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Settlement services

Building Youth Connections

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Building Youth Connections (BYC) supports newcomer youth to become healthy, integrated and self-sufficient adults by equipping them to meet their personal, social, community, educational and employment goals.

BYC addresses the developmental and settlement needs of newcomer youth through a comprehensive and culturally diverse service model that includes: 

  • Needs assessments

  • Referrals

  • Community connections

  • Advocacy and support for system navigation 

  • One-to-one case management with ongoing supportive coaching

  • Employment related services including employment skills workshops and connection to employment opportunities

  • Cultural and recreational activities with positive adults and peers that promote community connections and building social networks; 

  • Family events that promote family togetherness and celebration of cultural diversity

  • Community collaboration to reduce barriers and increase access to a wider range of community supports and resources

Statistics

  • Alberta has the fourth highest number of newcomer youth in the country. Statistics Canada stated that Canada saw its largest influx ever of international immigrants in the spring of 2016 - 86,216 newcomers, and Alberta’s share of that number was 12,050, or nearly 14 percent of the total (June 2016).
  • Studies show that there are significant settlement challenges for newcomer youth. They have a limited time to learn English, to adapt to a new culture, to catch up academically to Canadian-born students, and to develop the skills necessary to seek employment. Consequently, they are vulnerable to social isolation, poverty, depression and anxiety, dropping out of high school, unemployment and long-term challenges to integration.
  • Multi-barriered newcomer youth need information and access to services, social and emotional support, employment support, and opportunities for cultural bridging so that they can develop the confidence, self-esteem, positive sense of identity, skills, resources and social capital necessary for them to become healthy, integrated self-sufficient adults.
  • In partnership with IRCC (Immigration Refugees & Citizenship Canada) and FCSS (Family & Community Support Services), Trellis is able to offer multiple services to New to Canada Youth through our Building Youth Connections program.