Celebrating employment opportunities

In March, a roomful of TCHC tenant youths excitedly gathered at the Regent Park Presentation Centre to connect and celebrate 10 cohorts over nine years of the Moving Toward Opportunity (MTO) program.

Since 2015, TCHC has proudly supported the MTO program in our Regent Park revitalization community and surrounding neighbourhoods, offering youth (ages 16 to 18) a 14-week employment readiness program and an eight-week full-time paid work opportunity. This initiative, a joint effort between TCHC, The Daniels Corporation, the City of Toronto, Dixon Hall, and Pathways to Education, creates awareness about future career opportunities, equips youth with employment skills for today’s labour market, and offers them the opportunity to grow their professional networks.

The program has been a success! Between 2015-2023, MTO engaged over 171 youth participants, placing them with 51 unique employers in industries including financial services, healthcare, real estate, legal, and social services. Over $525,000 in local economic development through wages has been generated through the course of the program. The 2024 MTO cohort is the largest to-date, with 33 youth registered.

Regent Park tenant and program alumni, Humaira Rahman, spoke to us about the importance of MTO to the community. “A lot of youth are looking for work,” she said. “What is unique about MTO is that it provides opportunities that I couldn’t have found elsewhere.” Humaira explained that during her first MTO placement, she worked for OPTrust as an office administrator, where she learned important soft skills and how to craft an elevator pitch. Currently studying human resources management at Toronto Metropolitan University, Humaira says that when she is looking for a co-op placement, she is more inclined to apply to a company who has been part of the MTO program because she knows they value youth. She says that it “goes a long way, being with an employer where you feel you are supported and valued to help create a long-term relationship.”

Zaid Rageh, a current participant who was recently accepted into a university computer science program, also appreciates the program’s emphasis on soft skills. “MTO placements give you the skills an employer might want, otherwise it would be really difficult because of the competition in today’s job market.” He attended a networking event the week before, and because of the skills he learnt at MTO, he said he “found it a lot easier to present myself quickly, concisely, and effectively.”

In keeping with the MTO mandate, the evening’s celebration also doubled as a networking event for youth in attendance, giving them an opportunity to mingle with potential employers. Nujhat Latif, MTO alumni and a second year University of Toronto kinesiology student, vouched for the importance of networking. “If you’re looking for help and you’re willing to put in the work, there are people who will help you find those networks and connections,” she said. “Even if the placement itself isn’t something you think you want to do as a career, it might still help you end up where you want to be.”  

If you live in Regent Park or the surrounding community and would like more information about the MTO program, you can visit their website at regentparkced.ca/initiatives.