The federal government expansion of the Canada Summer Jobs Program will be a boost for Prince Edward Island students as they seek work experience and develop their careers, says Minister Richard Brown, Workforce and Advanced Learning.
“One of our greatest resources in this province is our youth, and I am very pleased by this announcement,” said Minister Brown. “This recognizes the importance of our Island youth and this program will continue to aid students in finding summer employment in their home province and furthering their studies.”
The Government of Canada recently announced its plans to double the resources supporting the Canada Summer Jobs Program, with new funding of up to $113 million each year over the next three years, allowing the program to offer close to 70,000 summer jobs for students across Canada from now until 2018.
Minister Heath MacDonald, Economic Development and Tourism said that the Canada Summer Jobs Program is great news for Island businesses.
“This program supports private companies, non-profit organizations, and public sector employers to carry out meaningful projects that provide students with valuable experiences,” said Minister MacDonald. “With the newly extended program deadline of March 11, this will assist Island businesses who are interested in taking part in the program, such as tourism operators who may be looking to extend their summer season.”
Workforce and Advanced Learning and Economic Development and Tourism will continue to work closely to make the most out of the Canada Summer Jobs Program changes. Plans are currently in place to continue support for students under provincial programs such as the Jobs for Youth Program offered by the Employment Development Agency and the Post Secondary and Career Prep programs delivered through SkillsPEI.
In 2015–16, nearly 500 students in Prince Edward Island were supported in their search for meaningful employment in the private, non-profit, and public sectors. The additional investment by the Government of Canada will complement work being done in Prince Edward Island and ensure more students gain the work experience required to transition into the Island labour force.
The Canada Summer Jobs Program provides funding to help employers create summer job opportunities for students. It is designed to focus on local priorities, while helping both students and their communities. The program provides funding to non-profit, public-sector, and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees to create summer job opportunities for youth aged 15–30 years who are full-time students intending to return to their studies within the next school year.
For more information on the Canada Summer Jobs Program, visit www.servicecanada.gc.ca/csj