Entrepreneurial spirit grows in Vaughan

July 16, 2020 12:00 p.m.

​Four local students receiving support through annual Summer Company program

Each year, the City of Vaughan offers the Summer Company program in association with the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (MEDJCT) to prepare young entrepreneurs with a pipeline of tools, skills, connections and resources required to succeed. This year, four successful applicants were chosen to participate in this annual program, which provides students aged 15 to 29 years old with access to business advisory services and workshops to help them develop important skills, and mentorship from Vaughan’s business community. The selected student ventures represent a number of industries including professional services, information and communications technology, and recreation. Participants also have the opportunity to receive up to $3,000 in provincial grant funding to start their own businesses.  

Due to COVID-19, training will be available online through a web portal, which contains instructional videos, worksheets and resources developed by the City’s Economic and Cultural Development department in partnership with the City of Richmond Hill and Y2 Entrepreneurship Labs. Throughout the summer, students will also participate in Digital Boost workshops, meetings with mentors through the Vaughan Business Café and one-on-one business consultations with City staff.
 
The Summer Company program has supported more than 220 students from Vaughan since the beginning of the program in 2002.
 
QUOTE
“The City of Vaughan is committed to business excellence and is an economic leader in the Greater Toronto Area and beyond. With more than 19,000 companies that employ more than 227,000 people, Vaughan has the talent, resources, networks and transportation connections to help businesses of all sizes grow. We have experienced a major shift in how business is being done – here at home and around the world. We remain committed to the important task of city-building by supporting our small business community because our strength lies within their success. Small businesses remain the backbone of Vaughan's thriving economy – representing more than 80 per cent of all local job creators. The Vaughan Small Business and Entrepreneurship’s Summer Company program gives young people the tools to start their own companies with hands-on coaching from local business leaders and a provincial grant of up to $3,000 toward startup expenses and operating costs. From app development and clothing design to landscaping and cosmetics, youth in Vaughan are formulating their own path to success, helping shape and strengthen our city's economic future. I want to extend my warmest and sincerest gratitude to our emerging business leaders – they are helping to lay the foundation for a bright and promising future for all.”
- Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua
 
QUICK FACTS
  • The City’s Economic and Cultural Development department is available to support local businesses and entrepreneurs online or by phone. Learn more at vaughanbusiness.ca.
  • The City’s Economic and Cultural Development department is available to support local businesses and entrepreneurs online or by phone to help access resources from the Government of Canada and the provincial government in response to COVID-19. Learn more at vaughanbusiness.ca.
  • To receive the City’s latest COVID-19 updates as they happen, sign up for the City Update eNewsletter at vaughan.ca/CityUpdate and follow the City’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram channels. 
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