Markham, Ontario, September 25, 2013—Costas Menegakis, Member of Parliament for Richmond Hill, on behalf of the Honourable Candice Bergen, Minister of State (Social Development), today announced support that will equip young Canadians in the York region with the skills and work experience they need to get jobs in high-demand fields.
“Our government is committed to creating jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity all across Canada,” said Minister of State Bergen. “Initiatives like these will connect youth with in-demand jobs while ensuring that Canada’s economy benefits from the skills and talents of young Canadians. By investing in youth today, we are making sure they are ready to become Canada’s future workers and contribute to our long-term prosperity.”
“Many young people are looking for work but can’t get their foot in the door due to a lack of experience,” said Mr. Menegakis. “Thanks to our Youth Employment Strategy, youth are developing the skills they need to enter and succeed in the job market.”
Pathways for Children, Youth and Families of York Region is receiving Government of Canada support to help youth overcome barriers to employment. Since 2006, the Youth Employment Strategy has helped more than 555 000 young people upgrade their skills, to the benefit of the Canadian economy.
The participants will gain valuable work experience and develop useful skills through workshops and hands-on work experience in fields such as retail, customer service and culinary arts.
“Helping youth gain the skills they need to overcome the barriers they face in finding and sustaining meaningful employment is a priority for our organization,” said Michael Braithwaite, Executive Director of Pathways for Children, Youth and Families of York Region. “This federal funding will allow us to provide essential work experience for youth and help them transition from crisis to safety and stability.”
Youth employment programs are part of the Government of Canada’s strategy to connect Canadians with available jobs. Economic Action Plan 2013 proposes new measures to equip Canadians with the skills and training they need to fill skills shortages and succeed in the Canadian labour market. These include the Canada Job Grant, which will invest in skills training for unemployed and underemployed Canadians, better ensuring they are qualified to fill the high-quality, well-paying jobs available. Economic Action Plan 2013 is also creating opportunities for apprentices and providing support to under-represented groups such as Canadians with disabilities, Aboriginal people, newcomers and youth.
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:
Johanna Quinney
Office of the Minister of State (Social Development)
613-697-4449
Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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IF THERE IS A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN ANY PRINTED VERSION AND THE ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THIS NEWS RELEASE, THE ELECTRONIC VERSION WILL PREVAIL.
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.
With annual funding of approximately $300 million, YES helps youth—particularly those facing barriers to employment—obtain career information, develop employment 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.
Skills Link helps youth facing barriers to employment—including youth who are single parents, youth with disabilities, young newcomers 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. Since 2006, the Skills Link initiative has helped over 179 000 youth find better employment or return to school for skills upgrading.
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. Since 2006, the Career Focus initiative has helped over 26 000 post-secondary students acquire crucial skills to help them transition into the labour 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, visit youth.gc.ca.
