HALIFAX, March 15, 2013 /CNW/ - Dr. Kellie Leitch, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, emphasized the importance of youth having the right skills to address the needs of the labour market during a visit to the Centre for Entrepreneurship, Education and Development (CEED).
"Our government's top priorities are creating jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity," said Dr. Leitch. "The Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy is helping youth in Nova Scotia develop the skills and gain the experience they need to get jobs now and prepare for the workforce of tomorrow."
The Government of Canada provided over $8.8 million over the last year through the Youth Employment Strategy (YES) to help young people in Nova Scotia make a successful transition to the workplace.
Earlier this month, the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, announced over $190,000 in Skills Link funding to CEED for two projects to help youth develop job skills and gain work experience.
"We are very pleased to be working with our partners, including the Government of Canada, to deliver essential programs that support our youth in Nova Scotia," said Heather Spidell, President and Chief Executive Officer of CEED. "These hands-on, community-based projects give participants better access to the workforce, and the resources and skills they need to build a brighter future and contribute to their communities."
Economic Action Plan 2012 provided 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.
"Canada is facing skills and labour shortages across various sectors and regions. To ensure our country's economic success, we must capitalize on the skills and talent of young Canadians," added Dr. Leitch. "CEED's projects are excellent examples of the great work that can be achieved through the Youth Employment Strategy."
Youth employment programs are part of the Government of Canada's broader strategy to create an educated, skilled and flexible workforce. The Government reiterated its commitment to this strategy in Economic Action Plan 2012. 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.
Backgrounder
The Youth Employment Strategy (YES) is the Government of Canada's commitment to help youth make a successful transition to the workplace. With an annual budget of more than $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 that 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 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.
SOURCE: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
Alyson Queen
Director of Communications
Office of Minister Finley
819-994-2482
Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
819-994-5559
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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.
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