Youth Skills Studio

The Youth Skills Studio (YSS), located in Beamsville, is a partnership between Civiconnect and the Town of Lincoln designed to support youth retention, talent attraction, and business retention and expansion here in our community. The goal of the Youth Skills Studio is to provide youth with the skills and experience they need to make valuable contributions to the workplace and beyond, helping them secure future employment.

Tourism & Hospitality Training Program

A key priority of the Town of Lincoln’s Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan is to develop and support initiatives to attract, retain, and adapt a talent pool to meet the evolving needs of businesses and agricultural enterprises. With this objective at the forefront, the Town of Lincoln, in partnership with Civiconnect, is designing a Tourism and Hospitality workforce training and development program for youth between 18 – 29 years of age.

This new training program is supported by the Province of Ontario’s Skills Development Fund and administered for an impactful third round by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development.

For more information, please contact Jennifer Wilhelm, Youth Skills Studio Tourism Program Liaison, by email at jwilhelm@lincoln.ca or by phone (289) 968 – 8045.

In alignment with funding requirements, the training will be delivered over 10 weeks and includes 40 hours of instruction. It will begin in September 2023, followed by a winter intake in January 2024.
Participants will be considered employees of Civiconnect’s Youth Skills Studio and eligible recipients will be paid an hourly rate of $18, less government deductions, for time spent participating in this niche sector training program. In addition to the age requirement of 18 – 29 years, participants must be:
- A Canadian Citizen or valid Permanent Resident;
- Enrolled in a Canadian post-secondary co-op program;
The Town of Lincoln will be collaborating with secondary and post-secondary institutions to recruit eligible participants; at the same time, we are asking for the cooperation of local tourism and hospitality stakeholders to assist us in attracting local, eligible participants that meet the program requirements.
With the support of local industry, we can immediately upskill existing employees and grow the training program with relevant feedback from employers and participants alike.
Local businesses are asked to complete an online questionnaire to rank the relevancy and importance of deliverable skills as well as identify other competencies, knowledge, or qualifications they would like to see included in the training program. This questionnaire will also include an application of interest for local businesses to self-identify potential team members within their organization who may meet the eligibility requirements and may be interested in enrolling in the program.
A Program Advisory Committee (PAC) representing a cross-section of local hospitality and tourism stakeholders will be assembled to assist in identifying current and future industry trends, challenges, and the relevant, evolving skills and knowledge that program participants require to meet the ever-changing industry needs. Committee members should be interested in, and dedicated to the development of a workforce training program that creates an impact with employers, employees, and industry alike. Please indicate when submitting your online questionnaire if you would like to learn more about the PAC.
We look forward to continuing to work together toward our shared vision to ensure that Lincoln is a place to grow, prosper, and belong.

Information Technology Program

The YSS work integrated learning environment provides paid employment to youth aged 15-29 to work on technology-based projects for local businesses. The experienced Tech Team facilitates high-demand technical skills development while youth deliver digital technology solutions to businesses. At regular intervals each week, our Programming Team delivers training focused on teamwork, communication, and work ethic to develop the most important non-technical skills identified by employers. The results are that:

youth gain the skills and experience needed in the workplace;
businesses gain affordable access to innovative;
high-impact digital technology services;
businesses gain risk-free access to emerging young talent; and
youth gain the benefits of a work-integrated learning experience at an organization designed for this purpose.

Looking for a paid opportunity to gain the skills and experience employers are looking for? The Youth Skills Studio is a great opportunity for Niagara residents between the ages of 15-29 to participate in a paid work integrated learning system offered by the Town of Lincoln and Civiconnect.
Develop non-technical skills in the following 3 core areas to provide yourself with the tools you need to succeed at work and beyond:
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Work Ethic
Learn High-demand, technology related skills to succeed in today’s rapid changing online marketplace:
- Digital Marketing
- Web Development
- IT Systems Administration
Experience is invaluable for youth entering the workforce and our programs reflect that:
- Learn by doing while you work on real projects for real businesses in our work-integrated learning environment
- Non-technical skills are integrated into the work week via regular workshops
- We mentor and coach participants to help them translate the YSS experience into work and life.
- Participation is a paid experience
Contact Economic Development at economicdevelopment@lincoln.ca if you are a Lincoln youth interested in participating in the Youth Skills Studio.
Are you a Lincoln business owner looking for affordable access to digital technology services like e-commerce, website development or productivity improvements? The Youth Skills Studio offers affordable access to high-quality, high-impact digital business services that help businesses thrive in the digital marketplace. Enhancing your business’ digital capabilities will help you connect with new customers, expand your market presence, and grow. Digital services include:
Digital Marketing:
1. Graphic design
2. Brand strategy or rebranding
3. Social media marketing and digital content creation
4. Digital lead generation (email marketing)
5. Web-based marketing (web copywriting, search engine optimization, etc.)
Web Development:
1. Website creation, renovation and maintenance
2. Website upgrades (E-commerce, search engine optimization, etc.)
3. Website migration
IT Systems Administration:
1. Website maintenance and enhancements (hosting, troubleshooting, etc.)
2. Productivity improvements
3. Migration
4. Ongoing IT support & IT help desk
5. Back-end service improvements & automation
Contact Economic Development at economicdevelopment@lincoln.ca if you are a Lincoln business interested in the services offered by the Youth Skills Studio.