“Hurricane Hazel,” Mississauga’s 93-year-old mayor, will officially kickoff the YouthSpark Live event at Microsoft Canada Headquarters on Monday.
On April 28 Microsoft Canada will host 100 local youth for a day-long skills development and mentorship event. It’s in partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada.
McCallion will deliver opening remarks while and Michael Furdyk, cofounder of TakingITGlobal, will deliver the keynote address.
YouthSpark Live is A day-long networking and skills development conference for more than 100+ youth from the Mississauga area. YouthSpark is part of Microsoft’s global initiative, demonstrating Microsoft’s commitment to empowering young people with opportunities for employment, education and entrepreneurship.
There the participants will learn tips and tools to better prepare for the job market; understand the importance of STEM fields and careers in technology; explore entrepreneurship, including the basic components involved in starting, planning and running a business; develop an action plan to prepare for the job they want; learn the value of planning and investing for the future; and connect with peers and join a community of bright and talented youth.
Last year Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced Microsoft YouthSpark, a company-wide, global initiative to create opportunities for 300 million youth over three years. Through 30+ programs and partnerships with 186 youth-serving nonprofits, in its first year alone Microsoft YouthSpark has created new opportunities for more than 103 million young people in over 100 countries around the world.
Currently there’s over 75 million unemployed youth around the world and only 56 percent of students around the world enrole for upper secondary school. Microsoft sees the problem as a result of an “opportunity divide”: a gap between those who have access to the skills and training they need to be successful, and those who do not.
To help solve the problem, the software giant provides cash grants to non profits whose missions and activities support youth development.