YOUTH EMPLOYMENT SERVICES MISSION As a not-for-profit organization, YES (Youth Employment Services) enriches the community by providing English-language support services to help Quebecers find employment and start and grow businesses.
YES is a one-stop, English-language job search, entrepreneurship and artist service provider in Quebec, providing support to over 4,700 Quebecers annually. YES started in 1995 as a vehicle to stem the flow of young people from Quebec and in the past nineteen years has helped more than 40,000 Quebecers through its various programs. The number of clients served annually has increased from 120 in 1996-1997, to over 4,700 in 2013-2014, while client visits are over 14,000 per year. YES is heralded for its professionalism, long-standing record of measurable success and the exceptional service it provides the community almost entirely free of charge.
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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT As we prepare to mark and celebrate our 20th anniversary in 2015, it is very clear that YES has come a long way. We began as a grassroots, volunteer organization created to stanch the flow of young people down highway 401 and out of Quebec, as political instability and economic recession reduced the opportunities for young people in our province. Today, we serve some 4,700 clients who make more than 14,000 visits to our facilities annually. The Internet and enabling telecommunications technologies allow us to reach many more throughout the province where they meet with our coaches and counsellors, attend seminars and workshops, and participate in conferences—virtually. The three pillars of our programming are job search services, entrepreneurial support services and a unique program for artists that allows them to turn their artistic pursuits into money-making ventures. In 2014, in addition to the ongoing services we provided every year, we are proud of several new landmark initiatives in particular. We released a report entitled “Gender-Based Analysis: Quebec Technology Sector” as part of a three-year plan to close the gender gap in the Quebec technology industry. We drafted and tabled a Report entitled the “Building Youth Resiliency and Community Vitality within Montreal’s English Language Population”. We hosted the Creative Connections event to provide meaningful networking opportunities for Quebec’s artistic community and NetWORK Now, an event that matched job-ready women in technology with employers from the high tech industry. I invite you to discover for yourself what YES has done for men and women job seekers, entrepreneurs and artists in 2014, underlined by the fact that we need to do more and we must ensure the funding of our governments, our foundations, our businesses and individual donors to allow us to continue to serve our community and expand our services as the needs of our clients evolve. John Aylen President – Board of Directors, YES
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MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Year over year we see an increase in the demand for our services, and 2013-2014 was no exception. The current economic downturn has resulted in increased unemployment from company closures, cut-backs, and layoffs, and we are seeing more youth struggling to transition from school to work. We are also witnessing the consequences that come with underemployment and unemployment such as stress, depression, and mental health challenges. Alongside the bleak statistics however, we have the pleasure of working with vibrant and dynamic clientele who keep us optimistic. For example, the 2,109 entrepreneurs we served this year provided us with continued inspiration and motivation. We know that every business that we helped to start and grow created an opportunity for employment for others in our community. We know that each of the 24 dynamic young people we successfully placed through our paid internship program will continue to thrive in their companies. We served 2,400 job seekers this year and 70% were able to gain employment or return to school following the program. We know that every one of them will contribute their skills to the economy and provide more opportunities for others. We know that our impact on each of the more than 4,700 people we served this year will have a positive ripple effect, contributing to the economic health of our community. But our growth is more than just numbers, we are proud of the way our services have grown to meet the changing needs of our clients. Our responsiveness is a cornerstone of our organization and is reflected in our decisions and our success this year. For example, as a result of the continued economic downturn over the past few years, we have been seeing more and more people face situational mental health issues as a result of joblessness. We have responded by piloting a peer-to-peer focus group program, with great results. Our Women in Technology project also exemplifies our responsive and unique approach. We founded the program based on the knowledge gained from our corporate partners and clients. We noted that while the tech industry in Montreal is a major economic driver and source of employment, we were not seeing women advance in these industries. At the same time, we were seeing talented women with the skills needed to excel, struggling to find work. YES responded, and our Women in Technology initiative has been a tremendous success. Alongside our strong core programming, these innovative new programs helped us help our clients. We could not have done any of this without the strong support of our funders, our volunteers, and our partners in the business, academic, media, and non-profit sectors and, of course, our wonderful and hardworking staff. We are grateful, this year as always, for the amazing support we receive and I sincerely thank everyone who contributes to the “YES Community�. Iris Unger Executive Director, YES
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YES BOARDS, STAFF AND COMMITTEES YES BOARDS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Harold Simpkins, Past President John Aylen, President Jordan LeBel, Vice President Roslyn Slawner, Vice President Gavin Correa, Treasurer Marnie Blanshay, Secretary Andrew Abdalla John Scott Bailey
Paul Dery-Goldberg Pino Di Ioia Ron Drennan Harvey Elman Chris Emergui Doris Juergens Chad Loeven Christopher Minkoff Marcel Pinchevsky Simon Restall
BOARD OF ADVISORS
Mario Clarke Ellen Englert Sherifa El-Alfy Alexander Gordon Nadja Grabovari Paul Higgins Sherry Hollinger Coby Ingham Annalise Iten
Douglas Leahey Daniel Légaré Monika Majewski Maria Pereira Maggie Severs Gerald Silverberg Jillian Tanoja Anna Viegas Kelsey White
Lionel Blanshay Rob Braide Scott Conrod Charles B. Crawford Peter R. Johnson Guy Laframboise Timothy Leyne Peter McAuslan Andy Nulman
Philip O’Brien Hilary Radley Herschel Segal Robert Walsh
YES STAFF FULL TIME STAFF Iris Unger, Executive Director Fernanda Amaro Silvina Asurmendi Dalia Bosis Catherine Brisindi Leann Brown Colleen Bush
Marc Wrobel Stephanie Zacharkiw Lamiaa Zaid INTERNS, PART TIME & CONTRACT STAFF Valérie Grosjean Isabelle Zimmerman
YES COMMITTEES ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONFERENCE COMMITTEE Pino DI Ioia (Co-Chair) Chris Emergui (Co-Chair) NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE Ron Drennan (Chair) Luciano D’Iorio Brent Walker Lionel Blanshay Harold Simpkins Nancy Cleman Tom Kouri EMPLOYMENT ROUNDTABLE COMMITTEE David Mendelson (Chair) The Quebec Employment Service Providers Roundtable
FUNDRAISING EVENT PLANNING COMMITTEE
REGIONAL PROJECT COMMITTEE
Jordan LeBel (Chair) Marnie Blanshay Andrew Abdalla Paul Dery-Goldberg Peter Freud Lorraine Klaasen Caroline Nalbantoglu Andy Shatilla Neil Tryansky Cherine Zananiri
Gavin Correa (Chair) John Aylen Jordan LeBel Brent Walker Pino Di Ioia Nancy Cleman (Legal Advisor)
HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE Roslyn Slawner (Chair) Gavin Turley Harvey Elman Paul Dery-Goldberg
WIT ADVISORY COMMITTEE Elizabeth Laett (Chair) Mark MacLeod Chad Loeven Liesl Barrell Sophie Forest Cathy Nguli Andrea Wood Elizabeth Vanderveldt Daniele Nascimento
MENTORSHIP PROGRAM Raymond Busbridge (Chief Mentor) John Scott Bailey ARTISTS CONFERENCE AND EXPO COMMITTEE Linda Rutenberg (Chair) Guy Rodgers Crystal Chan Ezra Soiferman Chris Zeke Jane Needles Lori Schubert Elizabeth Ulin Andrew Chen Norma Andreu Damian Siqueiros Aria Campbell-Kelly Marc-André Castagner Matthew Stern
THANK YOU TO OUR 2013-2014 DONORS, SPEAKERS & VOLUNTEERS Abe Slawner Adam Muscott Ade Akin-Aina Adele McAlear Agostino Di Maria Alan Bourgeois Albert Eskenazi Aleece Germano Alex Bernstein Alexander Gordon Alice Danino Andrea Forgacs Andrew Abdalla Andrew and Grayce Shatilla Andrew Chen Andrew Richardson Andrew Shatilla Angela and Louis Burgos Angelique Mannella Ann Marie Tourneur Anna Goodson Anna Hakobyan Anna Kaufer Anna Viegas Annalise Iten Annie Lalonde Anthony Bertucci Anthony Layton Aria Campbell-Kelly Ariel Ravicovich Art Campbell Aubrey Rosenhek Ayah Norris Barry Lazar Ben Sperer Bernie Digiglio Bertrand D’Espagnac Bill Brownstein Bill Shatner Bill Urwin Brenda Adams Brenda Stermer Brent Walker CA, CPA Brian Burke Brian Parnass Brian Riordan Brian Rotsztein Brian Sinnott Brian Wrong Bruce Kent Bruno Georgescu Bryan Demchinsky Calin Birlean Carl Belanger Carla LaBrosse Carmela Orlando Caroline Leroux-Boulay Caroline Nalbantoglu Carrie MacPherson Carrie Wertheim Caterina Rizzi Catherine Brisindi Catherine Ducharme Catherine Turp Cathy Nguli Cedric Dugas
Celine Desmarais Chad Loeven Chad Loeven and Melodie Sullivan Charles and Diane Bissegger Charles Tibshirani Chelsea Finnemore Cherine Zananiri Cheryl Tom Chris (Zeke) Hand Chris Emergui Chris Ramoutar Chris Rundle-Stolzenberg Christian Keen Christopher Godziuk Christopher Minkoff Claude Arcand Clinton Nellist Coby Ingham Coleen MacKinnon Colette Gour Corey Velan Crystal Chan Cynthia Grahame Cynthia Joy Damian Siqueiros Dana Vocisano Daniel Anber Daniel Legaré Daniel Parent Daniel Wald Danièle Blain Daniele Nascimento Danielle Black Darryl Levine and Caralee Salomon Dave Cool David and Peggy Arditi David Cape David Da Costa David Howes David Kelsey David Mendelson David Ostroff David Stewart David Usher Dawn Bernard Dean Anderson Debbie Dankoff Dee and Bruce Dobby Del Chatterson Denburk Reid Denis Grondin Denis Luchyshyn Denise Waligora Derek Linetsky Diana Yazidjian Diane Brunelle Dickson Jay Dominique Pirolo Don Walcott Donna Chu Doris Juergens Dorothy Dixon Douglas Leahey Dov Whitman
Ean Murphy Edith Cloutier Elaine Lim Elaine Soares Elisabeth Ann Laett Elisabeth Lecavalier Elisabeth Vanderveldt Elisa-Line Montigny Elise Brosseau Elisha Dillon Elizabeth Collins Elizabeth Hirst and David Bronstetter Elizabeth Ulin Ellen Englert Elliot Shuchat Ellis Basevitz Elvira Winkler Emery Moreira Emily Bailey Emily Mira Enzo Palermo Eric Hamovitch Eric Marchand Eric Poehlman Esther and Rob Wearing Ethan Song Ezra Soiferman Fernanda Amaro Florence Petit-Gagnon Fran Katz Francine Prud’homme François Vaque Frank Fabi Frank Hmeidan Fred and Joy Pellatt Fred Horowitz Fred Malone G. Shepherd Abbey Gabriel Salvia Rivero Gabriela Loureiro Gail Kerzner Gary Ikeman Gavin Correa Gavin Correa, CPA, CA, CFP Gavin Mills Genevieve L’Esperance Geoffrey Wagner George Wiseman Georges Robichon Georgia Dow Gerald Pekeles Gerald Silverberg Gil Kastner Gilda Abdulezer Gino Pagliuca Gordon Halliday Greg Dunning Gregg Blachford Guillaume de Tilly-Dion Guy Melhuish Guy Rodgers Guylaine Hudon Harold Simpkins Harvey Elman Heather Sterling-Marriott
Hilary Leftick Holly Friesen Howard Pate Howard Tafler Hugh Brodie Ian Hernandez Ian McGillis Ian Soutar Ian Turner Ilana Edery Iris Unger Iris Wagner Irwin and Sara Tauben Jacob Benedek Jacob Cowles Jacques Chagnon Jacques Deschênes Jacques Godin James Colmer James D. Roumeliotis James Hughes James Woods Jane Needles Janna Zittrer Jasmin Uhthoff Jason Gendreau Jean Pierre Perusse Jean Reeves Jean-Marc LeBlanc Jean-Pierre Vasseur Jennifer Gasoi Jesse Prupas Jim West Joan Dougherty Johanne Spenard John and Heather Bailey John and Laura Brkich John Aylen John C. Van Toch John Dalzell John Kobel John Scott Bailey John-Paul Higgins Jonathan and Alice Goldbloom Jonathan Berthold Jonathan Olesik Jonathan Primeau Jonathan Wener Jordan LeBel, Ph.D. José Fernandez-Busto José Miguel Fernández-Busto Josée Dubuc Josephine Nalbantoglu Juan-Carlos Fernandez Espinosa Judith Kavanagh Judy Martin Julian Giacomelli Julie Armstrong-Boileau Julie Ogilvie Kadriye Bilgic Karen Paterson Karen Peters Kate Arthur Kathryn Presner Kathy Acimovac
Kathy Slotsve Kelsey White Kenny King Kevin Peacock Kim Kinkead Kim Parkinson Kristina Colpitts Lamiaa Zaid Larissa Milo-Dale Larry Elman Larry Smith Laura Rietveld Laurence Sellyn Laurette Dubé Lavinia Bulai Lawrence Mosse Leann Brown Len Davidson Leonard Assaly Lewis Ludwick Li Kuo Liesl Barrell Ligia Pena Linda Drisdell Linda Leith Linda Magher Linda Paradis Linda Rutenberg Lindsay Groves Lionel Blanshay Lisa Le Brock Lisa Moncalieri Lori Krebs Lori Rubinger Lori Schubert Lorne Steinberg Lorraine Deley Lorraine Klaasen Louis Durand Louis Morissette Louisa Giannino Louise Brophy Louise Guay Luciano D’Iorio Lydia Lukidis Lyla Radmanovitch Lynn Verge Lynne Robson Madeleine Macdonald Magalie Chaperon Maggie Severs Malek Tabbara Marc Wrobel Marc-Andre Castagner Marc-André Desjardins Marcel Pinchevsky Maria Cammisano Maria Owczarek Maria Pereira and Adelino Ferreira Marie-Jo Leroux Marina Cutler Mario Clarke Mark Haber Mark Johnson Mark MacLeod
Marlene Vigneau Marnie Blanshay Marnie Reid Martin Pollmueller Marvin Garellek Matei Paquin Mathieu Foran Matthew Rosenberg Matthew Stern Matthew Wiazowski Mavourneen Vickers Maxine Platt Michael and Cheryl Richards Michael Boxer Michael Carin Michael Davis Michael Elman Michael Eskenazi Michael Hiles Michael Judson Michael Lenczner Michael Sendbuehler Michael Slon Michael Watson Michel Blier Michel Magnan Michel Poirier Mirna and Saul Alter Mitch Joel Mitchell Moss Mohamed Hage Mohannad El-Barachi Monika Majewski Myrna Bercovitch Nahed Alshawa Nancy Cleman Nancy Dandan Nancy Hall Nancy Naluz Nancy Vervuurt Natalie Di Maio Nathalie Proulx Neil Bernstein Neil Camarta Neil Erlick Neil Stephan Tryansky Neil Tryansky Nelly Dimitrova Nelson Connolly Nicolas Carbone Nicole St-Pierre Nina Silverstone Noemi Rouleau Norma Andreu Olivia Corning Pam Litman Pamela Presley Pascale Petit-Gagnon Patouchka Romain Patricia Snow Patrick De Lanauze Patrick Sciortino Paul Dawalibi Paul Dery-Goldberg Paul Green Paul LeBlanc
Paul Loftus Paulo Leiriao Peggy Fleming Peter Gagliardi Peter and Franki Yanofsky Peter Argyrakos Peter Cheroff Peter Diekmeyer Peter E. H. Palmer Peter Freud Peter Green Peter Hadekel Peter Letko Peter Mann Peter McAuslan Peter R. Johnson Peter Reynolds Phil (Felice) Meffe Philippe K. Chrun Chrun Pierre Archambault Pierre Lessard Pilar Agueci Pino Di Ioia Rachel Renaud Rachel Stephan Ray Busbridge Raymond Harvey Rebecca Cohen Palacios Rebecca Wilks Reena Atanasiadis Reuben Abramowsky Ric Peterson Richard Bougie Richard Bradeen Richard Giroux Richard King Rob Lutes Robert A. Walsh Robert Bourdius Robert Britton Robert Brouillette Robert Cefaloni Robert Elman Robert Frances Robert Meldrum Robert Mendelson Robert Porrello Robert Therriault Robin Mayes Rod Matheson Romain Hinault Romina Lopez Ron Drennan Ronald Abraira Ronald Vincelli Rosemarie Martin Roslyn Slawner Roy Baird Ryan Tomicic Saeed Shobeiri Sahar Ansary Sally Langan Salvatore Iacono Sam Feigenbaum Sam Lackman Sam Mahmoody
Sam Makarios Sandra Reich Sandy Sidhu Sarah Ammari Sarah Bishop Scott and Beverley Conrod Sébastien Deniger Serge Galley Shannon Smith Shari Segal Sharon Bishin Sharon Price Shelly Elsliger Sherry Hollinger and Aldo Tomassini Shirley Levene Silvina Asurmendi Simon Law Simon Restall Simon Slawner Sol and Rachel Kasimer Sonali Karnick Sophie Forest Stan Aranoff Stanley and Barbara Plotnick Stéphane Lacasse Stephane Lagrange Stephane Ruah Stephanie Zacharkiw Stephen and Veronica Brownstein Stephen Atkinson Stephen Jacobson Sterling Downey Steve Bernard Steve Legler Steven Appelbaum Stewart Schaefer Susan Kruger Susan McKinnon Bell Suzanne Dergacheva Kennedy Suzanne Duff Sylvain Perron Sylvia Martin-Laforge Sylvie Leduc Tal Arbel Tara Hunt Tayo Daramola Ted Fletcher Tim Heaney Tim O’Meara Tina Serrao Tom Kouri Tony Brisindi Tracy Fairchild Valérie Beauregard Veronica Di Biase Victoria Kaspi Victoria Minkoff Vince Morena Warren Silversmith Warren Wilansky Wesley Adams Will Richards Xavier Picquerey Yasir Siddiqui
Zach Wood Zahra Sedaghat FOUNDATIONS Canadian Economic Development Canadian Heritage CYBF Emploi Quebec Fondation J. Daniel Lachance Forum jeunesse de l’île de Montréal Marvin A. Drimmer Foundation SDEVM Service Canada State Street Status of Women Canada The Barwick Family Foundation The Counselling Foundation of Canada The Hay Foundation The Henry and Berenice Kaufmann Foundation The John Dobson Foundation The Larry and Cookie Rossy Family Foundation The Peacock Family Foundation The Zeller Family Foundation CORPORATIONS 3249531 Canada Inc. 6892001 Canada Inc. Aldo Beaver Tails Canada Inc. Bombardier Inc. Broccolini Construction Inc. Canderel Chubb du Canada Compagnie d’Assurance Dormez-Vous Grenier & Richards Architectes High Touch Communications Les Restaurants McDonald du Canada Ltee., Michael Elman Budge Studios NATIONAL Public Relations Nexia Friedman Scotiabank
We have made every effort to include all donors, speakers and volunteers and we sincerely regret any omissions.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR 16th Annual Entrepreneurship Conference: Today’s Insights for Tomorrow’s Business The 16th Annual YES Entrepreneurship Conference, “Today’s Insights for Tomorrow’s Business”, was held on Saturday April 13th, at the Society for Arts & Technology (SAT). The event offered the 188 entrepreneurs in attendance an opportunity to build their professional networks and gain firsthand insight from some of the city’s most successful business owners including Mitch Joel, President of Twist Image, and Stewart Schaefer, President of DormezVous Sleep Centers, among others. The day also included 4 interactive breakout sessions, a speed networking event, and 5 interactive roundtable discussions on topics pertinent to today’s entrepreneurs (such as Women in Technology and Managing Risk and Fear). For the first time, entrepreneurs from across Quebec were able to attend the conference via live streaming as part of our Regional Development Initiative. The new online format of the conference enabled entrepreneurs in all regions of Quebec to fully participate in the event by watching presentations and interacting with speakers via live chat. The winners of this year’s YES Entrepreneurship Contest, Ali and Reza Khadjavi, founders of Nettoyeurs Express, were honoured with a cash award of $1,000 to assist with the expansion of their business.
13th Annual Business Skills for Creative Souls Artists’ Conference Over 140 local artists attended this conference to learn essential business skills. Participants had the opportunity to build their networks and business acumen by attending presentations and panel discussions on a wide variety of topics relevant to careers in the arts, including marketing and network building. The conference took place at Marché Bonsecours on Tuesday, June 3rd. The day was hosted by CBC radio’s Sonali Karnick and featured a keynote from Montreal based startup Moment Factory; an interactive panel on raising visibility; and inspiring presentations from successful Quebec artists, including Grammy Award winner Jennifer Gasoi, and Juno Award winner David Usher. The YES Artistic Project Grant, celebrating local talent, was awarded to Montreal-based Singer Songwriter Kyra Shaugnessy, to produce her first professional music video.
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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR YES Art Expo The YES Art Expo provided a rare opportunity for emerging English-speaking Quebec artists to gain experience as exhibitors and promote their work through participation in a juried exhibition. More than 60 up-and-coming Quebec artists were selected to display their work at the Marché Bonsecours in the Old-Port District of Montreal on June 2nd and 3rd. Participating in a juried public exhibition is an important step in an artist’s career, and for many participants, this was their first show of this kind. Over 1,500 people attended the 2-day event and were able to view and purchase from hundreds of pieces of art, ranging from paintings to sculptures. As a result, over 70% of participating artists made sales from the event. The Art Expo was free to attend and also featured live musical and dance performances from local artists.
Tune in To YES7 Our 7th Annual Tune in To YES Benefit Concert and Silent Auction was held at the Theatre L’Olympia on October 24th. We were joined by over 300 members of our community who showed their dedication to YES by helping us to raise $83,000 to support our many programs and services. The evening was emceed by special guest Mose Persico of CTV. The YES community showed its support and commitment to our mission by donating directly to the cause, to our silent auction, and through generous sponsorship of the event. A special thank you to all those who supported the event making it the success it was!
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR Gender Based Analysis: Women in Technology On October 30th, we launched the results of our “Gender Based Analysis” study on women in the technology industry. This one year study investigated women’s involvement in the Montreal technology sector. The report gathered secondary research from experts in the field and primary data collected through surveys, focus groups and interviews. The results of this research indicated that women are less likely to enter the field of technology than men, and that women who do chose this career path are less likely to remain in the field long-term. The gender based analysis is the first stage in a three year research plan aimed at identifying the challenges faced by women in technology fields and proposing solutions to overcome these barriers. Over 100 people attended the launch event, including a variety of technology industry representatives and women from the technology sector. Senator Seidman was on hand for the launch and to announce funding from Status of Women Canada.
11th Annual Quebec Employment Service Providers Conference: Building Competencies through Training This full day annual conference focused on networking, information exchange, and capacity building for employment and career counsellors who provide English-language services in Quebec. The 11th annual conference, Building Competencies through Training, was attended by representatives from 73 organizations. This event brought together employment service providers to share their challenges and strategies for success while gaining valuable tools to better serve the English-speaking community of Quebec. The conference was held on November 25th at the Holiday Inn Mid-town Montreal and featured a variety of presentations on pertinent and timely themes, such as Self-Promotion in Today’s Job Market, the Recognition of Acquired Competencies Program, and Building the Counsellor-Client Relationship. Peter Hadekel, of the Montreal Gazette, provided an informative keynote speech on the long-term outlook for employment and economic growth in Quebec.
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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR YES Releases Report on Mental Health Issues Faced by Job Seekers In April, YES released the “Building Youth Resiliency and Community Vitality within Montreal’s English Language Population” report. The report funded by the CHSSN (Community Health and Social Services Network), was commissioned by YES in response to the growing number of clients displaying situational mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, as a result of joblessness. The report details the difficulties faced by English-language minority youth trying to enter the job market, and the negative effect these challenges have on the mental health and outlook of youth. This research was conducted to shed light on the relationship between insecure employment situations and poor mental health, and the impact of both on our community. To date, the results of this report have helped to bring YES into a partnership with other service organizations to expand our current focus group support programs over the next three years through a grant from Health Canada. The report was officially launched, and well received, at the 11th Annual Employment Service Providers conference held in November.
Creative Connections: Providing Meaningful Networking Opportunities for Quebec’s Artistic Community On Wednesday, January 29th, YES hosted the Creative Connections event at Centre Mont-Royal. This unique event provided selected Quebec artists with an opportunity to create meaningful networking connections with local companies and businesses in creative industries. Over 30 pre-selected YES Artist Program clients and 14 participating companies and professional buyers participated in the event. In short round-table sessions, companies in attendance met and interacted directly with some of Quebec’s most creative, locally-based artists. Participant’s established new professional relationships and artists gained fruitful leads for sales of their work, while participating companies got a chance to evaluate potential business opportunities. Companies in attendance included ALDO, Twist Image, PLANK, Beavertails, HTC and BAM Strategy, among others.
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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR Women in Technology: NetWORK Now Event On Thursday, March 27th, YES hosted the NetWORK Now Event which brought 21 YES Women in Technology clients together with industry leaders in their field. These handpicked, job-ready candidates met with employers from the tech industry for an evening of networking and on-the-spot job interviews. The event took place at the Quebec regional offices of Google which provided the perfect backdrop for our clients to meet and connect with such high profile companies as Ubisoft, ALDO, SAP, Lightspeed, BAM Strategy and Forensic Technology, among others. The event was designed to create opportunities for women with technology backgrounds and skills to connect with potential employers, increase their networking and interview skills, and build their professional networks. Simultaneously, it allowed companies to connect directly with skilled women in their field.
“Pay it Forward” Video Series YES launched a series of six short informative motivational videos profiling successful Englishspeaking professionals in Quebec from a range of backgrounds and professions. The goal of this project is to inspire and motivate English-speaking youth while providing practical insight and tools for building a successful career or business in Quebec. The inspiring messages reveal the personal experiences and insights of notable personalities who have staked out successful careers and businesses in Quebec including astrophysicist Victoria Kaspi; artists such as Grammy Award winner (and former YES client) Jennifer Gasoi and internationally renowned jazz musician Lorraine Klaasen; and entrepreneurs, ‘Just for Laugh’s’ founder Andy Nulman, Twist Image founder Mitch Joel, and BeaverTails Pastry/Moozoo Juices Gelateria CEO & partner Pino Di Ioia. The project was supported by a grant from Canadian Heritage. These videos are housed on the YES website, as well as on YES’ other social media platforms such as Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter. Since the videos were launched online, they have been viewed and shared over 1,600 times across our network.
YES Direct Mail Fundraising Campaign Once a year we reach out to our network of supporters through a direct mail campaign. This campaign allows us to connect with our community, and share with them our work from the previous year and our goals for the year to come. The campaign ran from December to March and our supporters once again honoured us with their show of commitment by giving YES. Together we raised $38,000, surpassing our campaign goal, which was to Atgenerously YES, savingtolivelihoods raise $35,000. means saving Thank lives!you to everyone who participated in this campaign.
herbrooke St. West, Suite 700 Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1E7
514-878-9788 w.yesmontreal.ca Advisory Council Lionel Blanshay Rob Braide Scott Conrod Charles B. Crawford John W. Dobson* Peter R. Johnson Guy Laframboise Timothy Leyne Peter McAuslan Andy Nulman Philip O'Brien Hilary Radley Herschel Segal
SHERRI WILLIAMS Got employment with The Transplantation Society with the help of the YES Job Search Program.
EMELINE & ANNABELLE Opened their studio and boutique with the help of the YES Entrepreneurship Program.
You can create the next success story by supporting YES.
JOB SEARCH PROGRAM The YES Job Search Program is designed for youth aged 16-35 who are looking to jump-start their careers, find employment or return to school. Offering over 200 workshops annually, professional employment and career counsellors facilitate and guide participants in strategic job search activities and provide individual counselling. In addition to scheduled appointments, YES also offers fifteen-minute drop-in sessions with a Job Search Counsellor. YES offers one-on-one counselling, an intensive French course for job seekers, translation services for résumés and cover letters, free access to our computer lab with Internet, fax machine, photocopier, scanner and courtesy telephone. YES also has an extensive job search library with all of the essential resource materials for everyone’s employment needs. In the past year: • Over 9,596 visits were made to the centre by job search clients. • YES career counsellors received 3,782 visits and saw 2,451 clients for one-on-one sessions throughout the year. • YES held over 200 day and evening job skills workshops with 2,504 attendees. Clients learned interview skills, cold-calling, résumé and cover letter writing techniques and more. • The French for Job Seekers Program had 106 enrolments. • Over 571 positions were made available through YES’ job postings.
ELEANOR SALINAS, YES Job Search Client Eleanor Salinas came to YES as a recent graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce from the John Molson School of Business. She had initially heard about YES from one of her marketing professors and after she graduated she turned to YES to help her make the transition from school to work. With a major in Marketing in tow, Eleanor knew that she wanted a career that extended beyond sales. She began to network extensively through YES’ Women in Technology events, namely the Tech Talk Program Launch and a career night devoted to women in Social Media & IT. After attending several workshops, networking events, and coaching sessions, she was able to land a job in her field. “I managed to find a great new role by focusing on identifying exactly what I wanted and needed from the role by networking, freshening up my cv & cover letter and getting advice wherever I could,” Eleanor says. “Now that I have found the job, I’m continuing to grow with YES. They’re working on finding me a mentor to ensure that I can continue to develop career-wise. I really appreciate all the invaluable help that YES offers and I’m happy to have the chance to continue working with them!”
“Thanks to [your] events I was able to find a great volunteer marketing activity that was relevant to my interests and helped me expand my skills. I also got to meet more developed professionals who were open to sharing their career experiences with me. This was awesome for helping me to understand what I wanted in a career.” – Eleanor Salinas
ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM YES’ Entrepreneurship Program offers workshops and seminars that help entrepreneurs refine their ideas, start or grow their business and locate the resources needed to succeed. Specialty coaching services are also available including branding and sales coaching as well as legal and accounting clinics. Entrepreneurship clients have free access to a computer lab with Internet, a fax machine, photocopier, scanner, telephone, and resource library filled with the latest magazines and books. The program has continued to grow and evolve, adding interactive video services and a Consultations for Small Business Program. In the past year: • Entrepreneurship clients visited the YES centre 6,403 times. • The legal intern held 102 free legal information sessions. • YES clients received 3,115 business coaching sessions including specialty branding, sales and accounting services. • There were 3,653 client visits to our day and evening workshops including Jump Start Your Business, Meet the Experts and a monthly focus group for entrepreneurs. • The 16th Annual YES Entrepreneurship Conference: Today’s Insights for Tomorrow’s Business, was attended by 188 entrepreneurs.
ERIK VIRTANEN, Founder Calibre Audio, YES Entrepreneurship Client Erik Virtanen moved to Montreal from Vancouver Island and became a full-time screenwriter by day and musician by night. His love of film and music led him into the world of audio postproduction where he managed the sound and music for ads, video games, films, and TV series for broadcast on National Geographic, FOX, ABC, Food Network, Discovery, HGTV, MusiquePlus, and more. In September 2013, Erik and his business partner, Jeremy Reid, opened Calibre Audio, calling upon talented people they had worked with to offer complete audio post-production and music services to production companies and filmmakers. Most recently, Calibre Audio took part in the YES Creative Connections event that successfully connected Erik with talented peers in entertainment as well as top production companies in the city.
“Being new to launching a business, I went to YES for business coaching services and met regularly with coach, Paul Higgins. In addition to invaluable advice, Paul helped me write a business plan which has enabled Calibre Audio to raise $45,000 to build a new studio this summer.”
– Erik Virtanen
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ARTISTS’ PROGRAM YES’ Business Skills for Creative Souls Artists’ Program is uniquely tailored to the specific needs of artists and artist-entrepreneurs. Artist clients have access to a range of tools and services to help them develop their business skills, including one-on-one meetings with YES’ Artists’ Coach, workshops, an annual conference and an art expo. Again this year, YES awarded $1,000 through the Artist Project Grant. The money goes towards the realization, promotion, and/or presentation of an artistic project or initiative. This year’s winner was singer songwriter Kyra Shaughnessy. In the past year: • YES’ Artists’ Coach held 511 one-on-one coaching sessions. • Our Annual Business Skills for Creative Souls Conference was attended by 140 local artists. • YES held 67 day and evening workshops for 1,122 attendees. • YES Artists’ Program had 553 active clients with 1,324 visits to the Centre.
KYRA SHAUGHNESSY, Singer Songwriter YES Artist Program Client & Artistic Project Grant Contest winner At the young age of 25, Kyra Shaughnessy had already been performing her original poetry and music for almost a decade. With lyrics inspired by nature and social justice issues, her music has a jazzy folk/gospel edge that keeps listeners coming back for more. After several years of touring with her first self-titled album, she came to YES in 2013 and became an Artist Program Client. She met with coach Monika Majewski to discuss how to move her career forward. Following this she released her second full-length album, Waiting for the Light. Kyra is a promising talent. She was honoured for her work and recently won first place after applying for the YES Artistic Project grant. With the money, she produced a professional quality music video for her song ‘Loving Like Breathing’ from her latest album. The video currently has over 1,500 views on YouTube.
“The YES Artist Program has been incredibly helpful to me in supporting my career development as an independent artist and receiving the YES Artistic Project grant allowed me to really step up a notch by producing a professional music video, something I’ve been wanting to do for quite a while…” – Kyra Shaughnessy
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WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM YES is entering its third year of delivering programs for Women in Technology (WIT). This initiative was started with the support of Status of Women Canada, and the aim of this project is to increase the number of women working and succeeding in Quebec’s technology sector. The program aims to help prepare women to build careers, and start businesses in tech. The WIT program seeks to encourage, inspire, and empower more women to participate in the tech field by providing networking, mentoring, partnering, and professional development. In-house and online services include one-on-one sessions with dedicated coaches; thematic workshops by industry professionals; mentorship services; networking opportunities; and consultations with career counsellors, business coaches, accounting professionals, and legal interns. In the past year: • YES hosted 24 WIT workshops this year, with 387 participants. • YES coaches saw 151 new WIT clients this year and provided 667 coaching sessions since the project began two years ago. •
176 women have taken advantage of our career counselling service and have made 624 visits to the centre to take part in the service.
• Volunteer participation in the WIT project has been considerable; 24 women with relevant professional experience delivered workshops and clinics for the project this year covering topics as varied as software development, online marketing, and video game design.
BARBARA MARSHALL and CLAUDETTE DWYER, Co-Founders of Dwyer Marshall Marketing, YES Women in Technology Clients Barbara Marshall and Claudette Dwyer reached out to YES in 2013, after forming a B2B marketing consultancy together. They attended some of the Women in Technology workshops, signed up for business coaching and worked with coach Lamiaa Zaid on building their agency, Dwyer Marshall Marketing. Barbara moved to Montreal five years ago while working in marketing for an international software company. It was there that she met Claudette, a Montreal native with a background in engineering. Two years ago Claudette decided to reinvent herself as a web designer, which is when she first came across YES. Combining their marketing and technical expertise, the pair formed Dwyer Marshall Marketing which provides global integrated B2B marketing services to Montreal-based media, entertainment & technology companies. It’s an innovative start-up which combines the pair’s marketing and technical skills to meet the needs of a niche market. Now in it’s second year, it’s apparent that it’s a winning combination.
“I’m impressed with the range of services offered by YES. Running your own business is very different from working in a big organization – and YES provides access to practical advice.” – Barbara Marshall
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE YES is committed to the economic resiliency of the English-speaking community across the regions, and we partner with local organizations to provide quality services to regional entrepreneurs. This year, YES was fortunate to have a one-year project that provided regional support to job-seekers through our partnerships with regional organizations. ENTREPRENEURSHIP Our regional entrepreneurship programming is conducted through partnerships with regional organizations to provide comprehensive and appropriate services to the regions. We are currently providing on site business coaching in three regions; Gaspésie-Iles-de-la-madeleine, the National Capital Region, and the Eastern Townships through CASA (Committee for Anglophone Social Action), VEQ (Voice of Englishspeaking Québec) and Townshippers’ Association. We work with over 150 partner organizations across the province to promote online services and support local businesses. Regional entrepreneurs are able to access YES services online, including coaching, legal clinics, workshops, networking events and the annual Entrepreneurship Conference. Together with the online and on-site entrepreneurship support services, YES and its community partners collectively impact the vitality of communities across Quebec by assisting aspiring and existing entrepreneurs to grow or start their business. EMPLOYMENT Our regional job search programming provides access to the full complement of job search services to people across Quebec through onsite and online service delivery. We work with numerous regional partners, such as the Voice of English-speaking Quebec, 4 Korners Family Resource Center, the Committee for Anglophone Social Action, the Megantic English-speaking Community Development Corporation, to deliver direct job search services to regional clients as well as provide employment service delivery training to local service providers. We also work with other partners in the Quebec Community Groups Network and with the Community Learning Centers to promote regional job search services. Our regional job search services were made available through a one-year grant from Canadian Heritage. In the past year: • YES provided regional clients with access to speciality coaching, legal and accounting clinics, custom workshops and its annual entrepreneurship conference to clients online. • Regional clients have received 488 business coaching sessions as well as participated 286 times in our day and evening workshops. • YES conducted 28 outreach visits across the province to provide on-site business coaching and workshops. • A total of 97 regional businesses are currently receiving support from YES in the form of coaching and workshops, and 26 new businesses have been created through the regional initiative. •
210 regional job seekers accessed our programs 491 times. 17
INTERNSHIP PROGRAM The YES internship program helps individuals gain valuable work experience in their field of study while at the same time helping growing businesses find the qualified, career minded individuals required to succeed in today’s competitive landscape. With the support of our government partner, Service Canada, YES offered its internship program again this year with an over 90% retention rate, where 24 interns were placed with employer hosts.
MENTORSHIP PROGRAM Our “Pay It Forward” Mentorship Program aims to facilitate the transfer of skills and wisdom from an experienced professional (a mentor) to a less-experienced individual (a mentee). The YES Mentorship Program assists the transition from school to work or self-employment through the transferring of knowledge from mentor to mentee. This year, YES successfully matched 19 mentees with mentors.
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STATEMENT OF REVENUE & EXPENDITURES 2014
2013
Grants $1,395,224
$1,333,599
For the year ending March 31
REVENUE Donations and Fundraising Events
$166,066
$171,681
$57,399
$52,582
Conferences $49,859
$36,333
Workshops and Services Interest
$2,587
$3,891
$1,671,135
$1,598,086
EXPENDITURES
$1,193,304
$1,182,815
$103,709
$100,524
$90,621
$81,190
$4,013
$1,463
Regional Project
$22,986
$16,948
Women in Technology Project
$19,956
$21,780
Advertising/Promotion
$60,086
$60,115
Workshops and Services
$29,319
$26,780
Conferences
$41,879
$46,627
Fundraising
$46,068
$34,253
Sales Tax
$28,305
$29,491
Amortization
$14,747
$17,817
$4,796
$5,011
$1,659,789
$1,624,814
$11,346
($26,728)
Salaries and Fringe Benefits Rent Office Administration Professional Fees - database and website
Bank Interest and Charges
Excess of Revenue over Expenditures
A copy of the audited financial statements is available upon request.
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YES FUNDERS & PARTNERS
THE JOHN DOBSON FOUNDATION • THE HAY FOUNDATION THE PEACOCK FAMILY FOUNDATION • THE ZELLER FAMILY FOUNDATION