YOUCAN Youth Services

What YOUCAN Youth Services does

YOUCAN Youth Services is a registered Canadian not-for-profit charity (BN #14097 9915 RR0001) headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, that serves vulnerable youth ages 12-25 through a three-program continuum. The Relentless Program provides intensive outreach and crisis intervention to high-risk youth ages 12-18 (violence, trauma, gang involvement, exploitation, homelessness, justice-system involvement), with referrals flowing exclusively from the Edmonton Police Service Youth Unit. The VERTO Program is a ~20-week pre-employment program for youth ages 18-24 that combines personal development, technology, and job-readiness training with a 12-week paid placement at $15/hour. The Road To Work Program is a hands-on construction and trades pathway (CSTS, Fall Protection, Confined Space, MEWP, First Aid certifications) for youth ages 18-25, also paying $15/hour, with placements supported by 50% wage subsidies funded by the Province of Alberta (Road to Work) and Service Canada (VERTO). All youth-facing services are delivered free of charge to participants.

The organization operates from a 16,000 sq. ft. Youth Empowerment Centre (nearly tripled from 6,000 sq. ft. to absorb a 60% five-year demand surge). Its business model is charitable: revenue is generated through individual and corporate donations, government grants, and signature fundraising events such as Comedy Nights, augmented by an in-flight $2.5M Building Hope capital campaign. A self-service central intake form routes eligible youth to VERTO or Road to Work, while RELENTLESS intake remains police-referred. Employer partners (e.g., Delton Cabinets, ARPI's North, Habitat for Humanity ReStore) host site tours and convert placements into hires, supported by ongoing YOUCAN mentorship during and after the 12-week placement.

There is no proprietary software or AI platform; technology usage is limited to a website, an online intake form, and content channels (Relentless Podcast and Docuseries, LinkedIn/Facebook/Instagram). The organization is governed by a Board of Directors, operates with roughly 20 staff, and currently runs under Executive Director Katie following the March 2024 death of founder Kyle Dubé, who led the organization since 2002.

Name

YOUCAN Youth Services

Legal name

YOUCAN Youth Services

Website

https://youcan.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

YOUCAN Youth Services is an Edmonton-based registered Canadian charity that supports vulnerable youth ages 12-25 through crisis outreach (RELENTLESS), pre-employment training (VERTO), and trades-focused paid placement (Road to Work) with government-subsidized employer partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ), Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD), Crisis Intervention & Suicide Prevention Services (EDALAFAD), Homeless, Foster Care & Highly Mobile Youth Education Services (EDAJAEAG)

Keywords

• Youth outreach services
• Employment training programs
• Crisis intervention youth
• Nonprofit social services
• Pre-employment training

Headquarters

HQ city

Edmonton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and charitable contributions: YOUCAN operates as a registered not-for-profit charity (BN/registration #14097 9915 RR0001). Revenue is generated through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events (Comedy Nights). The Building Hope campaign seeks $2.5 million in donations to transform the new 16,000 sq. ft. Youth Empowerment Centre.
2. Government funding and wage subsidies: The Province of Alberta funds 50% wage subsidies for Road to Work placements. Service Canada funds 50% wage subsidies for VERTO placements. Additional program funding comes from Government of Alberta community and social services grants. A funding crisis has been publicly announced for the RELENTLESS program, with unexpected funding changes creating a critical support gap.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

YOUCAN Youth Services provides crisis-intervention outreach, pre-employment training, and sector-matched paid job-placement services to vulnerable youth in Edmonton, Alberta. Its three flagship programs—The Relentless Program (street-level outreach to youth in crisis), the VERTO Program (skills and pre-employment readiness training), and the Road to Work Program (sector-specific placements with employer partners)—form a continuous pathway from outreach to sustained employment. Programs are delivered free of charge to participants, with funding drawn from donations, grants, and sponsorships, supplemented by employer-paid wages in placement phases.

Product overview

YOUCAN Youth Services operates as a single unified service organization offering multiple interconnected youth employment and outreach programs. The core portfolio consists of The Relentless Program (crisis intervention for at-risk youth), the VERTO Program (20-week pre-employment training with paid placement), and the Road To Work Program (construction/trades-focused employment training). Supporting these programs are the Relentless Series podcast and docuseries, the Comedy Nights fundraising event, and the Youth Empowerment Centre facility. All programs work together under the READY-WILLING-ABLE approach to help youth transition from harm toward economic independence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Relentless Program Street-level youth outreach and crisis intervention program that engages vulnerable youth (ages 11–18) in Edmonton who are experiencing instability, exploitation, homelessness, or disconnection from school and family. Provides relationship-based support, basic-needs assistance, and pathways into YOUCAN's training and employment programs.
• VERTO Program Pre-employment readiness training program for youth (roughly ages 15–25) that builds foundational employability skills such as resume writing, interview preparation, workplace expectations, and life-skills readiness. Bridges participants from outreach into paid job placements through the Road to Work Program.
• Road to Work Program Sector-matched paid job-placement program that places youth participants into employment with Edmonton employer partners across industries such as construction, hospitality, and skilled trades. Includes employer job-site tours to expose participants to real work environments before placement.
• The Relentless Series (Podcast & Docuseries) Original branded podcast and docuseries produced by YOUCAN Youth Services that documents the stories of program participants, staff, and employer partners. Functions as mission-driven content supporting donor engagement, awareness, and recruitment into the Relentless, VERTO, and Road to Work programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• RELENTLESS program supports ~100 youth/year, responds to 400+ crises/year, and facilitates 30,500+ outreach engagements/year.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic, employment partner and minor.

• Edmonton Police Service (EPS) Youth UnitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPS Youth Unit is the exclusive referral source for the RELENTLESS program, channeling high-risk youth (ages 12-18) into YOUCAN's crisis intervention services. EPS officers also collaborate with YOUCAN on the Young People Strategy 2021-2024 and participate in the Relentless podcast and docuseries. This is a foundational operational partnership that underpins the RELENTLESS program.
• REACH EdmontonstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerREACH Edmonton is listed as a program partner supporting Relentless Outreach Workers. The partnership is part of the WRAPPED initiative (Wraparound Edmonton) aimed at supporting at-risk youth.
• Delton Cabinetsemployment partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelton Cabinets (Jason Siverns, Director of Operations and Customer Service) opens its doors to YOUCAN youth for job site tours, creating real-world career exposure. Jason and his team are celebrated for their consistent support, follow-up with youth, and commitment to hiring program graduates. They are highlighted as a model employment partner.
• ARPI's Northemployment partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerARPI's North hired Porshea, a Road to Work graduate, after she completed her site visit with the company. Represents an employer who converted a program placement into permanent employment for a youth graduate.
• Habitat for Humanity ReStoreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Relentless docuseries (Social Episode 11) documents a YOUCAN team outing with youth at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, providing hands-on volunteer experience for program participants.
• Road 55minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoad 55 is credited as the production team for the Relentless Podcast and Docuseries. Located in Edmonton, Alberta, they are described as creators of content that connects.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Boys & Girls Clubs Big Brothers Big Sisters of Edmonton & Area: Edmonton-based youth-serving nonprofit offering after-school programs, mentoring, and youth development services. Directly comparable as a local charity serving at-risk and barriered youth ages 12-24 with similar referral and program-based delivery models.
• Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society: Edmonton charity serving Indigenous youth and families with culturally grounded outreach, housing, and employment supports. Comparable mission population (at-risk and barriered youth) and program continuum, including training-to-employment pathways.
• Boyle Street Community Services: Edmonton-based charity serving vulnerable youth and adults facing homelessness, poverty, and crisis. Comparable on the integrated crisis-to-stabilization continuum and government/nonprofit funding model.
• Norwood Child & Family Resource Centre: Edmonton nonprofit delivering child, youth, and family support services including crisis intervention and community-based programming. Comparable population (vulnerable Edmonton youth and families) and referral-driven delivery model.
• Terra Centre for Teenage Parents: Edmonton charity supporting pregnant and parenting teens through housing, education, and employment programming. Comparable on the employment-readiness/training and government-funded service delivery model for barriered Edmonton youth.
• iHuman Youth Society: Edmonton nonprofit providing intensive outreach, housing support, and engagement programs for high-risk youth, including those involved in the justice system. Closest peer on the RELENTLESS crisis outreach and at-risk-youth axis.

Regional players

• Calgary Employment First (Aspire Group / Calgary Youth Employment): Calgary-based youth employment and training initiatives comparable to VERTO and Road to Work. Same program model (pre-employment training plus subsidized paid placements) but operates in a different Alberta city and does not directly compete with YOUCAN in Edmonton.

Emerging players

• Children's Mental Health Centre / Edmonton Child & Adolescent Mental Health (e.g., CASA): Edmonton-area mental health services organization serving children and youth with behavioural and emotional needs. Partial overlap on the crisis/mental-health support dimension of RELENTLESS, though YOUCAN's crisis outreach model is community-based rather than clinical.

Broad incumbents

• Hope Mission Edmonton: Large Edmonton charity serving people experiencing homelessness, addiction, and poverty, with youth-specific programming. Comparable on the crisis intervention and wraparound support dimension, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• YMCA of Northern Alberta: Regional YMCA operating youth employment programs, newcomer services, and community wellness in Edmonton. Comparable on youth employment readiness and government-funded program delivery, though broader scope than YOUCAN's niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/youcan-youth-services
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youcanyouthservices/posts
• Instagraminstagram.com/youcanyouthservices
• Xx.com/youcanedmonton

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about YOUCAN Youth Services