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Part of Supports for employers

Alberta Youth Employment Incentive

Employers can offset costs associated with hiring, training and employing youth from age 15 to 24.

Overview

The Alberta Youth Employment (AYE) Incentive gives funding to employers to offset costs associated with hiring, training and employing youth. It aligns with the Alberta Jobs Strategy’s goals of connecting job seekers with employers, helping workers gain new skills and targeting young workers. The AYE Incentive is run by CAREERS: The Next Generation Foundation, an experienced non-profit organization that offers career programs for youth.

As part of the incentive, eligible youth may receive a Ready2Work Digital Badge issued by Alberta’s government. The badge allows youth to showcase their work experience and essential skills on their resume and online profiles as they begin to build their careers.

Funding

Eligible employers may receive up to $7,500 in funding, available on a first-come, first-served basis and based on the number of youth hired:

  • $4,000 for 1 to 2 youth(s) for a minimum of 400 hours combined
  • $7,500 for 3 to 5 youths for a minimum of 750 hours combined

Applying

Applications for the AYE Incentive are administered through CAREERS: The Next Generation Foundation. Interested employers can visit CAREERS website: Alberta Youth Employment (AYE) Incentive to ensure they meet all employer and hired youth eligibility requirements.

For more information on employer or youth eligibility, funding or how to apply, contact CAREERS.

Ready2Work Digital Badge

Sample Ready2Work badge with Alberta logo at the top, Ready2Work text below the logo and 200 hours in white text at the bottom of the badge

The Ready2Work Digital Badge is awarded to young workers (16 to 24 years old) who:

  • participate in the AYE Incentive
  • work at least 200 hours with an employer
  • show job-related skills through an employer-verified assessment

The assessment highlights 6 employability skills desired by employers:

  1. Communication – Effective exchange of ideas through clear speaking, active listening, writing and presenting.
  2. Teamwork – Cooperative engagement with others to achieve common goals, including collaboration.
  3. Problem solving – Identifying and resolving challenges using creative reasoning to workplace tasks.
  4. Adaptability – Flexibility in adjusting to change, learning new tasks.
  5. Time management – Prioritizing, meeting deadlines, managing workload.
  6. Professionalism – Conduct, punctuality, respect for norms and practices.

What this badge means to employers

If an employer sees this badge on a resume or online, it means the youth participated in the AYE Incentive, worked at least 200 hours and showed job-related skills verified by their employer.

What this badge means to youth

The Ready2Work Digital Badge helps young workers prove their work experience and show they have the key skills needed to succeed in the workplace. Young workers can display the badge on social media, digital resumes, portfolios, email signatures and digital wallets.

Contact

Connect with us if you have questions:
Email: [email protected]

Address:
Employer and Program Services Branch
Government of Alberta
Commerce Place, 10th Floor
10155 102 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4G8