Support for youth mentorship and work placement program unveiled

The Ontario Trillium Foundation is funding Innovation Initiatives Ontario North or IION with $330,000.

The money announced by MPP Vic Fedeli will be for a 3 year period to support work placement and mentorship opportunities for young enterpeuners.

Fedeli says the investment is all about job creation.

“When you look at their metrics pound for pound dollar for dollar IION takes the smallest amount of money and has one of the largest deliveries of job creation,” he says.

IION based at Canadore and Nipissing sees young business people work with existing companies to gain valuable experience.

Executive Director Rob Deline says this is all about providing work placement and mentorship over a 16 week period.

“They are all placed with innovative companies. Over the 16 weeks, the young people get experiential learning with the companies who need the youth to find solutions,” Deline says.

Fedeli says IION matches employees and employers and focuses on training and education so young entrepeuners can be real leaders in their line of work.