LAVAL, QUEBEC, AUGUST 25, 2010—Post-secondary education graduates will get an opportunity to enhance and develop their employment skills through a project sponsored by the Government of Canada. The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Natural Resources and the Prime Minister’s Quebec lieutenant, made the announcement today on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.
“In today’s environment, it is more important than ever that youth develop the skills they need to participate and succeed in the job market,” said Minister Paradis. “Our government is proud to support projects that offer post-secondary graduates the opportunity to develop the skills and gain the experience that will help them reach their full potential.”
The Collège Montmorency will receive $98,322 in Career Focus funding to support its Un emploi à ma hauteur project, which will help 17 post-secondary graduates apply the skills they acquired through their education.
“The objective of the Un emploi à ma hauteur project is to help our young graduates find an enriching work experience that is related to their studies,” said Mr. Luc Thomas, Student Life Advisor and Head of the Service de placement at the Collège Montmorency. “This project will give them the opportunity to find a job in their chosen field, or will encourage them to pursue their studies.”
The federal government is working with the provinces and territories, community organizations and other stakeholders to provide Canadians with the training, skills and opportunities they need to get jobs and contribute to their communities.
Through the 2010 “Jobs and Growth Budget,” the Government of Canada committed an additional $60 million to the Skills Link and Career Focus programs. This additional one-time investment will enable more young Canadians to gain the experience and skills they need to successfully participate in the labour market while the economy recovers.
Career Focus is part of the Government of Canada’s strategy to create the best educated, most skilled and most flexible workforce in the world. The Government underscored this commitment in Canada’s Economic Action Plan. A key component of the Plan is to create more and better opportunities for Canadian workers through skills development. To learn more about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
The Career Focus program is delivered by Service Canada, which provides one-stop personalized services for Government of Canada programs, services and benefits. For more information about this program, visit www.servicecanada.gc.ca, call 1 800 O‑Canada or drop by your local Service Canada Centre.
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This news release is available in alternative formats upon request.
For further information (media only):
Michelle Bakos
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Finley
819-994-2482
Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills
Development Canada
819-994-5559
The Collège Montmorency’s mission is to provide youth and adults with access to higher education courses with a focus on the development of individuals and society. This project will give the participants the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in their field of studies, in order to better prepare them to pursue further studies or to enter the labour market.
As part of the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy, the Career Focus program is one of three programs that help young Canadians, particularly those facing barriers to employment, obtain career information, develop skills, gain work experience, find good jobs and stay employed. The other two programs are Summer Work Experience and Skills Link.
Career Focus links highly skilled, post-secondary youth with potential employers who can provide them with career-related work experience and help them acquire advanced employment skills to facilitate their transition into the rapidly changing labour market.
