Youth facing barriers to employment benefit from job skills training and employment opportunities
MARYSTOWN, NL, July 27, 2017 /CNW/ - Building a strong middle class means giving Canada's youth the tools they need to find and keep good jobs.
That's why the Honourable Judy Foote, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Member of Parliament for Bonavista–Burin–Trinity, on behalf of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, announced a new project today that will give youth in the Marystown area job skills training and hands-on work experience.
Up to 24 youth will participate in the Building Blocks for a Brighter Future project, which will be delivered by the Smallwood Crescent Community Centre Inc. Through workshops, at-risk and youth with disabilities will develop skills such as job search techniques, interview preparation and business communications that will help them find and keep jobs. They will then be placed in entry level positions in such high-demand industries as fishing, tourism, forestry, retail and services.
The Government of Canada will provide approximately $330,000 in funding for this project through the Skills Link program of the Government's Youth Employment Strategy. Skills Link supports projects that help young people who face more barriers to employment than others develop basic employability skills and gain valuable job experience, which, in turn, assists them in making a successful transition into the labour market or to return to school. These youth could include those who have not completed high school, single parents, Indigenous youth, young people with disabilities, youth living in rural or remote areas or newcomers.
Quotes
"We know that our communities are healthier and stronger when everyone can fully participate. Supporting youth as they transition into the workforce is a key way in which we can grow our economy and strengthen our middle class."
– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour
"Developing Canada's youth is a priority. The Smallwood Crescent Community Centre's project is a concrete example of what we can achieve for youth by working in partnership with organizations across the country. Projects like this one can help put regular paycheques into the reach of those who need it. But more than that, they give young Canadians the chance to change their future."
– The Honourable Judy Foote, Minister of Public Services and Prodcurement and Member of Parliament for Bonavista-Burin-Trinity
"The funding announced today will help bring security and stability to youth employment programming at our Centre for the next two years. With these funds, the Community Centre will support 24 at-risk youth by placing them with local employers to gain valuable work experience and will aid in making the youth more employable as they move forward."
– Darrell Jackman, Executive Director, Smallwood Crescent Community Centre Inc.
Quick Facts
- Skills Link is one of three program streams under the Government's Youth Employment Strategy (YES). Each year, the Government invests more than $330 million in YES to help support young Canadians between the ages of 15 and 30 to get the information, skills, job experience and abilities they need to make a successful transition to the workplace.
- Budget 2017 announced an investment of a further $395.5 million over three years in YES for additional employment and skills development opportunities for youth.
- Since 2005, YES programs delivered by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) have helped over 582,000 youth develop skills and gain work experience to find a job or return to school. ESDC's Skills Link program has helped over 141,000 youth since 2005.
Associated Links
Youth Employment Strategy
Skills Link Program
Backgrounder
Youth Employment Strategy
The Youth Employment Strategy (YES) is the Government of Canada's commitment to help youth make a successful transition to the workplace. YES helps youth between the ages of 15 and 30 get the information and gain the skills, job experience and abilities they need to make a successful transition to the workforce. YES includes Skills Link, Career Focus and Summer Work Experience and is delivered by 11 federal departments.
- Summer Work Experience provides wage subsidies to employers to create summer employment for secondary and post-secondary students. The Summer Work Experience program includes Canada Summer Jobs.
- Skills Link helps youth facing barriers to employment—including single parents, youth with disabilities, Indigenous youth, young newcomers and youth in rural and remote areas—to develop employability skills and gain the experience they need to find a job or return to school.
- Career Focus helps post-secondary graduates transition to the labour market through paid internships. It helps provide youth with the information and experience they need to make informed career decisions, find a job or pursue advanced studies.
Each year, the Government invests more than $330 million through YES to help young people gain the skills and experience they need to find and keep good jobs.
Budget 2016 provided $165.4 million in 2016–17 for YES to create new green jobs for youth, increase the number of youth who access the Skills Link program and support employment opportunities in the heritage sector. In 2016, the Government of Canada nearly doubled the Canada Summer Jobs program, creating tens of thousands of additional jobs for young people each year.
To further expand employment opportunities for young Canadians, Budget 2017 proposes to provide an additional $395.5 million over three years, starting in 2017–18 for YES.
The 2016 and 2017 investments will help more than 33,000 vulnerable youth develop the skills they need to find work or go back to school; create 15,000 new green jobs for young Canadians; and provide over 1,600 new employment opportunities for youth in the heritage sector.
SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada
Jean-Bruno Villeneuve, Office of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, 819-654-5611; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]
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