Granby, Quebec, January 13, 2011 - Local youth who face barriers to employment will get job preparation training and work experience through the Government of Canada's support for an employment project. The Honourable Jean‑Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister of State (Agriculture), made the announcement today on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.
"For many young Canadians, making the transition to the job market is a challenge, especially in today's environment," said Minister Blackburn. "That's why our government is creating opportunities for youth to succeed through support for initiatives like the Les Échos-Artistes project."
With assistance from the federal Skills Link program, the Fondation Gérard-Bossé will help eight youth develop the skills and experience needed to find a job or the confidence to return to school.
Participants will attend workshops focusing on the development of personal and social skills such as the ability to communicate, reason and solve problems, as well as teamwork and job preparation. They will then take part in a group project through which they will be involved in planning, producing and presenting a play with the goal of creating awareness among local youth about issues affecting them, including dropping out and self-esteem.
Skills Link helps youth facing barriers to employment, such as single parents, Aboriginal youth, youth with disabilities, recent immigrants, youth living in rural and remote areas, and youth who have dropped out of high school.
The Fondation Gérard-Bossé will receive over $95,000 in federal Skills Link funding to support its Les Échos-Artistes project.
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This news release is available in alternative formats upon request.
Michelle Bakos
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Finley
819-994-2482
Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
819-994-5559
As part of the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy, the Skills Link 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 Career Focus.
Skills Link helps youth between 15 and 30 years of age who are not receiving Employment Insurance benefits develop basic and advanced employment skills. It assists participants through a coordinated, client-centred approach that offers longer-term supports and services tailored to their specific needs to help them find and keep a job.
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 job market while the economy recovers.
Youth employment programs are also 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 its commitment to this strategy 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 http://www.actionplan.gc.ca/.
The Skills Link 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 servicecanada.gc.ca, call 1 800 O-Canada or drop by your local Service Canada Centre.
