Ottawa, Ontario, July 8, 2013—The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, today congratulated the Canadian participants and medallists at the WorldSkills Competition held in Leipzig, Germany, last week. The WorldSkills Competition is a biennial event that showcases the abilities of hundreds of skilled young workers from around the world in various trades, technology and service industries.
Over 1000 participants, including 35 members of Team Canada, competed for medals at the event. Team Canada won a gold medal in the Heating and Refrigeration category, as well as 14 Medallions of Excellence.
“Team Canada has proven that Canadians have what it takes to excel in the rapidly growing trades, technology and service industries. I am personally very proud of these young people who have represented our country so well on the international stage,” said Minister Finley. “Today’s youth are tomorrow’s workforce. Our government’s investment in skills development for young people contributes to Canada’s long‑term growth and overall prosperity.”
The Government of Canada is helping young Canadians by offering grants, tax credits and support for training programs such as apprenticeships so that they can gain the skills and experience they need to enter and succeed in the job market.
Skills/Compétences Canada coordinates annual skills competitions and selects and prepares competitors for the WorldSkills Competition. The Government of Canada is a strong supporter of Skills/Compétences Canada and its provincial and territorial chapters, providing $8.7 million in funding over three years.
“Skills competitions are an exceptional showcase for talented young competitors, and they inspire other young people to explore careers in these high-demand fields,” added Minister Finley.
To learn more about Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy and other youth employment initiatives, visit youth.gc.ca.
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For more information, contact:
Jan O’Driscoll
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Finley
819-994-2482
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.
Government of Canada Youth Employment Programs
With annual funding of approximately $300 million, the Youth Employment Strategy (YES) helps youth—particularly those facing barriers to employment—obtain career information, develop skills, find jobs and stay employed. YES includes the Skills Link and Career Focus programs and the Canada Summer Jobs initiative, which creates thousands of job opportunities for students every summer.
In addition to existing funding, Economic Action Plan 2012 invested an extra $50 million to enhance YES with a new initiative that connects young Canadians with jobs in high demand and helps them develop tangible skills and gain work experience. Economic Action Plan 2013 proposes an additional investment of $70 million over three years to create 5 000 more paid internships.
Youth employment programs are part of the Government of Canada’s broader strategy to connect Canadians with available jobs. Economic Action Plan 2013 proposes new measures to equip Canadians with the skills and training they need. These include the Canada Job Grant, creating opportunities for apprentices and providing support to under-represented groups such as people with disabilities, Aboriginal people, newcomers and youth. To learn more about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit actionplan.gc.ca.
Apprenticeship Grants
The Apprenticeship Incentive Grant and Apprenticeship Completion Grant are taxable cash grants which encourage Canadians to pursue and complete apprenticeship training in designated Red Seal trades. As a result of these grants, apprentices could be eligible to receive up to $4,000, which can be used to pay for tuition, tools or other expenses. To date, the Government of Canada has issued over a half-billion dollars in apprenticeship grants for Canadians.
