This report describes the Information Highway Applications Branch Youth Employment Strategy Science & Technology (IHAB YES S&T) program's evaluation and presents data gathered during background research, key informant interviews, and surveys of employers and youth intern participants. The evaluation focused on the following four main issues: (1) To what extent is there a need for IHAB YES S&T programs? (2) To what extent is IHAB YES S&T program structure and delivery appropriate? (3) What results have been achieved by IHAB YES S&T programs? and (4) What are the lessons learned, how can IHAB YES S&T programs be improved?

2. IHAB YES S&T Programs

In order to provide youth with specific Information Technology training and work experience, in addition to helping small and medium-sized organizations make the most of Information Technology, Industry Canada combined its Connecting Canadians initiative with the Youth Employment Strategy (YES) to create the IHAB YES Science &Technology (S&T) Programs. This evaluation focused on the following four IHAB YES S&T Programs: (1) SchoolNet Youth Initiative (YI) [including LibraryNet]; (2) Computers for Schools (CFS) Technical Work Experience Program (TWEP); (3) SkillNet Youth Initiative; and (4) Information Highway/Science and Entrepreneurship (ISE) Camps.

3. Methodology/Approach

The evaluation drew evidence from multiple sources, including: a review of existing data from program documentation and web-sites; interviews with Industry Canada representatives from the four programs; a survey of 400 youth who had a work term with one of the four programs; and a survey of 171 employers/contractors who had employed youth interns under the four programs.

4. Findings

Summary of Findings: Generally, the evaluation indicated that the IHAB YES S&T programs were a success, and highlighted the fact that the IHAB YES S&T programs were key in bringing together employers who wanted to hire personnel with computer/Internet experience and youth who wanted computer/Internet-related jobs, or opportunities to learn more about computers and the Internet.

Overall Impacts: Between 1999 and 2002, IHAB YES S&T programs assisted more than 3,000 youth to find employment and have directly provided Information and Communications Technology (ICT) skills and knowledge to an estimated quarter million Canadians. These programs have substantially improved Canadians' knowledge-base regarding ICT and thus have provided a valuable service in today's computer-based society:

Youth Impacts: Over 60% of youth responding to the survey indicated that IHAB YES S&T programs helped them to increase their knowledge and skills in computers/the Internet and almost 65% of youth who were employed at the time of the survey indicated that the job they currently held was directly related to computers/the Internet.

Employer Impacts: Approximately 65% of employers reported that the programs helped increase their organization's knowledge or skills in the area of computers, and 67% reported that program helped to increase their interest in Information Technology-trained personnel.

Need for Federal Involvement: There is a continuing need for the federal government to invest in IHAB YES S&T Programs because they help keep Canada "competitive" with other countries by expanding Canada's communications infrastructure (connectivity) and by promoting the development of ICT skills, which are essential for Canadians wanting to compete in today's knowledge-based economy.

Satisfaction: Both youth and employers were highly satisfied with IHAB YES S&T programs.

Program Obstacles: Employers generally noted funding issues (need for faster approvals and dollar transfers) and the short length of the intern work term as being obstacles, while youth participants reported a need for better program advertising and expressed concern about the short duration of the work-term, and the need (in some cases) for enhanced work opportunities.

5. Conclusions and Recommendations

Overall Conclusion: Evaluation results indicate a continuing benefit from and need for the Federal government to invest in IHAB YES S&T Programs because they help keep Canada "competitive" with other countries by expanding Canada's communications infrastructure and by promoting the development of ICT skills, which are essential for Canadians wanting to compete in today's knowledge-based economy. Responses provided for each main evaluation issue indicate that the program rationale was appropriate, that delivery was generally effective, and that results were significant and positive. A number of recommendations were made regarding management of the programs and program structure, including:

Recommendations for Management of IHAB YES S&T Programs:

Continue and, if possible, expand IHAB YES S&T Programs: ICT-related programs need to continue and/or grow to meet their increasing need (Sections 4.1, 4.5 and 5)

Streamline proposal/funding: provide funding to organizations in appropriate time to hire youth and provide early response indicating if funding will be provided (Section 5).

Improve monitoring and database: build a more up-to-date database of employer and youth intern contact and demographic information (Sections 3 and 4.7).

Assess needs of program users: conduct a more detailed assessment of IHAB S&T program effects on youth participants and employers in order to generate future information highway impacts of investments (Sections 4.3 and 4.5).

Assess needs of targetted Canadian organizations: assess organizations nation-wide in order to determine the need for possible program expansion (Sections 4.5 and 4.6).

Recommendations Regarding Program Structure:

Improve program awareness: over one-third of youth respondents were informed of the program through teachers and friends. Many of the interns were unaware that they were part of a government funded program until well after they were hired (Section 4).

Increase duration of internships/provide more flexible internships: both youth and employers feel the program should last longer than 13 weeks (Section 5).

Provide better defined learning opportunities: program design should identify the level of ICT knowledge needed by youth interns — employers should clearly communicate their goals and outline the learning opportunities in their proposal and to the youth intern (Section 5).

Facilitate more flexible pay scales: both employers and youth indicated that interns are not getting paid a salary that reflects their skills (see Section 5). Wages of youth interns with more ICT knowledge could be increased through employer “top-ups” or a mentoring program with a tiered pay-scale/funding scale could be implemented where youth interns with more ICT knowledge are paid a higher wage to perform their regular duties while also being responsible for teaching/providing guidance to less experienced interns.

Recommendations for Future Evaluation Initiatives:

Future evaluations: future evaluations of IHAB YES S&T Programs should consider methodologies for addressing program “fit” with ICT needs, cost-effectiveness, and reach.

Evaluation of Industry Canada's Information Highway Applications Branch Youth Employment Strategy Science & Technology Programs — Final Report (PDF, 259KB, 26 pages)

Management Response to a Report Entitled Evaluation of Industry Canada's Information Highway Applications Branch Youth Employment Strategy Science & Technology Programs (PDF, 175KB, 7 pages)

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