Economic Opportunities

WUSC Celebrates 2021 Fall Arrivals

Every year in August and September, members from the WUSC community across the country prepare to welcome a new cohort of refugee youth to Canada. Through our various sponsorship programs, these youth are given the opportunity to continue their studies at Canadian universities, colleges, and CEGEPs, and now expanded to Canadian workplaces.  In total, WUSC…
Seminar participants in Malawi discuss their research project. © Mphatso Dumba

International Seminar 2021: Applications Open!

The International Seminar is an annual WUSC event for young leaders from around the world to collaborate, share ideas and create long lasting relationships. Each year explores a different contemporary development issue through youth-driven ideas, research and solutions. Since its first iteration in 1948, the International Seminar has seen thousands of participants collaborate on projects…
How we are working with partners to prevent gender-based violence (GBV) during the COVID-19 pandemic

How we are working with partners to prevent gender-based violence (GBV) during the COVID-19 pandemic

Around the world, nearly 1 in 3 women are affected by gender-based violence (GBV) in their lifetime. While men, women, girls, and boys all experience GBV to varying degrees, women and girls are often disproportionately affected. GBV includes, but is not restricted to sexual, emotional, and psychological violence, early and forced marriage, domestic violence, female…

Businesses Respond to the Global Refugee Crisis: A new model to think global and build local through welcoming workplaces

HIRES is a pilot initiative that resettles refugee youth who currently live in Kenya through a unique private sponsorship pathway that partners with Canadian businesses. This pathway involves vocational training and an employment placement upon arrival. Both, responding to persistent barriers to economic inclusion facing refugee populations and supporting Canadian employers to meet labour market…

How we are continuing to support international partners remotely

Many of our international partners have been particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is especially true in Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Sri Lanka and Vietnam where WUSC had planned to mobilize more than 200 volunteers this year to support partners in their efforts toward the creation of more resilient and inclusive economies. With office closures and…

How women entrepreneurs are adapting their businesses to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana

 By Alyssa McDonald, WAGES Communications Advisor Volunteer, Ghana Businesses all over the world have felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic – and Ghana is no exception. To stop the initial spread of the virus, government-mandated lockdowns were put in place, borders were closed, markets were shut down, and Ghanaian businesses and livelihoods were affected.…

Three ways you can get involved in World Youth Skills Day

What is World Youth Skills Day? World Youth Skills Day highlights the importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship, as well as recognizing the important role of skilled youth in addressing current and future global challenges. This year, World Youth Skills Day takes place in a difficult context. The COVID-19 pandemic…

How WUSC is Helping Employers and Training Centres Navigate the Challenges of COVID-19

How Employers and Training Centres can Navigate Together the Challenges of COVID-19 Globally, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates there are more than 64 million unemployed young people around the world, with a further 145 million youth working but living in poverty. Many sectors in many countries, including healthcare, construction, and automotive technologies, are experiencing rapid…

How online vocational training during COVID-19 prepares healthcare workers for future employment

Samya Al-Qudah, a recent graduate of the WUSC-supported Healthcare Support Worker program, tells us how proud she was when she helped her friend, who had been in critical condition, walk again. Samya is an example of the high return on investment in women’s education in Jordan. “I am proud of myself,” Samya says. “There is…
Social finance boosting women’s entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka /Le financement social stimule l’entrepreneuriat des femmes au Sri Lanka

Social finance boosting women’s entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka

By Nadeesha Jayasinghe, Uniterra Volunteer, Lanka Impact Investing Network, Sri Lanka In Sri Lanka, Micro-Small-Medium Enterprises contribute to 45% of GDP. Yet, only 25% of entrepreneurs are women. Low confidence, limited access to credit, and lack of financial literacy are some of the barriers which contribute to low representation of women’s entrepreneurship. Here is the…

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