LONDON, ON, July 16, 2015 /CNW/ - The Harper Government is helping equip youth in London and the surrounding area with the skills and experience they need to find jobs. The announcement was made today by the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, and Susan Truppe, Parliamentary Secretary for Status of Women and Member of Parliament for London North Centre,on behalf of the Honourable Pierre Poilievre, Minister of Employment and Social Development.
Through the Government's Youth Employment Strategy, ATN Access Inc. will deliver a project to help 48 youth with mental health issues and learning disabilities in London and the counties of Elgin, Oxford and Middlesex, through an investment of over $400,000. This project will help young people successfully transition to the job market or return to school.
Project participants will learn or improve useful job skills, including effective communication and problem solving. They will have the opportunity to earn certificates in specialized training, such as safe food handling and fall protection. They will also gain work experience with local employers in fields related to their employment goals, such as food service, manufacturing and construction.
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 Harper Government's Youth Employment Strategy has helped over 611,000 young Canadians.
- The Harper Government 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, the 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. Since January, over 6,000 apprentices across Canada have benefited from the Canada Apprentice Loan.
- The Universal Child Care Benefit will increase from $100 to $160 per month, totalling up to $1,920 per year, for children under the age of 6, and parents will receive a new benefit of $60 per month, up to $720 per year, for each child aged 6 through 17.
Quotes
"Many youth looking for work are struggling to get their foot in the door. And many have heard the tune: no experience, no job; no job, no experience. That is why our Government partners with organizations like ATN to give young people a chance to show what they can do."
– The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, and Member of Parliament for Haldimand–Norfolk
"Our Government is helping Canadians get the skills and training they need to find good jobs and build better futures for themselves and their families. Today's youth are tomorrow's workforce, so by investing in them, we are helping contribute to Canada's long-term growth, competitiveness and overall prosperity. We are proud to work with organizations like ATN so that young people, including those in London and the counties of Elgin, Oxford and Middlesex, can develop the skills they need to succeed in the job market."
– Susan Truppe, Parliamentary Secretary for Status of Women and Member of Parliament for London North Centre
"Participants in the Skills Link program tell us it is a "life-changing" experience. Youth who may have been hiding in their parent's basements for months or even years are finding their passions, developing employment skills, and rediscovering their places in the community. The rewards that come to participants are reflected in the engagement and commitment of my staff, who are all very enthusiastic about the program. We are thankful to the Government of Canada for helping us provide this resource to young people in our community."
– Vicki Mayer, Executive Director, ATN Access Inc.
Associated Links
Youth Employment Strategy
Skills Link Program
Economic Action Plan
Helping Families Prosper
Backgrounder
The Youth Employment Strategy (YES) is the Harper Government'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 Harper Government 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 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 save for and pursue 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 Canada's Economic Action Plan
Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]
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