July 31, 2015 Edmonton, Alberta Employment and Social Development Canada
The Harper Government is helping equip young people in Edmonton with the skills and experience they need to find jobs. The announcement was made today by the Honourable Tim Uppal, Minister of State (Multiculturalism) and Member of Parliament for Edmonton–Sherwood Park, on behalf of the Honourable Pierre Poilievre, Minister of Employment and Social Development.
Through the Government’s Youth Employment Strategy, the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers will deliver a project to help 84 young people in Edmonton with an investment of more than $1 million over two years. This project will help young people successfully transition to the job market or return to school.
Project participants will learn or improve job skills through workshops tailored to the needs of new Canadians, covering topics such as employer expectations and resume writing. They will also gain work experience with local employers in industries such as hospitality, construction and the trades, and oil and gas.
Today’s announcement is one example of what the Government is doing to help Canadians. To help hard-working families, the Government also increased the Universal Child Care Benefit, introduced the Family Tax Cut and made improvements to the Child Care Expenses Deduction and the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit.
“Our Government is helping Canadians get the skills and training they need to find good jobs and build better futures for themselves and their families. Today’s youth are tomorrow’s workforce, so by investing in them, we are helping contribute to Canada’s long-term growth, competitiveness and overall prosperity. We are proud to work with organizations like the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers so young people, including those in Edmonton, can develop the skills they need to succeed in the job market.”
– The Honourable Tim Uppal, Minister of State (Multiculturalism) and Member of Parliament for Edmonton–Sherwood Park
“Many of our young people who are looking for work are struggling to get their foot in the door. Yet without experience, many of them find it challenging to find employment. That is why our Government partners with organizations like the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers—to give young people a chance to achieve their full potential.”
– Peter Goldring, Member of Parliament for Edmonton East
Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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The Youth Employment Strategy (YES) is the Harper Government’s commitment to help youth make a successful transition to the workplace. With annual funding of approximately $330 million, YES helps youth between the ages of 15 and 30 get the information and gain the skills and work experience they need to succeed in the workplace. YES includes the Skills Link and Career Focus programs, as well as the Canada Summer Jobs initiative, which creates thousands of job opportunities for students every summer.
Skills Link helps youth facing barriers to employment—including 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. Skills Link has helped over 191,000 youth since 2006.
Career Focus helps post-secondary graduates transition to the job market through paid internships and helps to provide youth with the information and experience they need to make informed career decisions, find a job or pursue advanced studies. Since 2006, Career Focus has helped over 29,000 youth.
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. Since it began in 2007, Canada Summer Jobs has helped over 304,000 students.
Through Economic Action Plan 2014, the Harper Government is investing $40 million towards supporting up to 3,000 internships in high-demand fields and $15 million annually towards supporting up to 1,000 internships in small and medium-sized enterprises under YES.
The Government also provides a range of support—including Canada Student Loans, Canada Student Grants, the Canada Learning Bond and the Canada Education Savings Grant—to help young Canadians save for and pursue post-secondary education, so that they can acquire the skills and training they need to succeed in the job market.
Visit youth.gc.ca and CanLearn.ca for more information.
