Gender refers to an individual’s personal and social identity as a man, woman, or non-binary person (a person who is not exclusively a man or a woman). Self-identifying gender includes gender identity (what an individual feels internally), and/or gender expression (how an individual presents their gender publicly). An individual’s gender may differ from their sex at birth and may change over time. Some individuals may not identify with a specific gender. *Please note that while transgender and cisgender categories are not included here, they are both assumed to be part of the four-gender categories suggested below.

First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis are three main Indigenous groups the YESS aims to reach and support better in the labour market. A youth may self-identify as belonging to more than one of these three Indigenous groups. The YESS serves all of the Indigenous subgroups below, including Non-Status First Nations.

Racialized youth are a group of people categorized according to ethnic/cultural characteristics and subjected to structural discrimination. The use of the term “racialized” acknowledges that race is a social construct that can negatively impact a person’s social, political and economic life. The YESS believes that racialized youth should not be solely defined by social barriers like systemic discrimination, so the YESS has carefully chosen to disaggregate the ‘racialized’ category by the unique ethnic/cultural backgrounds of youth.

Disability is a complex and evolving phenomenon. A disability means any visible or invisible impairment that, in interaction with social barriers, hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society. A social barrier means anything that is socially influenced and discriminates against people with disabilities – including attitudes, policies, architecture, technology, communications, and practices. The definition of disability and eligibility for disability programs and funding varies widely across Canada. The YESS believes in and employs an open and inclusive definition of disability, which enables people with disabilities to self-determine if they are part of the Canadian disability community. The Employment Equity Act Review Taskforce Report was released in December 2023. The report recommends that the federal government aligns the definition of disability with the Accessible Canada Act (2019). The definition of disability recommended in this guide parallels the Accessible Canada Act’s definition of disability.

"Official Language Minority Communities (OLMC) are defined by both their geographic location and collective identity associated with the use of an official language in a minority setting. A resident of an official language minority community is an individual whose first official language is not the majority language in their province or territory. This includes: • A Francophone residing outside of Québec • An Anglophone residing in Québec"

2SLGBTQI+ is the acronym used to refer to the community of individuals in Canada who self‑identify as Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and additional sexually and gender diverse people.

The YESS recognizes that the lines separating rural, remote, Northern, and Fly‑in communities are not clear, and often overlap. For simplicity, a rural community is one with a population of less than 1,000. A remote community is defined as one with no or little access to the services of the closest community with more than 1,000 residents and/or one that is without year-round road access. A northern community is considered to be any community in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Yukon. A fly-in community refers to any community that requires scheduled or chartered flights to enter or leave for most of the year.

Quality employment is defined as a work experience that ensures that the work environment must be safe, respectful, inclusive, free of harassment, abuse and discrimination and in compliance with all applicable laws. Quality employment meets at least one of the following requirements: • Work experience offers skills development and training opportunities • Work experience is related to the interests and pursuits of youth • Work experience offers a salary that is above the minimum wage • Work experience offers opportunities for advancement

All youth face barriers to employment. Some youth may face many barriers to a strong and fulfilling attachment to the labour market, whereas some youth may face a unique barrier that keeps them from advancing towards their career goal.