Dear Friends and Supporters,
As the year comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on our accomplishments and the opportunities that lie ahead. This year has been a journey of profound transformation and achievement. We embraced a new name that honors His Majesty the King’s ascension to the throne, transitioning from the Prince’s Trust to The King’s Trust. Alongside this fresh identity, we unveiled a vibrant and contemporary brand and a new website that embodies our ambition and appeals directly to the young people we serve.
Among the many memorable moments of 2024, was the generous gift announced by our Chair Emerita, The Honourable Hilary M. Weston, on behalf of The Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation. This contribution opened new avenues for innovation and scalability in our programs. I am deeply grateful for this gift, as well as for the newly pledged support from the RBC Foundation, The Gordon & Ruth Gooder Charitable Foundation, Power Corporation of Canada, and our incredible donor community.
Thanks to the belief and generosity of these donors and so many others, our team was able to design and begin to deliver our flagship skill-building and employment programs: the Skills Academy, The Network, and 360. I am incredibly proud to share that 92% of the youth who participate in our programs reported learning something that is applicable to their career journeys.
Meaningfully assisting young people on a national level necessitates collective action. To this end, we spent the year forging partnerships with leading employers who genuinely care about the state of youth in Canada. Organizations such as Canada Life, Deloitte, Fasken, Lallemand, and Roche Canada recognized that young people were falling behind. They took bold steps to question convention and made a significant difference in the lives of young individuals by hiring participants for the 360 program.
The core of our mission is helping all young people, especially those facing barriers. We collaborated with remarkable community organizations like 30 Birds Foundation, Cadets, Ismaili Council of Canada, Onyx Initiative, and Say Somaali to meet young people where they are. I want to personally thank our community partners for their trust in our programs. Knowing that we share the common goal of improving the lives of the young people we serve makes me proud to be in such good company.
Over the year, as we engaged with young Canadians, employers, and community partners, we began to observe troubling trends indicating that youth unemployment was rising and that existing strategies were not sufficient. This prompted us to commission expert research that revealed youth unemployment in Canada to be a significant issue which will cost us 18.5 billion in lost GDP and can contribute to decreased mental health and increased crime. We sounded the alarm on this issue, elevating it into a national conversation, which earned coverage from CTV, Global News, and CBC. However, much work remains, and we are committed to continuing our public advocacy for young people.
As we approach this holiday season—a time for rest, reflection, and connection—I wish each of you a beautiful holiday break. As we stand on the brink of a new year, I invite you to join me in making a collective resolution: Let’s work for young people, cultivate hope, and support a generation that looks to us for stewardship and a helping hand.
If you feel inspired to make a difference this season, I encourage you to consider a donation. Additionally, we welcome all who are interested in partnering with us to combat youth unemployment to join this vital cause. Together, we can achieve our mission of helping 100,000 young people facing barriers improve their employability.
Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a hopeful New Year!
With warm regards,
Farah Mohamed
