Launched in 2022, the partnership focuses on students in Grades 7–12 and aims to make mental wellbeing a core component of JA’s work on financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship, rather than a stand‑alone add‑on.
Links to disability costs and insurance talent
Youth mental health trends are directly relevant to insurers and employers.
Recent Canadian data suggested that mental illness now accounts for around 70% of workplace disability costs, even though it is responsible for roughly 30% of claims, and that more than a quarter of short‑term and over a third of long‑term disability claims in 2024 were linked to mental health conditions.
At the same time, surveys by GreenShield and Mental Health Research Canada have found that more than 80% of Canadian youth feel stressed and anxious about their future, with financial pressures and cost‑of‑living concerns emerging as key drivers. Those trends feed into group benefits costs, disability incidence and, longer term, the health of the insurance talent pipeline.
The renewed JA–Zurich Canada collaboration explicitly targets those issues from an upstream, prevention‑focused angle. It is grounded in research indicating that most mental illnesses start before age 18 and that early intervention is critical, yet many young people face long waits or lack access to timely support. JA’s mental wellbeing content is woven into classroom and digital programs for Grades 7–12 to help students build coping skills as they move through key academic and social transitions.
Addressing the access gap
The collaboration also cited Mental Health Research Canada data showing that nearly 28% of youth in Canada require mental health support each year, but only 19% are able to obtain the services they need, leaving many to manage academic, personal and career pressures without sufficient help. Those figures align with wider system data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, which has reported that more than a third of children and youth with diagnosed mental health conditions have their needs partially or completely unmet.
JA’s contribution sits mainly on the promotion and prevention side, meaning, open‑access tools, skill‑building opportunities and peer‑led initiatives intended to help young people understand and manage their own wellbeing before problems escalate into clinical conditions that show up in claims and lost productivity.
Measured impact and higher targets
Since 2022, the partnership has reached more than 273,000 individuals through school‑based and digital programs focused on youth wellbeing and skills development. Survey data from participants showed that 80% reported a stronger understanding of mental wellbeing and 90% said they felt more confident, resilient and prepared for the future.
The next phase of the collaboration sets a goal of positively impacting 355,301 people over the coming three years, with an emphasis on long‑term success in school, work and life.
For Zurich Canada, the initiative dovetails with the Z Zurich Foundation’s global strategy. The foundation, which focuses on mental wellbeing, climate adaptation, social equity and crisis response, aims to positively impact 25 million lives worldwide between 2024 and 2026 through more than 100 programs in over 60 countries.
Program areas where insurance and education intersect
The collaboration’s program activity has several strands that will be of particular interest to insurance professionals because they touch on skills that matter directly to employers. JA’s Success Skills program for Grades 8–10, supported by the Z Zurich Foundation, helps students build communication, collaboration and problem‑solving skills that underpin both resilience and employability; a three‑part webinar series offers additional tools to enhance resilience and confidence and can be used independently or in classrooms.
The Youth Mental Well‑being Challenge on JA’s digital campus turns mental wellbeing into a series of practical activities and includes resources for educators and facilitators. Through JA’s Company Program, peer youth summits and alumni workshops, students run real‑world ventures and projects, developing entrepreneurship, teamwork and leadership skills while reflecting on workload, stress and wellbeing – issues that mirror those they will later face in the workplace.
JA Canada also works with Mental Health Commission of Canada initiatives such as The Inquiring Mind and HeadStrong to ensure content is evidence‑based and youth‑centered, rather than solely corporate‑led. Volunteers from Zurich Canada and other partners support classroom activities and events, while additional national and local organizations are being invited to help sustain and scale the work.
