St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, February 1, 2012—Unemployed older workers in Newfoundland and Labrador will receive help to develop their skills and re-enter the workforce thanks to the Government of Canada’s Targeted Initiative for Older Workers program (TIOW). Dr. Kellie Leitch, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, made the announcement today while in St. John’s for pre-budget consultations.
“Our government’s top priority is job creation and economic growth,” said Dr. Leitch. “Through the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers program, we are taking action to help unemployed older workers in Newfoundland and Labrador get the skills training and the support they need to transition to new jobs.”
Offered in partnership with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Canada is providing $2.2 million in funding that will help 115 unemployed older workers through 13 separate TIOW projects. Participants will develop their employability skills and take advantage of work experiences to help them successfully return to the labour market.
TIOW provides unemployed older workers aged 55 to 64 with the specialized support they need to adapt to the changing economy. This can include employment assistance services, skills upgrading and job experience to find new employment or to start their own business. The initiative targets unemployed older workers living in vulnerable communities with populations of 250,000 or less, where jobs are harder to find. The chosen communities typically experience high unemployment or rely significantly on an employer or industry that has experienced downsizing or closure.
TIOW is part of the Government of Canada’s broader strategy to create an educated, skilled and flexible workforce. The Government highlighted its commitment to this strategy in the Next Phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan with an additional investment of $50 million. To date, this initiative has helped over 16,000 unemployed older workers retrain for new careers.
To learn more about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, please visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
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This news release is available in alternative formats upon request.
For further information (media only):
Alyson Queen
Director of Communications
Office of Minister Finley
819-994-2482
Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
819-994-5559
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