June 25, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Roberval, Quebec - The Government of Canada will contribute funding to the Idéaux Travail Corporation to help twenty young people in Roberval County improve their employability. Denis Lebel, Member of Parliament for Roberval-Lac-Saint-Jean, made the announcement today on behalf of the Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development.
"The Government of Canada is committed to creating the best educated, most skilled, and most flexible work force in the world," said Mr. Lebel. "This work experience will permit these young participants to acquire knowledge and improve their employability skills, which will help them integrate into the labour market. This initiative is also a concrete step to help youth remain in our region."
The more than $167,000 in funding for the Idéaux Travail Corporation will help 20 young people between the ages of 16 and 30 who face barriers to employment acquire their first hands-on work experience in their field of study. The participants will work within a business in the sector, which will help them integrate into the work force. The Corporation's mission is to carry out projects that help young people stay in their communities and find employment.
Two groups, with a total of 20 participants, will take part in the Idéaux Travail Corporation's 26-week project. They will also participate in three weeks of job-search workshop activities. Through this project, young people will also have the opportunity to establish contacts that will be useful for their professional future.
Service Canada is funding this project through its Skills Link program, a component of the Youth Employment Strategy, which helps young people facing barriers to employment obtain the knowledge, skills, and experience they need to participate in the work force.
Skills Link is one of three Government of Canada employment programs for youth. The two others are Summer Work Experience and Career Focus. These programs offer a range of activities to meet each participant's needs.
Service Canada brings Government of Canada services and benefits together in a single delivery network. It provides Canadians with one-stop service they can access however they choose-by phone at 1 800 O Canada, on the Internet at servicecanada.gc.ca, or in person at Service Canada Centres across the country.
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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, young 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.
