Canada creates 1,297 internship opportunities for youth building a cleaner future

VANCOUVER, BC, July 21, 2021 /CNW/ - Young Canadians are concerned about their futures, which is why they are leading the charge to create a healthier planet, with cleaner air, cleaner water, and good jobs now and for generations to come. As we rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada is supporting youth to participate in growing the clean economy.

Today, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced $38.2 million to create 1,297 paid youth internship opportunities in the environmental and clean technology sectors. This additional funding will allow the government to create almost 400 additional internship opportunities compared to previous years. These internships will be offered in collaboration with environmental science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) employers across Canada for six- to twelve-month projects.

This year's intake for the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program is now open for youth and employers to apply. The program provides financial aid to eligible employers across Canada to hire recent post-secondary graduates. Employers can get up to $25,000 in funding for wage subsidies and up to $5,000 for skills development, training, and other job supports for each intern they hire. The internships will provide recipients with the opportunity to acquire hands on experience and develop skills they need to secure and maintain a job or to pursue further study. Specific opportunities are available for Indigenous peoples, members of visible minority groups, women, persons with disabilities, and more.

The announcement was made in partnership with Regenerative Waste Labs, which provides scientific testing that helps businesses assess the environmental impact of their products and reduce their waste. In 2020, Regenerative Waste Labs received $15,000 in funding to hire an intern under the Science Horizons program.

Today, Minister Wilkinson also launched applications for Environment and Climate Change Canada's first-ever Youth Council, which will engage young Canadians aged eighteen to twenty-five in the key environmental challenges of our time.

Quotes

"By creating 1,297 internships in the environmental and clean technology sectors, we are helping young Canadians, who were among those hardest hit during the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, find good jobs. As someone who used to work in the clean technology sector, I know how important these opportunities are to building a cleaner, healthier future for generations to come."
– The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

"The government of Canada is building connections between Canadian businesses and young talent to ensure an inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and create meaningful job and career opportunities for thousands of young people. The Science Horizons Internship Program is a great example of how we are delivering on setting up young Canadians for success while contributing to a cleaner economy. When we make skills-building and job opportunities available to young Canadians, we all succeed."
– The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Disability Inclusion

"Regenerative Waste Labs provides integral services that support sustainable production and consumption to enable the circular economy through biomaterial testing, consulting, and product development. Launching a start-up business in January 2020 had its challenges, but the Science Horizons Internship Program allowed us to recruit a talented intern who was motivated to apply their skills to sustainable innovations. This opportunity brought creative solutions and fresh perspectives into our organization and has been pivotal to our continued growth."
– Dr. Love-Ese Chile, Co-Owner and Technical Director, Regenerative Waste Labs

"I am grateful to the Science Horizons Internship Program for helping me obtain an internship position at Regenerative Waste Labs. In this role, I made an integral contribution to the company's operation and growth. Since my internship, I have taken on more responsibility as Lab Coordinator and I look forward to continuing my impactful career in the environmental technology sector."
– Humphrey Chou, Lab Coordinator, Regenerative Waste Labs

Quick facts

• The Science Horizons Youth Internship Program has been in place for more than twenty years and has delivered over 6,450 internship opportunities to youth in Canada.
• Approximately 85 percent of interns secure a full-time job or return to school after their internship.
• Six independent, third-party organizations were selected to run the program via an open call for proposals. Delivery agents for 2021–2022 are BioTalent Canada , the Clean Foundation , Colleges and Institutes Canada , ECO Canada , Electricity Human Resources Canada , and the United Nations Association in C anada .
• The Program is funded through a $575.3-million investment under the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy to help young people, including those who may face more complex barriers to employment and who may have been driven further from the labour force due to the pandemic, gain the skills and experience needed to find and keep quality work.

  Associated links  

• Science Horizons Youth Internship program
• New Environment and Climate Change Youth Council to engage on key environmental challenges - Canada.ca

  Environment and Climate Change Canada's Twitter page

 Environment and Climate Change Canada's Facebook page

SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada

Moira Kelly, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 819-271-6218, [e-mail]; Media Relations, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free), [e-mail]