SASKATOON, April 14, 2015 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is helping equip youth in Saskatoon with the skills and work experience they need to find jobs. The announcement was made today by the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State (Foreign Affairs and Consular) and Member of Parliament for Blackstrap, on behalf of the Honourable Pierre Poilievre, Minister for Employment and Social Development.
Three local organizations are receiving a total of over $655,000 in funding through the federal Skills Link program for four projects to help over 80 youth gain the skills and experience necessary to successfully transition to the job market or self-employment, or to return to school.
Participants in the Saskatchewan Abilities Council's two projects, including youth with disabilities, will gain work experience with local employers, while the young people taking part in the Global Infobrokers Inc. project will learn entrepreneurial skills and get help to start their own businesses.
Project participants with the Saskatchewan Intercultural Association will benefit from group workshops to learn or improve job skills, such as effective communication. They will gain work experience with local employers in various occupations in the trades and construction.
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, 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.
- The Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) would increase from $100 to $160 per month (totaling up to $1,920 per year) for children under the age of 6 and parents would receive a new benefit of $60 per month (up to $720 per year) for each child aged 6 through 17.
Quotes
"Our Government's top priorities are creating jobs and economic growth. The projects announced today will help youth in Saskatoon get the skills needed to obtain jobs in today's economy."
– The Honourable Pierre Poilievre, Minister of State for Employment and Social Development
"Our Government has helped more than half a million young Canadians develop the skills they need to help them succeed in the job market. I am pleased to announce that more than 80 young Canadians in Saskatoon, including youth with disabilities, will benefit from our initiatives to connect young people with jobs."
– The Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State (Foreign Affairs and Consular) and Member of Parliament for Blackstrap
"The Saskatoon Branch of the Saskatchewan Abilities Council is pleased to accept funding from the Government of Canada to help youth with barriers to employment gain access to the workforce. For many individuals, this funding will provide them with the support needed to successfully transition into the job market, as well as with assistance for developing their work skills to maintain employment."
– Janine Baumann, Program Manager, Saskatoon Branch, Saskatchewan Abilities Council
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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