Minister MacKay launches Canada Summer Jobs 2014 employment period
HALIFAX, May 2, 2014 /CNW/ - Students across Canada will have access to summer jobs to help them gain valuable skills and work experience, today announced the Honourable Peter MacKay, Regional Minister for Nova Scotia, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, on behalf of the Honourable Candice Bergen, Minister of State for Social Development.
Minister MacKay highlighted that up to 35,000 young Canadians will benefit from summer employment while helping employers address skills shortages.
As part of the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy, Canada Summer Jobs helps students gain the skills and experience they need to be successful, now and in the future, while they earn money for the upcoming school year.
Quick Facts
- Since 2006, the Youth Employment Strategy has helped more than 555,000 young people develop skills, to the benefit of the Canadian economy.
- Starting in 2011, the Government of Canada permanently increased the annual budget for Canada Summer Jobs by $10 million, bringing the total program budget to $107.5 million. The total budget is distributed across all 308 federal constituencies.
- Through Economic Action Plan 2014, the Government of Canada is supporting up to 3,000 internships in high-demand fields and up to 1,000 internships in small- and medium-sized businesses.
- The Government of Canada is also encouraging apprenticeships and careers in the skilled trades through grants and tax credits, along with support for training programs.
Quote
"Through Canada Summer Jobs, our government is equipping young Canadians from across Nova Scotia and the country with the skills and experience they need to get into the workforce. This year alone, Canada Summer Jobs is creating 35,000 job opportunities for youth—benefitting students, employers and local economies—while ensuring we retain the knowledge, talent and know-how of young people in our communities, so they can lay the foundations of a more prosperous tomorrow."
- The Honourable Peter MacKay, Regional Minister for Nova Scotia, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Associated Links
Backgrounder
The Youth Employment Strategy (YES) is the Government of Canada's commitment to help youth make a successful transition to the workplace. YES helps youth between the ages of 15 and 30 get the information and gain the skills, job experience and abilities they need to make a successful transition to the workplace. YES includes the Skills Link and Career Focus programs and the Canada Summer Jobs initiative, which creates thousands of job opportunities for students every summer.
Canada Summer Jobs provides funding to not-for-profit organizations, public sector employers and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees to create summer job opportunities for young people aged 15 to 30 years who are full-time students intending to return to their studies in the next school year. Since it began in 2007, Canada Summer Jobs has helped over 260,000 students.
Skills Link helps youth facing barriers to employment—including single parents, youth with disabilities, young newcomers and youth in rural and remote areas—to develop the skills and gain the experience needed to find a job or the confidence to return to school. Since 2006, Skills Link has helped over 179,000 youth.
Career Focus helps post-secondary graduates transition to the labour market through paid internships and helps to provide youth with the information and experience they need to make informed career decisions, find a job and/or pursue advanced studies. Since 2006, the Career Focus initiative has helped over 26,000 youth acquire skills needed to join the job market.
Through Economic Action Plan 2014, the Government of Canada is supporting up to 3,000 internships in high-demand fields and up to 1,000 internships in small- and medium-sized businesses.
The Government of Canada is also helping post-secondary students finance and repay their education through loans, grants and repayment assistance to help young Canadians pursue and save for their post-secondary education. In addition, Economic Action Plan 2014 introduced apprenticeship loans to help apprentices in Red Seal trades with the cost of their training and encourage more Canadians to consider a career in the skilled trades. It is estimated that at least 26,000 apprentices per year will apply for over $100 million in loans.
To learn more about Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit actionplan.gc.ca.
The Government of Canada is helping youth plan their careers, learn new skills and find jobs through enhanced online services available at youth.gc.ca.
SOURCE: Employment and Social Development Canada
Lauren Brent
Office of the Minister
613-415-5625
Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
[email protected]
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