St-Pierre-Jolys, Manitoba—Unemployed older workers in Manitoba are receiving help to improve their skills and re-enter the workforce thanks to the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers (TIOW). The Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, and the Honourable Peter Bjornson, Minister of Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade from the Province of Manitoba announced today that the Canada-Manitoba TIOW agreement will be extended to March 31, 2014.
“Our government’s top priorities are job creation, economic growth and long-term prosperity,” said Minister Toews. “Through the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers, we are helping unemployed older workers across Manitoba develop new skills so they can make the transition to new jobs.”
By extending this agreement to 2014, the governments of Canada and Manitoba will invest a further $1.15 million to support older workers. This is in addition to the more than $3.8 million in federal and provincial funding that has been made available since the TIOW agreement was signed in 2009. To date, 409 individuals have been given the opportunity to participate in TIOW projects to develop their employability skills and take advantage of work-experience opportunities.
“Older workers can sometimes face barriers to getting good jobs if they become unemployed and have not had the opportunity to upgrade their skills over the years,” said Minister Bjornson. “With support and the right training, these older workers become more competitive and have a much better chance of landing the jobs they need to be fully participating in their communities.”
Minister Toews made today’s announcement at the St-Pierre-Jolys Bilingual Service Centre. The project Baby Boomers in Action of the Community Development Corporation St-Pierre en Boom is receiving support to help 50 unemployed older workers increase their chances of finding long‑lasting and sustainable jobs.
Project participants will attend job-related training sessions on topics such as computer skills, workplace safety, the development of essential skills, stress management and conflict resolution.
“The St-Pierre en Boom Inc., with the Baby Boomers in Action project, is very grateful for today’s announcement,” said Ralph Collette, Coordinator of the Baby Boomers in Action project, which is sponsored by St-Pierre en Boom Inc. “The clients already come to us with such valuable knowledge and experience in the workforce. We help provide them with the necessary tools and assist them in achieving their goals to return to the workforce.”
The Targeted Initiative for Older Workers is part of the Government of Canada’s broader strategy to create an educated, skilled and flexible workforce. To date, the TIOW has helped more than 17,800 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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Marian Ngo
Office of Minister Finley
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Skills DevelopmentCanada
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This news release is available online at: www.actionplan.gc.ca.
The Targeted Initiative for Older Workers (TIOW) is a federal‑provincial/territorial cost‑shared initiative that provides employment‑assistance services and employability-improvement activities, such as skills upgrading and work experience. The TIOW assists unemployed older workers aged 55 to 64 who live in a city or town with a population of 250,000 or less that is experiencing high unemployment, significant downsizing or closures.
The Government of Canada launched the TIOW in 2006 with a commitment of $70 million and invested another $90 million in Budget 2008 to extend the Initiative for three years to March 2012. Canada’s Economic Action Plan provided an additional $60 million over that same period. In Budget 2011, the Government made available $50 million to extend the TIOW to March 2014 and Budget 2012 recently reiterated this commitment.
