Development of LEAP
Choices for Youth’s (CFY) Education, Employment, and Social Enterprise (EESE) team made a significant addition to the training provided to youth in its Employment Support program. The EESE training team has grown in recent years and in 2022/2023 that growth facilitated the development of the Lifework Education Applied Practice (LEAP) training program.
LEAP training was introduced into the Employment Support program because there was a need for more training if youth were going to transition more confidently into competitive employment. LEAP is a continued learning training program that has been incorporated into a young person’s journey through supportive employment with EESE. It focuses on attaining realistic and incremental goals through an interactive and proactive process that ensures youth have the skills necessary to achieve competitive employment. LEAP was developed through a collaborative effort between CFY youth and staff.
Mari-Lynn Taylor, Manager of Education, Employment and Social Enterprise
“LEAP is about building a meaningful foundation for overall and continued success, whatever that looks like for an individual.”
LEAP training helps young people develop a variety of essential skills needed for work and life. Its modules touch on many aspects of a young person's life, including topics such as self-care techniques and time management skills, financial literacy, and knowledge to support their career development.
LEAP has been integrated effectively into the Employment Support program. CFY social enterprise cohorts typically work on a nine-month contract with three-month work terms. Each of those three-month terms now focuses on a specific LEAP training piece in addition to the regular on-the-job training.