Youth Success Strategy (YSS)

Youth Success Strategy logo. In the middle, a figure is created from three strands that wrap together, in orange, blue, and purple colour. The name of the project is found in both English and French - on the left of the figure "Youth Success Strategy.  On the rigth, Stategie de resussite des jeunes.

The YSS project has demonstrated that where there is intentional collaboration between education providers, employment service providers, and employers, youth with developmental disabilities have greater access to skill development and opportunities necessary for successful employment.

Research has uncovered how families and educators continue to have a perception of “unemployability” for students who have developmental and/or intellectual disabilities. This perception continues to foster lower expectations from families and educators, creating barriers to accessing critical supports and opportunities needed to prepare the students for a future that includes paid employment. The global findings from the project are applicable for family and educators’ networks anywhere and could impact how key stakeholders perceive the benefits of volunteering while still in school, part-time employment, paid internships, co-op opportunities in the community, all foundational to building employability skills.

Lastly, ODEN strongly believes that the Canadian YSS project promotes the “full development of human potential and a sense of dignity and self-worth, and the strengthening of respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and human diversity as well as enabling persons with disabilities to participate effectively in society” as noted in Article 24 of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disability. The Canadian YSS project promotes the goal of preparing students who have a disability for employment as part of inclusive education, empowering families, educators, and local employment service providers and businesses to build an inclusive workplace.

To learn more about the history of the Youth Success Strategy initiative, please visit ODEN’s YSS Info page: Youth Success Strategy Project

Thanks to funding from the Canadian Association of Supported Employment, through their Innovation Lab initiative, ODEN has produced a number of resources in the last couple of years (2022-2024). This page will guide you to a number of resources developed over the last two years. All of these are accessible at no cost and in both English and French. Click on the titles below to learn more.

Canadian YSS Year 1 Resources– English

Canadian YSS Year 1 Resources- French

Canadian YSS Year 2 Resources- French – Coming Soon

For more information on this project, the resources provided or to connect with the team that has worked on this project, please email us at learn@odenetwork.com