Youth employment programs

First point of contact for all programs:

Information & Consultation Session

Our programs

VolunteerABLE (Fall/Winter) or Youth@Work (Summer): Complete volunteer work placements with Holland Bloorview and earn volunteer hours. A job coach supports you to learn your roles and reach your goals. You meet other participants for life skills and career development workshops. 

Employment Action Coaching: If your goal is to start to volunteer or work or link to a co-op opportunity through your high school, you will learn about how to match your interests and strengths to opportunities, make applications and do interviews. We offer 3 sessions with a coach to start the first steps on your action plan.  

Ready to Work: Holland Bloorview job coaches help you connect with a Toronto employer and get you started in your paid summer job. (For youth who want a summer job and have participated in one of VolunteerABLE or Youth@Work and Employment Action Coaching. Youth must apply, interview and demonstrate commitment to job search activities and be available for summer work.)

Project SEARCH Toronto is a school to work transition program for students with disabilities and special education needs in their final year of high school.

Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital is proud to be a co-site host for the Project SEARCH Toronto program, together with UHN. Our other partners include: Community Living Toronto, Toronto District School Board and United Way Greater Toronto.

Learn more about the program at projectsearchtoronto.ca

Our Volunteer Resources team coordinates co-op placement opportunities for high school students. You can learn more here.

Holland Bloorview is also a co-site host (with UHN) in the Project SEARCH Toronto initiative.

Are you or someone in your life thinking about life after high school? Join our virtual group events for Toronto-based families and youth (ages of 14-26) with a disability and special education needs.

In each session you will learn about relevant resources and services, hear from lived experience mentors, and take a practical next step in the topic area.

This workshop is facilitated by Holland Bloorview and ConnectAbility.ca

• Additional workshops are offered regularly throughout the school year
• Watch the recording from our September 2021 session
• Resources for transition-to-employment and continued learning (see resource list below)

Workshop is designed for families and youth who are:

• On diverse high school pathways including: students taking non-credit courses, graduating with a certificate or in a special education program
• Between the ages of 16-26

Discuss and explore:

• Accessing employment supports and resources
• Other learning options and programs
• Related online community resources
• Hearing from staff, families and partners

You are eligible to register if you…:

• Are living with a disability and/or autism spectrum disorder
• Are in high-school (grades 10, 11, 12 or 12+), you have an IEP, and you are earning credits towards your Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)

Parents/guardians are welcome to participate.

Virtual workshops are interactive. They include a mix of information (presentation style), discussion, activities and an opportunity to ask questions. We engage Youth Mentors to share their lived experiences.

Information about our 2024 Post-secondary education and career virtual workshop series, including further details about topics, dates and how to register. These sessions are run annually in the fall. Recordings are available here. (Scroll to bottom and open workshop series section).

• Hear from staff and lived experience experts on how expectations, responsibilities and participation in home and community activities can build children and youth’s skills and attitudes for future work, in this virtual workshop What can I be when I grow up? Early strategies to promote employment inclusion and participation.  Facilitated by Holland Bloorview and the Ontario Disability Employment Network.
• Hear from youth who reflect on their past transitions into high school and share tips,tricks and perspectives about their experiences.  A Youth@Work 2021 video project titled The Youth Perspective: Tips and tricks for the transition into high school and a Youth@Work 2023 video project titled The Youth Perspective 2023: Experiences and tips about the transition into high school. 

Partner with Holland Bloorview to promote youth employment inclusion

Ready to Work:

Holland Bloorview job coaches connect employers with qualified, enthusiastic youth for summer positions

• Overview
• How we work together

Employer resources & toolkits

• Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW): Promotes and supports meaningful and equitable employment of people with disabilities. Offers a range of resources  and services for employers.
• CivicAction: Roadmap for youth-inclusive hiring.
• Discoverability:  A free online portal for employers with a 6-step guide for employers about hiring—and retaining—employees with disabilities.
• Hire for Talent: Free employer toolkit - leverage the talent of people with disabilities.
• Magnet: A free platform that matches employers with candidates who have the education and/or work experience you need.
• Ontario Disability Employment Network (ODEN): Provides resources, strategic consultation services and information about the business case for hiring individuals with disabilities.
• Ready, Willing & Able: Supports you with resources, consultation, and answers to your questions about the modern inclusive workforce.
• RWA Works: A free resource hub providing the know-how and resources to support businesses in hiring employees with an intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder.