The e-scooter company, Bird Canada, will be providing the vulnerable and at-risk youth seeking employment in Toronto with an opportunity to work in operations roles with them.
The company has partnered with Youth Employment Services (YES), an organization focused on increasing employment rates for disadvantaged youth in Canada through innovative employment programs.
“This underserved community supported by YES has an unacceptably high unemployment rate of around 12 per cent. We are proud of this partnership and the opportunity for disadvantaged and vulnerable youth within the community to gain invaluable work experience with a brand that is leading the way in micro-mobility,” said Stewart Lyons, chief executive officer of Bird Canada, in a press release, adding the partnership will allow Bird Canada to staff its Toronto operations and at the same time support the local community by offering seasonal employment opportunities.
YES has played an active role in reducing unemployment for youth across the country. The community supported by it includes youth between 16 and 30 years of age, which is also a demographic group that currently accounts for a good percentage of the ridership base of Bird Canada, as 45 per cent are aged 35 years or younger.
This summer employment at Bird Canada is aimed at equipping the YES-supported community with useful work experience across several roles including operations specialists and maintenance and repair roles.
“Many of the youth who rely on YES for our employment services are interested in technology and the market segments that it enables, such as micro-mobility. Bird Canada is aligned with a reputable, global brand that offers a great entry point for youth in our community to learn about micro-mobility and the various technologies used by e-scooters,” said Timothy Lang, president and chief executive officer of YES, in the release.
The Province of Ontario recently announced a five year e-scooter pilot which is set to begin on January 1, 2020. In 2019, Bird Canada launched e-scooter programs in four cities, including Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, and Westmount.