Lincoln, ON – (April 20, 2022) – The Town of Lincoln is excited to announce that we are receiving funding through the Province of Ontario’s Skills Development Fund (SDF) Round 2. The total funding of just over $2.5 million dollars will be used to extend the current programming offered through the Youth Skills Studio and will help address youth employment challenges, support local businesses adaptation of online technologies, and provide hospitality and soft skills training to support Lincoln’s tourism and hospitality sector.
“The pandemic has caused many of our local businesses to be short staffed and in need of a talented young workforce,” says Town of Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton. “With pandemic restrictions lifted, this extension of our Youth Skills Studio program could not come at a more critical time to support youth readiness into the workforce.”
“On behalf of Council, I would like to thank the Province for their continued investment toward the Town of Lincoln’s Youth Skills Studio,” says Town of Lincoln Councillor Tony Brunet. “The programming directly supports Town Council’s vision to be a welcoming community for people, fresh ideas and businesses.”
In partnership with Civiconnect, the Town’s Economic Development Department will be using the funding to operate three additional cohorts from May 9, 2022, to April 22, 2023, for the Youth Skills Studio. In total, this terms project will support 73,000 hours of work integrated learning to 135 youth aged 14-29 working on 100 digital technology projects for local businesses. These work-integrated learning projects will enable local businesses to connect with youth who will provide digital services for their businesses, including:
- IT administration
- Digital marketing
- Web development
“This is another great investment to further support workforce development in the fast-growing IT sector,” says Town of Lincoln CAO Mike Kirkopoulos. “Even in a rural community such as the Town of Lincoln, our businesses across many sectors rely heavily on new technologies and innovation to support growth and development in their operations.”
New to this year’s program is the addition of the Hospitality and Tourism Training program which will be supporting 7,300 hours of work integrated learning and soft skills training to 70 youth aged 14-17 on a part-time basis. This program will aim to provide youth with the qualifications and expertise to pursue a career in the tourism and hospitality sector, one of Lincoln and Ontario’s hardest hit sectors impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There is no question that Lincoln’s tourism and hospitality sector was hit hardest by pandemic restrictions,” says Paul Di Ianni, Director of Economic Development & Communications. “As we look into a post-pandemic environment, the Hospitality and Tourism Training program will support the growth and development of Lincoln’s tourism sector for years to come.”
In addition to retaining and attracting young talent in Lincoln and supporting Lincoln and Niagara businesses, the Youth Skills Studio supports Lincoln’s Economic Development Strategy by promoting business retention and expansion, talent and workforce development and innovation and leadership.
For more information on the Youth Skills Studio, visit Speak Up Lincoln.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Liliana Busnello
Manager of Corporate Communications
Town of Lincoln
Direct: 905-563-2799 ext. 230
Tel: 905-563-8205