KENORA – POLITICS – Like any father of two children, I was very interested to see what Budget 2017 had to offer for young Canadians. So, I was very happy to see that our youth are a priority for this government with numerous investments in various initiatives that will help young Canadians get the education and the experience they need to prepare for the jobs of today and tomorrow.
Budget 2017 will provide an additional $395.5 million over the next three years for the Youth Employment Strategy, in addition to the Government of Canada’s current investment of $330 million each year. This investment will go towards initiatives such as the Canada Summer Jobs program as well as Skills Link, which creates green and heritage sector jobs.
This means that more than 33,000 vulnerable youth will be able to develop the skills they need to find work or go back to school. It will also create 15,000 new green jobs for young Canadians in sectors like agriculture and renewable energy, in addition to providing opportunities for young Canadians to overcome barriers to employment.
Budget 2017 also proposes to renew the Government’s support for Pathways to Education Canada by providing $38 million over four years, starting in 2018-19. With this renewed funding, Pathways to Education Canada will provide more students with the supports they need to succeed in school, including tutoring, career mentoring and financial help, such as scholarships and internships.
This budget will also aim to help Canadians who are newly into the workforce but wish to better or change their career path. To help those young adults, the Government intends to introduce a three-year pilot project to test new approaches to make it easier for adult learners to qualify for Canada Student Loans and Grants. Budget 2017 will provide $287.2 million over three years, starting in 2018-19, for this pilot project.
These measures are expected to benefit Canadian women, who often strive to improve their career prospects while balancing family responsibilities. Women represent nearly two-thirds of the Canada Student Loans Program’s part-time recipients. They also represent the majority of students receiving the Canada Student Grant who have dependent children.
Overall I’m happy to see this government investing in young Canadians. Budget 2017 puts Canada’s greatest strength-its skilled, talented, and creative people-at the heart of a more innovative future economy.
Bob Nault MP
Kenora
