ALBERTON, PEI, March 13, 2013 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada announced new funding to support youth in West Prince County to help them gain the knowledge they need to enter and succeed in the job market. The announcement was made by the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of National Revenue and Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, 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 Minister Shea. "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."
West Prince Ventures Ltd. is receiving $20,000 from the Youth Awareness program to help youth who are out of school learn about career options. Youth Awareness complements the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy (YES). It provides financial assistance for projects designed to promote youth as the workforce of the future.
At a one-day forum on March 13, youth participants will be provided with information on local job trends and employment opportunities. They will learn about entrepreneurship as a career option, receive advice on making a successful transition into the workforce and also network with local employers.
"We want to thank the Government of Canada for their continued support in assisting our youth and contributing to the growth of West Prince's economy," said Jessica Dorgan-Trail, Vice Chair, Community Business Development Corporation (CBDC) West Prince Ventures Ltd. "This third annual young entrepreneurs forum will support youth in their career decisions and encourage them to succeed."
With annual funding of more than $300 million, YES helps youth, particularly those facing barriers to employment, obtain career information, develop employment 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.
Economic Action Plan 2012 is providing an additional $50 million over two years to enhance YES through a new initiative that will connect young Canadians with jobs that are in high demand and help them develop tangible skills and gain work experience.
Youth employment programs are part of the Government of Canada's broader strategy to create an educated, skilled and flexible workforce. The Government underscored its commitment to this strategy in Canada's Economic Action Plan. A key component of the Plan is to create more and better opportunities for Canadian workers through skills development. 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
Youth Awareness complements the Youth Employment Strategy. It provides financial assistance for projects designed to promote youth as the workforce of the future and aims to expand their awareness of career and educational opportunities.
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: Canada's Economic Action Plan
Alyson Queen
Director of Communications
Office of Minister Finley
819-994-2482
Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
819-994-5559
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IF THERE IS A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN ANY PRINTED VERSION AND THE ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THIS NEWS RELEASE, THE ELECTRONIC VERSION WILL PREVAIL.
This news release is available online at actionplan.gc.ca.
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