THUNDER BAY, ON, July 20, 2017 /CNW/ - Helping young Canadians develop their skills and gain valuable workplace experience will build a strong economy and middle class. Canada's future depends on a highly skilled and experienced workforce, and Canada Summer Jobs helps employers create job opportunities for youth in their communities.
Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, announced that up to 276 students across northern Ontario will have summer job opportunities thanks to over $870,000 in Canada Summer Jobs funding. Ninety-three organizations that have committed to hire Indigenous students are making a difference in Indigenous communities and will be able to give youth across northern Ontario an opportunity to get meaningful work experience and save money to pay for school.
Minister Hajdu made the announcement at the Thunder Bay Friendship Gardens, accompanied by Members of Parliament Marc Serré (Nickel Belt), Paul Lefebvre (Sudbury), Terry Sheehan (Sault Ste. Marie), Anthony Rota (Nipissing–Timiskaming) and Don Rusnak (Thunder Bay–Rainy River).
Quotes
"When young Canadians have the skills and work experience they need to get a strong start in their careers, our middle class is stronger and our economy thrives. Thanks to this Canada Summer Jobs funding, more youth across northern Ontario will have summer jobs opportunities, save money to pay for their education and enhance their skills."
– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour
"I am very pleased that the Canada Summer Jobs program is helping to create valuable job opportunities for 276 youth in Indigenous communities in northern Ontario this summer. The experiences and skills that these young minds will gain from summer jobs will provide valuable experience for their future careers, and create an opportunity to save for their education and living expenses."
– Marc Serré, Northern Caucus Chair and Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt
Quick Facts
- Canada Summer Jobs is part of the federal government's Youth Employment Strategy (YES). Each year the Government invests more than $330 million in YES to help young people gain the skills, abilities and work experience they need to find and keep good, well-paying jobs.
- Budget 2017 will invest an additional $395.5 million over three years for YES, starting in 2017–18.
- In 2016 the federal government significantly increased its investment in the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program by allocating an additional $339 million to create more summer jobs for young Canadians. As a result, in 2016 the CSJ program funded roughly 65,800 jobs, which nearly doubled the number of jobs created over previous years. This is in addition to the 330,000 jobs that were created between 2007, when the program began, and the summer of 2015.
- Since 2005, YES has helped over 820,000 young Canadians get the training and work experience they need to enter the job market.
Associated Links
Budget 2017
Youth Employment Strategy
Related Product
Backgrounder
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
Matt Pascuzzo, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, P.C., M.P., Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, [email protected], 819-654-5613; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]
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