City of Toronto issued the following announcement on June 11.

This morning, Councillor Michael Thompson (Ward 37 Scarborough-Centre), Chair of the Economic Development Committee, presented the Partnership to Advance Youth Employment (PAYE) Leadership Awards at the Economic Development Committee meeting.

The PAYE Leadership Awards recognize outstanding contributions, leadership and dedication to the City's PAYE initiative, by honouring individuals and organizations that increase access to employment opportunities for Toronto's youth. This is the fourth year the awards were presented.

"Connecting more youth with employment opportunities is one of the City's ongoing priorities," said Mayor John Tory. "Through the work of the PAYE program and these outstanding organizations being honoured today, we are making those connections and helping to reduce youth unemployment and poverty in our city."

"I am honoured to present these awards to organizations that have shown exceptional leadership and commitment to our city's young people," said Councillor Thompson. "I would also like to recognize the exceptional work by our City divisions that made 2017 another successful year for the PAYE program."

The following awards were presented today:

2017 PAYE Leadership Award for Impact

Presented to Youth Connect, CivicAction Leadership Foundation and LinkedIn for their leadership and dedication in providing online tools to youth with employment barriers, enabling them to build their professional networks and find work in an increasingly digital society.

2017 PAYE Leadership Award for Influence

Presented to Oxford Properties, Yorkdale Shopping Centre for their exceptional commitment to engaging Yorkdale retailers in local hiring events, which have resulted in hundreds of opportunities for PAYE youth.

2017 PAYE Leadership Award for Involvement

Presented to Youth Employment Partnerships for their outstanding commitment to collaboration and to connecting Toronto youth with networking, skills development, training, work experience and job opportunities.

PAYE is a joint initiative shared by private sector employers, the City of Toronto and a network of community agencies committed to supporting youth 18-29 to find and maintain employment. Since its launch in 2009, PAYE has provided thousands of youth with one-on-one support, referrals to training and education, access to networking and mentoring opportunities, and jobs with career potential.

In 2017, PAYE worked with 334 employers and more than 2,300 youth, helping to secure more than 1,000 jobs with some of the city's top employers.

Original source: https://www.toronto.ca/home/media-room/news-releases-media-advisories/?nrkey=4FDAEC74CD3DC442852582A9004E2904