Antigonish, Nova Scotia—The Government of Canada is providing support for Nova Scotia youth to help them gain the skills, knowledge and experience they need to enter and succeed in the job market. The announcement was made by the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, and Member of Parliament for Central Nova, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.
“Our government’s top priorities are creating jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity,” said Minister MacKay. “Our government’s efforts are helping Nova Scotian youth develop the skills and gain the experience they need to find jobs and prepare for the workforce of tomorrow.”
Minister MacKay announced the Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development (CEED) is receiving over $190,000 from the Skills Link program for two projects to help youth overcome barriers to employment. Skills Link is part of the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy (YES).
In Antigonish, youth learn about workplace etiquette as part of their coaching sessions. They also gain work experience through job placements with local employers in the retail, food service or not-for-profit sectors.
Participants in CEED’s Halifax project will attend workshops on a variety of topics, such as customer service and entrepreneurship, and gain experience by lending a hand to community initiatives. They will also be mentored on creating business plans so they can explore opportunities for self-employment.
“We are very pleased to be working with our partners, including the Government of Canada, to deliver essential programming that supports our youth in areas throughout Nova Scotia,” said Heather Spidell, President and Chief Executive Officer of CEED. “These projects offer a hands-on, community-based approach, providing participants with better access to the workforce, and the resources and skills they need to build a brighter future and become meaningful contributors to their communities.”
Economic Action Plan 2012 is providing an additional $50 million over two years to enhance YES through a new initiative that will connect young Canadians with jobs that are in high demand and help them develop tangible skills and gain work experience.
Youth employment programs are part of the Government of Canada’s broader strategy to create an educated, skilled and flexible workforce. 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 actionplan.gc.ca.
The Government of Canada is helping youth plan their careers, learn new skills and find jobs through enhanced online services available at youth.gc.ca.
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For more information, contact:
Jennifer Wadden
Senior Advisor
Office of Minister Peter MacKay
902-403-6475
Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
819-994-5559
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This news release is available online at: actionplan.gc.ca.
The Youth Employment Strategy is the Government of Canada’s commitment to help youth make a successful transition to the workplace.
Skills Link helps youth facing barriers to employment, including youth who are single parents, youth with disabilities and youth in rural and remote areas, to develop the skills and gain the experience needed to find a job or the confidence to return to school.
Career Focus provides funding to employers to hire young post-secondary graduates to give them career-related work experience and help them acquire skills to transition into the job market.
Canada Summer Jobs provides funding to not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees to create summer job opportunities for young people aged 15 to 30 years who are full-time students intending to return to their studies in the next school year.
To learn more about Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy and other youth employment initiatives, please visit youth.gc.ca.
