Government of Canada invests to help youth with disabilities in the New Glasgow area get jobs

NEW GLASGOW, NS, May 13, 2013 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is providing support for youth in the New Glasgow area to help them gain the skills, knowledge and experience they need to enter and succeed in the job market. The announcement was made by the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament for Central Nova, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.

"Youth employment programs are part of our federal government's strategy to help our youth develop the skills and gain the experience they need to connect with job opportunities," said Minister MacKay. "It is more important than ever that our youth participate and succeed in the job market. Today's youth are tomorrow's workforce, so by investing in them we are helping contribute to Canada's long-term growth and overall prosperity".

Summer Street Industries is receiving more than $233,000 from the Skills Link program to help youth with disabilities overcome barriers to employment. Skills Link is part of the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy (YES).

Through teambuilding activities and workshops, participants will develop life and job skills such as effective communication and computer knowledge. They will also benefit from work experience through job placements in various sectors, including retail.

"The Summer Street Society would like to thank the Government of Canada for supporting this important project," said Bob Bennett, Executive Director, Summer Street Industries. "Without this partnership and support, this project would not be possible. Many great things are happening in our area because we all believe people with intellectual disability can make a difference."

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.

Economic Action Plan 2013 proposes an additional investment of $70 million over three years to support 5 000 more paid internships. This is further to the extra $50 million that was invested through Economic Action Plan 2012 to enhance YES with a new initiative that connects young Canadians with jobs that are in high demand and helps them develop tangible skills and gain work experience.

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.

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.

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: Canada's Economic Action Plan

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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