[HALIFAX, NS] — The Government of Canada has announced new funding to support youth in Halifax to help them gain the skills, knowledge and experience they need to enter and succeed in the job market.
Saint Mary's University is receiving over $99,000 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).
With annual funding 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 will provide an additional $50 million over two years to enhance YES so that more young people can gain tangible skills and experience. This funding will focus on connecting young Canadians with jobs in fields that are in high demand.
Participants in the Saint Mary's University project will develop employment action plans and attend workshops that focus on topics such as computer skills and interview techniques. They will then gain hands-on experience through work placements with local employers.
"The Skills Link program funding allows us to do some of our most important work with the youth of Halifax Regional Municipality," said Michael Sanderson, manager of Skills Development and Training at the Saint Mary's University Business Development Centre. "Our Skills Link employability program encourages individual and group work where we help youth discover their passions, set career goals, gain confidence in their abilities and increase their desire to make a positive difference in their communities."
