CRESTON, BC, July 3, 2013 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is providing support for youth in Creston to help them gain the skills, knowledge and experience they need to enter and succeed in the job market. The announcement was made by David Wilks, Member of Parliament for Kootenay-Columbia, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.
"Our government's top priorities are creating jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity," said Mr. Wilks. "The Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy is helping youth develop the skills and gain the experience they need to get jobs now and prepare for the workforce of tomorrow."
The Kootenay Employment Services Society is receiving more than $90,000 from the Skills Link program to help youth overcome barriers to employment. Skills Link is part of the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy (YES).
Through workshops and activities, participants will gain life and job skills related to conflict resolution, problem solving and goal setting. They will also improve their skills and knowledge in the areas of customer service, communication and résumé preparation to help them transition into the workplace. Based on their personal development plan, youth will also benefit from on-the-job experience with local employers in various sectors such as retail, tourism and agriculture.
"This project will help at-risk youth in the Creston Valley to make a successful transition from school to the workforce," said Heidi Bjarnason, Manager of Finance & Operations, Kootenay Employment Services Society. "The program is in its eighth year in Creston and continues to have a positive impact on our rural community. We are very grateful for this funding from the Government of Canada."
With annual funding of approximately $300 million, YES helps youth—particularly those facing barriers to employment—obtain career information, develop skills, find jobs and stay employed. 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.
In addition to existing funding, Economic Action Plan 2012 invested an extra $50 million to enhance YES with a new initiative that connects young Canadians with jobs in high demand and helps them develop tangible skills and gain work experience. Economic Action Plan 2013 proposes an additional investment of $70 million over three years to create 5 000 more paid internships.
Youth employment programs are part of the Government of Canada's broader strategy to connect Canadians with available jobs. Economic Action Plan 2013 proposes new measures to equip Canadians with the skills and training they need. These include the Canada Job Grant, creating opportunities for apprentices and providing support to under-represented groups such as people with disabilities, Aboriginal people, newcomers and youth. 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.
Backgrounder
The Youth Employment Strategy is the Government of Canada's commitment to help youth make a successful transition to the workplace.
Skills Link helps youth facing barriers to employment, including youth who are single parents, youth with disabilities 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.
Career Focus provides funding to employers to hire young post-secondary graduates to give them career-related work experience and help them acquire skills to transition into the job market.
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.
To learn more about Canada's Youth Employment Strategy and other youth employment initiatives, please visit youth.gc.ca.
SOURCE: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
Jan O'Driscoll
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Finley
819-994-2482
Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills
Development Canada
819-994-5559
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This news release is available online at actionplan.gc.ca.
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