Make Way for Youth

Both Colchester and Halifax have been selected for a two year pilot project called Make Way for Youth, based on Québec’s Place aux Jeunes - the successful model that was recently recognized by the Canadian Rural Secretariat as “one that effectively contributes to development and sustainability in rural communities”. In operation for over 15 years, with nearly 70 locations throughout Québec, Place aux Jeunes has experienced great success and has a proven track record when it comes to helping young people return to the rural regions to live and work.
 
 
 
 Make Way for Youth will connect youth to the Colchester and Halifax communities, business opportunities and employment. The youth will be brought together for sessions to learn more about the region, meet with employers and members of the business community. The object of these sessions is to connect young people to opportunities that will encourage them to settle in this area. In Quebec the program has experienced significant success with 60% of all participants actually moving back to small and rural communities within the province.
 
 
 
 One other component of this project is to inform community members as well as school aged youth (ages 14-17) about the important roles that young people play in our communities: that having young, skilled people returning to our rural regions is imperative to a community’s survival.
 
 
 
 Make Way for Youth is a joint initiative between the Colchester Regional Development Agency, Halifax Regional Development Agency, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Office of Economic Development, Rural Secretariat and Place Aux Jeunes du Quebec.
 
 
 
 For more information on Make Way for Youth, contact Amanda Langille Colchester’s Make Way for Youth Migration Officer at (902) 896-2011 or [email protected]