441a Patrick Brown - Barrie - MP Patrick Brown announces Government of Canada investment to help youth in Barrie get jobs
MP Patrick Brown announces Government of Canada investment to help youth in Barrie get jobs
October 05, 2012


Barrie, Ontario—The Government of Canada announced support for youth in Barrie to help them gain the skills, knowledge and experience they need to enter and succeed in the job market. The announcement was made by Patrick Brown, Member of Parliament for Barrie, 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. Brown. “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 YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka is receiving over $377,000 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).

The participants in the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka project will attend workshops that focus on topics such as career exploration, effective communication and problem solving. Participants will then gain hands-on experience through work placements with local employers in sectors such as construction, retail and child care.

“Youth unemployment is a major issue facing our community, and the Y is thrilled to partner with the Government of Canada to help be a part of the solution,” said Brian Shelley, Vice President, Youth Engagement and Leadership Development, YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka. “The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka's new strategic plan (2012–2017) has identified youth employment as one of its priorities. Projects like Youth Quest are imperative to us delivering on our commitment to engage youth and young adults to feel a sense of belonging and community leadership.”

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.

The additional funding will be delivered through two Calls for Proposals—one for Career Focus and one for Skills Link. The Calls opened on September 5 and will close on November 2. Organizations across Canada are invited to apply. Information is available at servicecanada.gc.ca.

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 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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