COQUITLAM, BC, July 19, 2021 /CNW/ - Canada's economic recovery depends on young people being able to get good, well-paying jobs now and into the future. This is why the Government of Canada continues to make historic investments in young people, to ensure they have the supports and opportunities needed to build long and successful careers.
Today, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and Member of Parliament for Eglinton—Lawrence, Marco Mendicino, on behalf of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, announced alongside participants from S.U.C.C.E.S.S. their project funding through the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS).
The Chance to Choose: A Youth Employment Program, delivered by S.U.C.C.E.S.S, is receiving over $2.8 million to help 232 young people overcome barriers by giving them the supports they need to develop skills for the workforce and gain valuable experience.
The Government of Canada has invested up to $54 million in 32 YESS projects across British Columbia, to ensure that young people have access to supports and job experiences they need right now, and for their future careers.
We are taking a collaborative and government-wide approach to supporting youth and ensuring their participation in all aspects of the economic recovery. Through Budget 2021, the Government is investing an additional $5.7 billion over the next five years to help young Canadians pursue and complete their education, acquire new skills and access more work opportunities. This is on top of the $7.4 billion already invested in young Canadians during the pandemic. Thousands more young Canadians will be able to benefit from the following historic Government investments:
- Approximately 37,000 new job placements through the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy over the next two years;
- 220,000 job placements through Canada Summer Jobs over the next two years;
- an expected 50,000 work-integrated learning opportunities through the Student Work Placement Program in 2021–22;
- at least 85,000 work-integrated learning placements through Mitacs over the next five years starting in 2021–22; and
- 28,000 training and work opportunities for young Canadians through the Canada Digital Technology Adoption program.
More than 150,000 Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) opportunities have been made available to young Canadians across Canada as of April 26, 2021. CSJ offers opportunities in a wide variety of fields, including community and charity work, food industries, recreation and fitness, marketing and public relations, landscaping and farm labour, and many others.
Taken together, the Government of Canada's response to the current crisis represents one of the largest youth support packages in the world.
Quotes
"Creating more opportunities for young people to gain the valuable skills and experience they need is more important now than ever. We know young Canadians today are facing unprecedented challenges, with disruptions in their job placements, studies and internships. Partners like S.U.C.C.E.S.S. are creating life-changing opportunities by helping youth facing barriers to entering the labour market get the skills and professional training they need to build their future careers."
– Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough
"This past year, young people all over Canada have been on a very challenging path due to the COVID-19 crisis. Right now, many young people are looking for safe and secure jobs. Our investments in young people across the country through the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy are making a difference. And with its record-setting number of job opportunities this year, the Canada Summer Jobs program is also there to help youth earn money, grow professionally and move forward in their lives. I strongly encourage young people in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam to visit Job Bank online and check out the opportunities available for them in their community."
– Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and Member of Parliament for Eglinton—Lawrence, Marco Mendicino
"As a long-time provider of youth employment services, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. is delighted to continue delivering Chance to Choose: A Youth Employment Program in the Tri-Cities and Burnaby communities. Youth have been particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and this investment by the Government of Canada through the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy will support them to develop the skills and experiences needed to pursue their career goals and achieve sustainable employment."
– Chief Executive Officer of S.U.C.C.E.S.S., Queenie Choo
Quick Facts
- Budget 2021 includes $101.4 billion over three years in proposed investments as part of the Government of Canada's growth plan that will create good jobs and support a resilient and inclusive recovery. These measures include:
- Supporting more than 7,000 additional job placements through the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy. This will make it easier for young people to get good jobs, and better meet the needs of vulnerable youth facing multiple barriers to employment. This builds on funding announced in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, which is expected to result in over 30,600 new placements in 2021-22.
- Investing $17.6 billion in a green recovery that will help Canada to reach its target to conserve 25% of Canada's lands and oceans by 2025, exceed its Paris climate targets, reduce emissions by 36% below 2005 levels by 2030, and move forward on a path to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
- In April 2020, the Government of Canada invested $492 million over three years, through ESDC's YESS program, for 269 projects across Canada to help young people, facing barriers to employment successfully transition to the labour market.
- To support youth affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada announced in April and June 2020 increased funding by up to $187.7 million to the YESS program to create 9,500 more work opportunities for young Canadians, particularly those facing barriers to employment. YESS projects managed by ESDC received up to $40 million for national and regional programs that are providing flexible supports and targeted job opportunities for up to 6,200 youth aged 15 to 30, which surpasses the initial target of 4,700 jobs, in the areas of social support services, transport, information technology, research and administration, and other placements that support community needs.
- CSJ is part of the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, which helps youth, particularly those facing barriers, to gain the skills and experience they need to successfully transition to the labour market. The program strives to give young Canadians between the ages of 15 and 30 paid work opportunities so that they can grow professionally and improve their skills in the not-for-profit, small business and public sectors. It also supports the delivery of key community services to Canadians.
Related Products
Associated Links
- Budget 2021
- Youth Employment and Skills Strategy
- Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan
- Student Work Placement Program
- Canada Summer Jobs
- Jobbank.gc.ca
SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada
Ashley Michnowski, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, [email protected]; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]
Share this article