**EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CANADA MEDIA RELEASE**

A strong middle class and a growing economy depend on young Canadians getting the skills and work experience they need to succeed. That’s why the Government of Canada has nearly doubled the number of quality jobs created through the Canada Summer Jobs program since 2015, creating meaningful, paid work experience for almost 70,000 students per year.

Today at the Aanmitaagzi Summer Theatre Arts Centre, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Workforce Development and Labour and Employment, Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie and Anthony Rota, Member of Parliament for Nipissing- Timiskaming, announced that Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) will provide over $440,000 of additional funding to create 112 new jobs for under?represented youth across Northern Ontario.

This CSJ additional funding includes more than $18,000 to Aanmitaagzi Summer Theatre Arts Program, bringing the total project value to close to $38,000 for this organization. This program will provide students with the opportunity to learn about contemporary Aboriginal performing arts techniques and continues the rich arts, culture and storytelling legacy of the Anishinaabe of Nipissing peoples.

A summer job helps students gain new skills and valuable work experience while saving money for the school year ahead. The Canada Summer Jobs program provides students across Canada aged 15 to 30 with quality work experience opportunities.

This year, more than 3,000 employers across Canada are first?time funding recipients, ensuring thousands of fresh new experiences for young Canadians. This year’s jobs fulfill five national priorities, designated by the Government of Canada, including:

  • employers who intend to hire youth from under?represented groups, including youth who are new immigrants and refugees, Indigenous youth, youth with disabilities and visible minorities;
  • small businesses, in recognition of their contribution to the creation of jobs;
  • organizations that support opportunities for official language minority communities;
  • organizations that provide services and/or supports to the LGBTQ2 community;
  • organizations that provide opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and information and in communications technology, particularly for women.

Quotes

“We know that our communities are healthier and stronger when everyone can fully participate; supporting under?represented youth early in their working lives, through summer job opportunities, is part of our plan to build a strong middle class and keep our economy growing.”
– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour

“This additional Canada Summer Jobs funding for the Aanmitaagzi Summer Theatre Arts Program will create valuable summer job experience for under?represented youth across Northern Ontario. Our economy depend on young Canadians success.”
– Anthony Rota, Member of Parliament for Nipissing—Timiskaming

“I’m glad to join my colleagues to make this announcement today. The Canada Summer Jobs program is important in providing opportunities for youth across Northern Ontario, including more young people at the Aanmitaagzi Summer Theatre Arts Centre will get high quality, paid summer work opportunities.”
– Terry Sheehan, Northern Ontario Caucus Chair and Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie

Quick Facts

  • Employment, Social Development Canada, announced that Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) will provide over $440, 000 in additional funding to create 112 new jobs for under?represented youth across Northern Ontario. This brings the total potential investment in Northern Ontario to over $6M to create over 2,000 for the summer of 2018.
  • Each year, the Government invests over $330 million in the Youth Employment Strategy. Budget 2016 announced an additional investment of $339 million over three years. This was followed by an additional investment of $395.5 million over three years in Budget 2017. These investments are helping:
    • more than 33,000 vulnerable youth develop the skills they need to find work or go back to school;
    • create 15,000 new green jobs for young Canadians; and
    • provide over 1,600 new employment opportunities for youth in the heritage sector.
  • Budget 2018 announced an investment of $448.5 million over five years to the Youth Employment Strategy. This funding will support the continued doubling of the number of Canada Summer Jobs opportunities in 2019 and serve to implement a modernized YES, building on the input of the Expert Panel on Youth Employment.
  • Under the Canada Summer Jobs Program, not-for-profit employers are eligible to receive funding for up to 100% of the minimum hourly wage. Small businesses with 50 or fewer employees and public-sector employers can receive up to 50 percent of the minimum hourly wage.

 

 

–SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada