GTAA awards funding to organisations to combat underemployment

After an extensive evaluation period, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) has announced the recipients of its 2022 Uplift Fund. Six organisations have received a total of $387,000 for programmes designed to break down barriers to employment and cultivate opportunity for communities around Toronto Pearson.

The six 2022 organisations are:

• The Urban Pilots Network’s Top Flyers Canada programme prepares Black and racialised youth for entry-level employment with leading aviation agencies
• ACCES Employment’s Ukrainian Newcomer Assistance Programme will provides employment service supports to recent Ukrainian newcomers, to help secure employment and succeed at meaningful employment in the GTA
• Brands for Canada’s Suitable Impressions Programme is a first impressions-focused employment programme that coaches participants to succeed in a job interview
• Blue Door Support Services’ Construct Programme recruits, trains and employs motivated individuals to learn and work on-site with qualified tradespeople to prepare for a career in the construction industry
• JAYU’s iAM is a free, eight-week employment arts and culture training programme for equity-deserving youth which allows them to access career paths that would have otherwise been unavailable to them
• Shakespeare in Action’s Backstage Centre Technical Apprenticeship is an innovative performing arts technical skills development programme that provides paid job training in theatre production for youth aged 15 to 30. Participants are mentored by industry professionals to gain unique and valuable experience they can bring with them into the workforce
• The Uplift Fund – part of the GTAA’s community investment programme, the Propeller Project – has been investing and partnering in programming, advocacy and research to support local area residents to gain the skills, connections and opportunities needed to be meaningfully employed since 2018. Given the dramatic effects that COVID-19 has had on employment in the communities Toronto Pearson serves, never before has support of this nature been more important.

“We’re delighted to announce this year’s Uplift Fund recipients, who work to lift up the communities we serve,” said Robyn Connelly, Director, Sustainability and Social Impact, GTAA. “Although COVID-19 has had a significant impact on our business, it has also disproportionally impacted our neighbours. We’re looking forward to working collaboratively with these like-minded organisations to address underemployment, and in doing so support a strong post-pandemic recovery for the Greater Toronto Area.”