Province of Manitoba Media Release |
Swan River, Manitoba—The Government of Canada announced new funding to support youth in Swan River to help them gain the skills and knowledge they need to enter and succeed in the job market. The announcement was made by Robert Sopuck, Member of Parliament for Dauphin–Swan River–Marquette, 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 Mr. Sopuck. “Our 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 Town of Swan River is receiving over $11,000 from the Skills Link program to help youth overcome barriers to employment. Skills Link is part of the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy (YES).
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.
Economic Action Plan 2012 proposes an additional $50 million over two years to enhance YES so that more young people can gain tangible skills and experience. This funding will focus on connecting young Canadians with jobs in fields that are in high demand.
Participants in the Town of Swan River project will work with case managers to develop employment action plans. The participants will then attend workshops that focus on topics such as job search techniques, resumé writing and interview preparation.
“We’re excited about this project and the services it will provide to our youth in the Swan River area,” said Charlotte Sauder, Team Leader, Swan Valley Employment and Training Project. “This project will greatly assist our participants in finding and maintaining meaningful employment.”
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