Best summer ever: Record number of jobs and opportunities in British Columbia through Canada Summer Jobs program
News Release
July 6, 2016 Richmond, British Columbia Employment and Social Development Canada
More British Columbia students than ever before will find work this year under the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program, thanks to unprecedented interest shown by employers and students across the province, Rodger Cuzner, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour announced today, at the Richmond Rapids Swim Club.
In the constituency of Richmond Centre, a total of 185 summer jobs have been approved for 52 organizations, for total funding of $630,535, an increase of 45 percent from the 127 student jobs approved through the program last year in the constituency. Employers in British Columbia have received approval to hire 7,799 students this summer across 42 constituencies. That is up 133 percent from the 3,344 student jobs approved through the program last year in 36 constituencies before the boundary changes were enacted for the 2015 election.
The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister, announced in June that more than 77,000 jobs were approved for funding for students across Canada through the CSJ program. That number is more than double last year’s 34,000 and roughly 7,000 more than originally anticipated when the Government announced a boost to the funding in the federal budget earlier this year.
Supporting youth employment and opportunities is part of the Government of Canada’s approach to help the middle class and Canadians seeking to join it.
Quotes
“More students are working across the country and will get the opportunity to earn valuable income and build friendships while learning new skills this summer. Canada Summer Jobs is an opportunity for students to prepare for their future and to save for school.”
– The Honourable MaryAnn Mihychuk, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour
“I’m very happy to say that more local youth will be able to join the job market this summer. It’s important to invest in Canada’s youth as they are the future of our work force.”
– Rodger Cuzner, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour
Quick Facts
- Across British Columbia this summer:
- For the small business sector, a total of 35 jobs have been approved for funding in Richmond-Centre compared to 11 jobs in the former constituency of Richmond in 2015, an increase of 218 percent.
- For the small business sector, a total of 1,149 jobs have been approved for funding in British Columbia compared to 114 in 2015, an increase of 908 percent.
- In the public sector, a total of 723 jobs have been approved for funding in British Columbia compared to 284 in 2015, an increase of 155 percent.
- For the not-for-profit sector, a total of 5,927 jobs have been approved for funding in British Columbia compared to 2,946 in 2015, an increase of 101 percent.
- In 2015, 300,000 students were unable to find jobs during the summer in Canada.
- The annual budget for Canada Summer Jobs was increased by $113 million for each of the next three years, beginning in 2016–17, doubling the number of students being hired across the country this summer. This increase means more students will be getting much needed experience.
Associated Link
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Contacts
John O’Leary
Director of Communications
Office of the Hon. MaryAnn Mihychuk, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour
819-654-5611
Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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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 to 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.
- Skills Link helps youth facing barriers to employment -- including single parents, youth with disabilities, aboriginal youth, young newcomers and youth in rural and remote areas -- to develop employability skills and gain 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 and helps provide youth with the information and experience they need to make informed career decisions, find a job and/or pursue advanced studies.
- 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.
Each year, the Government invests approximately $330 million in the YES to help young people gain the skills and experience they need to find and keep good jobs.
Budget 2016 builds on that amount and proposes to invest an additional $278.4 million in 2016-17 in the YES to help nurture and develop underutilized and untapped talent, such as Indigenous youth, youth with disabilities, single parents and newcomers by:
- Creating new green jobs for youth
- Increasing the number of youth who access the Skills Link program, which helps young Canadians overcome barriers to employment
- Supporting employment opportunities in the heritage sector under the Young Canada Works
- New investments in the Canada Summer Jobs program
Canada Summer Jobs
In February 2016, the Government announced that it will create up to 35,000 additional jobs in each of the next three years under the Canada Summer Jobs program. The investment of $339 million over three years starting 2016-17, will nearly double the number of job opportunities supported by the program.
Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) provides funding to not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers, and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees to create summer job opportunities for students.
CSJ creates summer job opportunities and provides valuable work experience for youth intending to return to their studies full-time in the next school year. The program also helps employers generate jobs that focus on priorities important to their local communities as well as on a number of national priorities that include:
- employers who help welcome and settle Syrian refugees to Canada, as well as Syrian students
- Indigenous people, who are among the fastest-growing segments of the Canadian population
- small businesses working to become more innovative, competitive and successful, in recognition of their key contribution to the creation of new jobs
- cultural and creative industries looking to create jobs and to strengthen our rich Canadian identity. This latter priority will support the planning of Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017.
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