CHARLOTTETOWN, May 19, 2015 /CNW/ - The Harper Government is helping equip youth in Prince Edward Island with the skills and work experience they need to find jobs. The announcement was made today by the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Member of Parliament for Egmont, on behalf of the Honourable Pierre Poilievre, Minister for Employment and Social Development.
Through the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy, three local organizations are receiving funding for projects that will help a total of 52 youth in Charlottetown and Summerside gain the skills and experience they need to find jobs. Participants will learn or improve useful job skills, such as effective communication and time management, through group workshops and gain work experience with local employers in areas such as construction and tourism.
For their respective projects, the Construction Association of Prince Edward Island is receiving over $230,000, the Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island is receiving over $110,000 and Adventure Group Inc. is receiving over $200,000.
This is part of the Government of Canada's overall strategy to equip all Canadians with the skills and training they need to connect with available jobs.
Today's announcement is one example of what the Government is doing to help Canadians. To help hard-working families, the Government is also enhancing the Universal Child Care Benefit, introducing the Family Tax Cut and making improvements to the Child Care Expenses Deduction and the Children's Fitness Tax Credit.
Quick Facts
- Since 2006, the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy, which includes the Skills Link program, has helped over 611,000 youth.
- The Government of Canada is helping Canadian youth get the skills employers are looking for with the Canada Job Grant, apprenticeship grants and the new Canada Apprentice Loan. The Government also offers tax credits, such as the tuition, education and textbook tax credits, the tradesperson's tools deduction and the Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit.
- Economic Action Plan 2014 introduced the Canada Apprentice Loan, which provides apprentices registered in Red Seal trades with interest-free loans of up to $4,000 to complete their technical training. Loans are interest-free until apprentices complete or leave their apprenticeship training program, up to a maximum of six years. At least 26,000 apprentices are expected to apply annually. Since January, over 6,000 apprentices across Canada have benefited from the Canada Apprentice Loan.
- The Universal Child Care Benefit would increase from $100 to $160 per month (totalling up to $1,920 per year) for children under the age of 6. Parents would also receive a new benefit of $60 per month (up to $720 per year) for each child aged 6 through 17.
Quotes
"Today's youth are tomorrow's workforce, so by investing in them, we are helping contribute to Canada's long-term growth, competitiveness and overall prosperity. We are proud to work with local organizations, so young people, including those in Prince Edward Island, can develop the skills they need to succeed in the job market."
– The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Member of Parliament for Egmont
"YIT provided much-needed structure and hope for participants with barriers to employment. In preparation for their work experience, each participant received six safety-related certifications. Many continued employment or schooling in the trades as a result of their work placement. As a former participant said, 'I wouldn't have the welding job I have today without Youth in Trades. It set me up to have a chance and made me feel like I was worth something again.'"
– Craig Ling, President, Construction Association of Prince Edward Island
"The Ready to Work Program, funded by the Skills Link Program, is a great opportunity for youth to gain the skills to secure employment in the tourism industry. Youth make up a large percentage of the labour pool on Prince Edward Island, and programs like this benefit both the participants and the tourism industry."
– Don Cudmore, Executive Director, Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island
" The funding from Service Canada provides support and vital programming that directly impacts young people and equips them with the skills to overcome obstacles, move forward in their lives and reach their full potential. This program not only impacts their future but the future of their children."
– Roxanne Carter-Thompson, Executive Director, Adventure Group Inc.
Associated Links
Services for Youth
Economic Action Plan
Helping Families Prosper
Backgrounder
The Youth Employment Strategy (YES) is the Government of Canada's commitment to help youth make a successful transition to the workplace. With annual funding of approximately $330 million, YES helps youth between the ages of 15 and 30 get the information and gain the skills and work experience they need to succeed in the workplace. YES includes the Skills Link and Career Focus programs, as well as the Canada Summer Jobs initiative, which creates thousands of job opportunities for students every summer.
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. Skills Link has helped over 191,000 youth since 2006.
Career Focus helps post-secondary graduates transition to the job market through paid internships and helps to provide youth with the information and experience they need to make informed career decisions, find a job or pursue advanced studies. Since 2006, Career Focus has helped over 29,000 youth.
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 304,000 students.
Through Economic Action Plan 2014, the Government of Canada is investing $40 million towards supporting up to 3,000 internships in high-demand fields and $15 million annually towards supporting up to 1,000 internships in small and medium-sized enterprises under YES.
The Government of Canada also provides a range of support—including Canada Student Loans, Canada Student Grants, the Canada Learning Bond and the Canada Education Savings Grant—to help young Canadians pursue and save for their post-secondary education, so that they can acquire the skills and training they need to succeed in the job market.
Visit youth.gc.ca and CanLearn.ca for more information.
SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada
Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]
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