Government of Canada invests to help youth in Lévis get jobs

LÉVIS, QC, Feb. 23, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Government of Canada today announced new funding to support youth in Lévis to help them gain the skills, knowledge and experience they need to enter and succeed in the job market. The announcement was made by the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Member of Parliament for Lévis-Bellechasse, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.

"Our government's top priority is creating jobs and economic growth," said Minister Blaney. "Our government's Youth Employment Strategy is helping youth develop the skills and gain the experience they need to get jobs now and prepare for the workforce of tomorrow."

The Centre aide et prevention jeunesse de Lévis is receiving support from the Skills Link program to help youth overcome barriers to employment. The Skills Link program is part of the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy (YES).

Minister Blaney's announcement is one of a series taking place across the country today. Minister Finley kicked off the nation-wide events with a funding announcement for a youth employment project in Edmonton to highlight the Government of Canada's investment in giving youth the skills and experience they need to enter the workforce.

With annual funding 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, which creates thousands of job opportunities for students every summer.

Participants in the project will attend workshops on employability and the development of functional independence. They will also be able to acquire work experience through community service, in which they will create a multimedia project for a local organization.

Youth employment programs are part of the Government of Canada's broader strategy to create an educated, skilled and flexible workforce. The Government underscored its commitment to this strategy in Canada's Economic Action Plan. 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 www.actionplan.gc.ca.

The Government of Canada is helping youth prepare for, find and maintain meaningful employment through enhanced online services available at Youth.gc.ca.

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Backgrounder

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The Youth Employment Strategy is the Government of Canada's commitment to help youth make a successful transition to the workplace.

Skills Link helps youth facing barriers to employment, such as 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 offer 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.

For further information:

This news release is available in alternative formats upon request.

For more information, contact:

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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This news release is available online at: www.actionplan.gc.ca.