January 22, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MIRAMICHI , New Brunswick — The Honourable Greg Thompson, Minister of Veterans Affairs, Minister responsible for New Brunswick, and Member of Parliament for New Brunswick Southwest, on behalf of the Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, today announced funding for two projects in Miramichi and Rogersville that will help youth at risk find career-related job experience, return to school, or acquire the skills and training they need to jump-start their careers.
“The Government of Canada is committed to creating the best educated, most skilled, and most flexible work force in the world,” said Minister Thompson. “Our partnerships with the John Howard Society and the Club Sportif de Rogersville will help local youth who face barriers to employment get the skills, knowledge, and experience they need to take advantage of the job market.”
The Government of Canada is contributing nearly $90,000 to the John Howard Society Miramichi Inc. for its Pathway to a Healthier Lifestyle program, and nearly $95,000 to the Club Sportif de Rogersville for its Youth First program. These two projects will help 20 young people facing barriers to employment find jobs or return to school by providing them with employability skills coaching, career exploration assistance, work placements, and volunteer opportunities.
These projects are funded through Skills Link, one of Canada’s youth employment programs. Under the program, local employers and community organizations work together to ensure young people have the opportunity to develop their skills and contribute to their communities.
“The youth involved are very keen to learn and benefit from this experience,” said Christianne Landry, project co-ordinator for the Club Sportif de Rogersville. “In addition to helping youth develop the skills they need to succeed in the workplace, the program will also give a much-needed helping hand to some of our local, non-profit agencies that provide critical services in our community.”
These projects reflect the Government of Canada’s commitment to creating a strong economy for all Canadians. Through Advantage Canada, the Government is building on Canada’s strengths and gaining a global competitive advantage by reducing taxes for all Canadians, increasing competition in the marketplace, and building modern infrastructure.
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Backgrounder
Skills Link
The Skills Link program is one of three Government of Canada programs that help young Canadians (aged 15 to 30) obtain career information, develop skills, gain work experience, find good jobs, and stay employed. The two other programs are Summer Work Experience and Career Focus.
Skills Link focuses on helping young people who face barriers to employment. These young people include high school drop-outs, single parents, Aboriginal youth, people with disabilities, youth in rural areas, and recent immigrants. Summer Work Experience helps secondary and post-secondary students find summer jobs. Career Focus helps post-secondary graduates develop advanced skills and find careers in their fields. All three programs provide a range of activities that can be tailored to meet individual needs.
Projects funded under the Skills Link program have been reviewed to ensure compliance with the Department’s administration of its grants and contributions programs, and are subject to review under the Financial Administration Act.
