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• Introduction
• Program Description
• Program Objectives
• Evaluation Approach
• Key Findings

Introduction

This brief summarizes the evaluation findings of the Youth Service Canada (YSC) program. Evaluation and Data Development managed the evaluation at National Headquarters, Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC).

Program Description

One of seven programs under the Youth Employment Strategy, Youth Service Canada (YSC) is the official name given to the youth service corps announced in the Speech from the Throne in January 1994. YSC is designed to provide unemployed and out-of-school youth between 15 and 30 years of age an opportunity—within a project that typically lasts 6 to 9 months—to gain relevant work-related experience.

Projects are run by not-for-profit sponsor organizations that have developed proposals approved by HRDC. Sponsors are expected to assist youth with planning career choices, improving employability and helping to promote a successful transition to the labour market or return to school.

YSC’s Terms and Conditions have been made increasingly flexible to accommodate regional and local variation. Youth may receive a weekly stipend, a completion grant or a combination of these to total compensation that is no greater than $10,000 per project participant. Human Resource Centres of Canada (HRCCs) have the choice of transferring the administration of the completion grant to sponsors or retaining it themselves.

From the beginning of the fiscal year 1994-95 to the end of fiscal year 1996-97, the period covered by this evaluation, there were 8,237 youth participants. Including departmental overhead, budgetary costs averaged $8,277 per participant; costs to project sponsors, other community organizations and the private sector (both in-kind and financial) were estimated at $795 per participant.

Program Objectives

The objectives of YSC are to provide young Canadians with the opportunity to:

• acquire real work experience;
• learn or enhance transferable job-related skills;
• develop personal qualities and skills such as self-esteem, self-reliance, leadership, communication and teamwork;
• contribute to their community and country; and
• promote knowledge and awareness of community issues.

The success of participants in finding or creating jobs, or continuing their education after completing the projects reflects the effectiveness of the program.

Evaluation Approach

Five main sources of information were used in addressing evaluation issues:

Key Informant Interviews

Personal interviews were conducted by eight staff members at HRDC Headquarters, and were combined with telephone and personal interviews with staff at 12 Regional Offices and at 11 HRCCs. These interviews mainly examined program design and delivery.

Fax Survey of Project Sponsors and Coordinators

Sponsors and coordinators returned approximately equal numbers of completed surveys (47 and 49, respectively). The survey instrument collected information on the strengths and weaknesses of YSC, its achievement of objectives and suggestions for change.

Follow-up Survey of Project Applicants

A telephone survey was informative about the participants’ experience (N = 908) during and after the project, and their overall levels of satisfaction with the projects. Comparable labour market and personal experience information was obtained from non-participants (N = 334).

Program Documentation

The review included literature descriptions of the program, cost data and data on individual projects. Of special importance was the baseline survey data, which allowed pre- and post-project comparisons of participants and non-participants.

Focus Groups Representing Sponsoring and Non-Participating Organizations

Group discussions involved sponsors and coordinators from participating organizations in four sites across Canada. One focus group included representatives of non-participating youth organizations in Metropolitan Toronto. Discussion centred on impacts on youth and suggestions for program improvement.

Key Findings

YSC Projects Responded Well To Participants’ Needs

The main benefit perceived by participating youth was personal development. Sponsors and coordinators agreed and almost invariably pointed to team building and leadership skills as the core project activities with the greatest benefits. The youth developed career plans during almost 75% of projects. Two thirds of participants who chose to go on to school or training credited their decision to a career plan developed during the project.

Youth Satisfaction With YSC Is High

YSC projects did well in attracting their target populations. Key informants, sponsors and coordinators also agree that participants enjoyed their projects. Relatively high retention rates and very high satisfaction ratings by youth participants (an average of 6.45 on a 7 point scale) confirm this assessment.

When the few dissatisfied youth (less than 8%) were asked what they did not like about the program, they most frequently mentioned the project’s coordinator and organization. This underscores the widely acknowledged importance of a good project design, clear commitment of the sponsoring organization, and a strong and dedicated coordinator as helping to ensure the success of a project.

Very Few Programs Like YSC Exist for Youth

Sponsors, coordinators, key informants and representatives of non-participating youth organizations all confirm the literature review: there are very few youth projects in their area comparable to YSC in objectives or approach. Team projects that raise youth awareness of community issues while benefiting communities are rare outside the YSC program.

YSC projects appear to be well suited for communities with few employers. The other most commonly available federal and provincial youth programs are wage subsidy and summer employment programs.

Key Informants View YSC as a Good Model

Everyone consulted considers YSC a good model of a youth employment program. The program’s terms and conditions have been amended since the beginning of the program. The changes are based on lessons learned from the lead sites evaluation, feedback from departmental officials, and the decentralization process in HRDC.

From the perspective of youth participants, no particular issues need to be addressed. HRDC respondents are much more satisfied with YSC since the new terms and conditions were introduced, but are concerned about the lack of resources allocated to the Youth Employment Initiative. They requested that project coordinators continue to participate in federally-sponsored workshops.

Sponsors would like to see more preparation time, longer projects, more money to cover overhead costs, and financial support from HRDC for coordinator training.

Both participating and non-participating youth organizations stressed that projects aimed at ""high-risk"" youth inevitably require more resources.

Those Who Left the Often Did so to Take a Job or Go Back to School

Early dropouts from YSC left most often to take a job, but negative reactions to the coordinator/program and practical personal problems were also factors for some.

Employment opportunities and return to school were the most frequently mentioned reasons for a small number of youth to leave a short time before the project ended. Financial problems accounted for relatively few leaving.

Economic Analyses Yielded Mainly Neutral But Consistent Results Over the Short Term

For the period studied, participation in YSC had no statistically significant effect on annualized earnings, weekly wage, hours worked per week, or annual social assistance benefits. In other words, the estimates of program effect on these measures could easily have resulted from random variation or chance, and cannot be reliably attributed to participation in YSC.

In the short term, project participants spent less time in the labour force and less time employed than would have been the case in the absence of the YSC experience. This is accounted for by their statistically significant increase in post-program time spent in school (most youth participants) or in training. Participation in YSC also reduced reliance on EI benefits.

HRDC plans to follow up with YSC participants in order to test for economic and employment impacts of the program over the longer term.

Comparison with Non-Participants Showed that YSC Youth Enjoyed the Social Impacts of Participation

Project sponsors and coordinators gave their projects high marks for achieving a number of personal development (social) objectives. Within this category, the most significant measurable effect was participant’s increased confidence in knowing how to find a job. Participants were also less likely to turn down a job if it meant having to move. YSC’s stress on career planning and on job search techniques appears to have paid off.

Participants seemed to have improved their computer skills over the course of the program. And the end of the program, participants were more likely to have a positive attitude about themselves and were less likely to think that getting a job depends on being in the right place at the right time.