth Job Centre –Job Centralfull service youth employment centre at Keele and Eglinton

Job Reach(see program spotlight, right)

G.R.E.A.T. Grads

placements for eleven post-secondary graduates in knowledge-based economy

Streets to Jobs(see program spotlight, p. 5)

e-YES(see program spotlight, left)

Summer Companystart-up summer business assistance for youth starting their own companyhands-on business training

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT:

e-YESJob Reach is a YES program in partnership with the Broad Reach Foundation for Youth Leaders. The program is targeted for disadvantaged and vulnerable youth. It combines training in practical skills that youth need to better identify, secure, and maintain employment with concurrent exposure to the rigors and rewards of sailing, promoting the “soft skills” that go a long way to ensure success in work and beyond. Striking such an exciting and novel balance between life skills training and employment management is what makes Job Reach so unique, and so successful.

between a classroom and a sailboat, concluding

The classroom lessons offer structured pre-employment skills workshops, and the sailboat offers experiential education, or opportunities to better understand and later meet employer expectations.

The innovative partnership between YES and Broad Reach ensures successful program execution and results. Broad Reach offers the only program for disadvantaged youth in Toronto that can deliver such broad skill development through the life-changing experience of sailing aboard a 40-foot racing yacht. With on-shore and on-water programs based out of the National Yacht Club on Toronto Centre Island, participants learn leadership essentials, teamwork strategies, and the basics of large-boat seamanship.

Through its partnerships with other youth-serving agencies and sponsors throughout the Toronto area, Broad Reach has introduced sailing and life-skills education to over 300 young people with economic, social, and physical barriers since 1999.

the conditions for vulnerable youth to become successful in securing meaningful and substantive employment.

OUR PROGAMS

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT:

JOB REACH

GOVERNMENTSUPPORT Funding for YES programs is generously provided by the following levels of government.

employment and counselling centre with resounding success.

Helped other organizations across Ontario to open new youth employment centres. Provided training for the staff at

these new provincial centres.

for youth. Wrote the teacher’s training manual for the Toronto District School Board to deliver

pre-employment training to students.

Established connections with

employers who hire YES youth

Added Life Skills training and

computer training for youth in addition

to employment.

Started with wage subsidy programs for employers

Built a database of hundreds of employers

in order to place

Priority given to staff training to work with at-risk youth

Expansion takes place. New

locations in Toronto.

Business Centre to help youth who want to start their own business

The number of new Canadian youth increased.

Program adaptations to meet these needs.

Job Camp program launched to help the most disadvantaged and marginalized youth in

training and empowerment program.

Started an adult division, after being asked by the City of Toronto to deliver successful programming to adults.

YES becomes an award winning organization by the Ministry of Training,

College and Universities for the Job Connect

program.

YES becomes an award winning organization by the Ministry of Training,

College and Universities for the Job Connect

program.

at Keele and Eglinton to better help the youth

living in an under-serviced neighbourhood.

Empowerment programs are added to enhance employability of youth

(e.g. Job Reach, e-YES)

President Nancy Schaefer writes

or start their own business

Enhanced programs for homeless youth

National activity

Four decades of building & responding to dreams, changing lives... forever

WE’RE40!

1960 1970 1980 1990 2008

Auditors’ Report to the Board of Directors

Services YES as at March 31, 2008 and the statements of operations and changes in fund balance of the Operating Fund and the Special

responsibility of the organization’s management. Our responsibility is to

We conducted our audit in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform an

free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis,

An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and

and the results of its operations for the year then ended in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles.

Chartered Accountants, Licensed Public Accountants, May 16, 2008

This past year YES played host to a number

annual artwork gala, YESinDEED5, exceeded our attendance and fundraising goals. We were also pleased so many familiar faces

celebration in May. We look forward to seeing you all again at YESinDEED6 (October 21, 2008) and at other future events.

Revenue:PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT

Job ConnectSummer Jobs Service SJS

Employment Resource Centre ERC3Reconnect XCEED/XCELL3

Job Camp3Entry Point

Summer CompanyFEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Job CentralYouth Collaboration

BizStartGreat Grads

CITY OF TORONTOToronto Social Services (Ontario Works)

Streets to JobsINTEREST INCOME

AMORTIZATION OF DEFERRED CONTRIBUTIONS5

TOTAL REVENUE:

Expenses:

Program operating costsAmortization of leasehold improvements and equipment

Other expenses

TOTAL EXPENSES:

Shortfall of revenue over expenses before the undernoted itemsLess deferred revenue from MTCU10

Less deferred revenue from City of Toronto10Less deferred funding for leasehold improvements and equipment6

Excess of expenses over revenue

6, 8

THE FULL SET OF YES FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 2007 IS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW UPON REQUEST

2008$ 2,301,000

440,476490,963390,303364,17280,21718,905

436,846263,266449,036

–

94,85127,4247,280

107,487

5,472,226

1,459,6362,835,651

901,349107,487169,546

5,473,669

(1,443)(30,675)(17,354)(73,367)

(122,839)(8,031)

123,856

$ (7,014)

2007$ 2,013,000

440,476473,182427,261286,94070,0298,807

278,128264,997421,24749,718

78,252–

4,293103,273

4,919,603

1,289,8392,585,471

885,234103,273149,814

5,013,631

(94,028)(29,699)

–(117,750)

(241,477)(9,462)

242,908

$ (8,031)

THE STUFF OF DREAMS

FISCAL Statement of Operation and Changes in Fund Balance – Operating Fund

Patrons$1,000.00+John CookHugh & Janice RennieDeborah BarrettDavid L. YuShane RumanElizabeth OakesEdward CaffynAn RichardsonAlon OzeryWilliam HumphriesJames PitbladoLucinda & John FlemerDonald Wright Sr.Joan Prior

Associates$500.00+John R. CurrieRobert & Judith KaneeJohn HeeneyRoss G. AmosNancy SchaeferSusan HarringtonJ. Douglas GrantPatricia E. WrightYES Staff Fun Raising

Donors$100.00+Lynda Bell

Amy HanenVicki McKinnonMary McPhersonSusie BeltonMichael NadlerRobert C. TedfordEdward V. &

Anne SadoIan Van C. McLachlinRobert MartinL. Faye StephensonDavid V. LoveIan SinclairJ. Allan BoyleJohn SnyderWilliam SuttonNick VillaniSarah WrightWilliam G. MacraeAndrew SmithJohn RobertsonEileen FarrowPauline HillSusan ShirriffJ.T. KennishJanet L. DalicandroMichael B. &

Lynn CookeChristine Kao

DonorscontinuedColin L. CampbellRon LatvanenJohn E. CarrRobert LeeBeverly ToppingRodney HullVicki HandWill AndrewPat DavidsonNorma PennerJohn-Frederick H.

CameronK.R.B MacDonaldLawrence WardNancy TuckerPaulette MoserSusan SisamCarol LomeNancy YoungRichard BrownKatherine V. RisticIan PearsonSally ForrestDavid DimmerGordon C. ShawMichelle MassieBrian and Joyce

WestlakeMichael H. MorganChand ChandariaDonald A. Carman

Friends$99 or lessChiara SwitzerRosalind WaxmanRobert CobhamJames B. KutcyGary R. ReidAnthony J. FrostDavid MillsJ. Paul MillsRonald RudanPaul J. WestlakeSinead McCarthyAnonymousHelen HoltbyMurray HerstSam OtukolJanet DelevieEleanor BarkerRoman & Sandy NiemyLinda ArmstrongWendy WeaverJudith BannisterMatt Shoom-KirschPatrick E. KieransCarolyn F. SwadronAlexander RankinJudy GodfreyAmutha Vipulananda

Platinum$25,000.00+

JOB CAMP PROGRAM SPONSOR

ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM SPONSOR

Gold$10,000.00+

E-YES PROGRAM SPONSOR

Silver$5,000.00+Ozery Pita Break Inc.

Bronze$1,000.00+CIBCGlaxoSmithKline Inc.

Supporter$999 or lessElite Designed

ConcreteMinden Gross LLPFood FocusHollywood Gelato

Foundations

Wrigley Canada Foundation

JP Bickell Foundation JOB CAMP PROGRAM SPONSOR

Wright Memorial Foundation JOB CAMP PROGRAM SPONSOR

Raptors Foundation JOB REACH PROGRAM SPONSOR

Nixon Charitable Foundation

Pioneer Petroleums Children’s Foundation Fund

Artwork Galaevent sponsors

TITLE SPONSOR

Sponsorship has been critical to YES’ success. We are proud to have a dedicated group of individuals and corporations that see the need to help

generosity and support that enables YES to continue to provide essential programs and services that help build a healthy future for our youth, and a healthy future for our communities. Please support our sponsors.

CORPORATESPONSORS PRIVATE DONORS

Patrick AntonikHaider AshrafOumou BahOneshea BalasalJacqueline BeckfordJoanna BendayanJaimie BondyStephanie BoudreaultKate BoyleDiAnne BrooksSonia BuchananJohn-Frederick H.

CameronShirley ChenMahnaz ChinoyRomanita CiobanuKim CobitzLyncia ConstantineMichael CressKrysta-Lee DeabreuDonovan DillMargaret Douglas-

CampbellBailey DullerNaomi DyonShoshana FainsilberJennifer FergusStacey FergusonAmie FisherNicole GauthierMelanie GorlickyIan GreenwoodMaimuna HassanNatasha HeckleyJorge HenriquesRosa HenriquezMonica HernandezNalini IypeKarim JaveriMary-Ann JohnsonMaria Jordan-BarzagaRaymond Ju

Christine KaoDaniel KennedyJen KeystoneMona KhanNicki LaJoieBrenda LehmanLeticia LemusUrsula LeonowiczMichael LoucaSinead McCarthyLauren McConnellValerie McIntoshKalisha MerraroCraig MilsonSouhair MusaKarthi NaguleswaranRachelle NgKate OostromNancy PachecoWhitney PyperMichael RaymondSarah RudgeChristina SantiagoNancy SchaeferSunny ShaoJulia ShymanskiJayne SimpsonLatoya SimpsonRozy SinghMarie-Louise SoulodreKamla SudamaLatoya TasichArran TyreAmutha VipulanandaCourtney WalkerKerry WarneLavel WilliamsAdey WorkuElaine YangStephanie ZacharkiwPaul Zepp

STAFFMESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Hugh RennieChair Executive CommitteeCommunications Consultant

Beth Oakes, CMCExecutive Vice President,DHR International

Ross AmosChair Audit & Investment Committee

John W. HeeneyChair Governance and Nominating CommitteeManagement Consultant

An RichardsonChair Event Planning Committee

Ed CaffynVice President, Account Planner, BBDO Toronto

Joan Prior, BA, LLBSenior Vice President & Deputy General Counsel,Scotiabank

Alon OzeryOwner, Ozery Pita Break

Robert Kanee BSC, MBA, CA, ICDDPresident, Norcount Corporation

Deb BarrettVice President Finance, The Woodbridge Company Limited

David L.H. Yu, CFASenior Consultant, AON Consulting

Melissa NixonLawyer

Nick VaneyCFO, Nightingale

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Eric Barton, CM, BAChairman & CEO, Miller Dallas

Mark BreslinFounder & CEO, Yuk Yuk’s

Hon. Justice Colin CampbellSuperior Court Justice, Ontario

Gerlinde HerrmannPresident, The Herrmann Group & Past President, HRPAO

David LatimerDirector, Camp KilcoCommunity Life, Greenwood College

Donald LindsayPresident & CEO, Teck Cominco Ltd.

Patricia Lovett-ReidSenior Vice-PresidentTD Waterhouse Inc.

Dr. William MacraeOphthalmologist

Charles Pachter, CMArtist

Anne SadoPresident, George Brown College

John StackhouseEditor, Business SectionGlobe and Mail

Alex TilleyOwner & CEO, Tilley Endurables

Beverly ToppingPresident & CEO,Institute of Corporate Directors

Bob WrightDeputy Chairman, Teck Cominco Ltd.

Nancy SchaeferPresident

John-Frederick H. CameronVice President Development & Communications

Margaret Douglas-CampbellVice President Youth Programs

Sinead McCarthyVice President Administration

CHAIR

VICE CHAIR

TREASURER

ADVISORY COUNCILSENIORMANAGEMENT

Back left to right: Robert Kanee, Joan Prior, John Heeney, An Richardson, Ed Caffyn,Melissa Nixon, Hugh Rennie, Deb Barrett, John-Frederick H. Cameron, Alon Ozery.

Front left to right:Ross Amos, Beth Oakes, Nancy Schaefer, David Yu.

Absent: Nick Vaney

Illustration and design by faunt, www.faunt.com

Charitable Registration Number: 83275 6720 RR0001

YES believes that employment is empowerment and the cornerstone of safe and healthy communities. YES leads the Canadian youth sector with innovative programs that empower

contributing members of society.

Youth Employment Services YES555 Richmond St. W., Suite 711, Box 115Toronto ON M5V 3B1Tel: 416–504–5516 x 230Fax: 416–504–3714www.yes.on.ca