THUNDER BAY – Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, announced that up to 276 students across northern Ontario will have summer job opportunities thanks to over $870,000 in Canada Summer Jobs funding. Ninety-three organizations that have committed to hire Indigenous students are making a difference in Indigenous communities and will be able to give youth across northern Ontario an opportunity to get meaningful work experience and save money to pay for school.
Minister Hajdu made the announcement at the Thunder Bay Friendship Gardens, accompanied by Members of Parliament Marc Serré (Nickel Belt), Paul Lefebvre (Sudbury), Terry Sheehan (Sault Ste. Marie), Anthony Rota (Nipissing–Timiskaming) and Don Rusnak (Thunder Bay–Rainy River).
“When young Canadians have the skills and work experience they need to get a strong start in their careers, our middle class is stronger and our economy thrives. Thanks to this Canada Summer Jobs funding, more youth across northern Ontario will have summer jobs opportunities, save money to pay for their education and enhance their skills,” says Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour.
“I am very pleased that the Canada Summer Jobs program is helping to create valuable job opportunities for 276 youth in Indigenous communities in northern Ontario this summer. The experiences and skills that these young minds will gain from summer jobs will provide valuable experience for their future careers, and create an opportunity to save for their education and living expenses.,” added Marc Serré, Northern Caucus Chair and Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt.
Quick Facts
- Canada Summer Jobs is part of the federal government’s Youth Employment Strategy (YES). Each year the Government invests more than $330 million in YES to help young people gain the skills, abilities and work experience they need to find and keep good, well-paying jobs.
- Budget 2017 will invest an additional $395.5 million over three years for YES, starting in 2017–18.
- In 2016 the federal government significantly increased its investment in the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program by allocating an additional $339 million to create more summer jobs for young Canadians. As a result, in 2016 the CSJ program funded roughly 65,800 jobs, which nearly doubled the number of jobs created over previous years. This is in addition to the 330,000 jobs that were created between 2007, when the program began, and the summer of 2015.
- Since 2005, YES has helped over 820,000 young Canadians get the training and work experience they need to enter the job market.