YARMOUTH, NOVA SCOTIA--(Marketwire - Jan. 4, 2013) - The Government of Canada is providing support for youth with disabilities in Yarmouth, Shelburne and the Municipality of Clare to help them gain the skills, knowledge and experience they need to enter and succeed in the job market. The announcement was made by Greg Kerr, Member of Parliament for West Nova, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.
"Our government's top priorities are job creation, economic growth and long-term prosperity," said Mr. Kerr. "The Government of Canada's 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 West Nova Inclusive Employment Society (WNIES) is receiving over $185,000 through the Skills Link program to help youth with disabilities overcome barriers to employment.
Participants will attend workshops to develop life and employability skills, including effective computer use, job search and budgeting. They will also gain valuable work experience through placements with local employers. Their improved abilities will prepare them to enter the workforce or return to school.
"We would like to thank the Government of Canada for its financial contribution toward our project," said Andrea Noah, Executive Director of the West Nova Inclusive Employment Society. "This project will provide ten unemployed youths with disabilities from the Yarmouth, Shelburne and the Clare areas with pre-employment skills and work experience through the delivery of group-based employability skills training."
Skills Link is part of the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy (YES). With an annual budget 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 is providing an additional $50 million over two years to enhance YES through a new initiative that will connect young Canadians with jobs that are in high demand and help them develop tangible skills and gain work experience.
WNIES is also receiving over $180,000 through the federal Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities to extend another project. This funding will assist unemployed people with disabilities to find employment, become self-employed or return to school.
Canadians with disabilities have a tremendous amount to offer employers but they remain under-represented in the workforce. That is why the Government of Canada, through Economic Action Plan 2012, is investing an additional $30 million in the Opportunities Fund to help more people with disabilities gain the hands-on experience they need to find jobs.
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 actionplan.gc.ca.
The Government of Canada is helping youth plan their careers, learn new skills and find jobs through enhanced online services available at youth.gc.ca.
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IF THERE IS A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN ANY PRINTED VERSION AND THE ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THIS NEWS RELEASE, THE ELECTRONIC VERSION WILL PREVAIL.
This news release is available online at: actionplan.gc.ca.
BACKGROUNDER
The Youth Employment Strategy is the Government of Canada's commitment to help youth make a successful transition to the workplace.
Skills Link helps youth facing barriers to employment, including youth who are single parents, youth with disabilities and youth in rural and remote areas, to develop the skills and gain the experience needed to find a job or the confidence to return to school.
Career Focus provides funding to employers to hire young post-secondary graduates to give them career-related work experience and help them acquire skills to transition into the job market.
Canada Summer Jobs provides funding to not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees to create summer job opportunities for young people aged 15 to 30 years who are full-time students intending to return to their studies in the next school year.
To learn more about Canada's Youth Employment Strategy and other youth employment initiatives, please visit youth.gc.ca.
The Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities assists people with disabilities to prepare for, obtain and keep employment or become self-employed. The Government of Canada invests $30 million annually through this program to connect individuals with the skills and work experience needed to participate fully in the economy.
For more information, or to propose a project, visit servicecanada.gc.ca.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Marian Ngo
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Finley
819-994-2482
Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
819-994-5559
