Lobbying registration dated 2026-02-20
Registrant: Akosua Alagaratnam
Client: First Work
Targeted institutions:
Justice Canada (JC)
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
Public Safety Canada (PS)
Women and Gender Equality (WAGE)
Finance Canada (FIN)
Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC)
Treasury Board Of Canada Secretariat (TBS)
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)
Prime Minister's Office (PMO)
House of Commons
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev)
Government funding received:
Institution: City of Toronto
Amount: 14121.00
Institution: Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
Amount: 67148.00
Lobbying activity details:
Seeking sustained, flexible, federal investment in youth employment programs and related funding mechanisms.
Seeking funding from Government of Canada to capacitate First Work member organizations to deliver employment services and to support small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Arranging and attending meetings and outreach with Public Office Holders for a lobby day and reception. First Work would like to share insights and recommendations for youth programming, employment services and advance solutions for youth employment.
Activating a national workforce framework that aligns federal employment services, housing, immigration, and infrastructure planning at the community level, with Employment Service Providers recognized as delivery infrastructure for national workforce outcomes.
Seeking greater activation of Labour Market Development Agreements to align with small and medium-sized business hiring, training, and retention needs, leveraging community-based Employment Service Providers.
Engaging with the Minister's office to discuss youth employment policy priorities, including participation in sector events and a planned advocacy meeting with First Work members.
Advocating for alignment between federal employment verification requirements and provincial service delivery models to address gaps in program administration.
Seeking stable, multi-year federal funding for: youth employment programming through ESDC, including reinstatement of COVID-era flexibility provisions for Canada Summer Jobs and work-integrated learning (WIL) initiatives, to address rising youth unemployment rates and fragmented pathways into the workforce.