Federal funding to provide work experience to youth across the province

COVID-19 has affected the job and internship opportunities of many of Canada’s youth.

In an effort to help, the Canadian government is giving Actions Interculturelles Canada up to $3 million in support of their Mon avenir, j’y travaille project under the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy to help provide youth with work experience.

The project will provide work experience to 200 youth across the provinces of Alberta, Quebec, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Ontario.

According to the government, the program will provide participants with workshops focussed on skill development, and a wide range of other professional work experiences that will be beneficial for their future careers.

The project will also prioritize the hiring and retention of diverse youth to its program.

“The Mon avenir j’y travaille project will create much needed bridges between 200 young job seekers from all backgrounds with employers from across Canada,” said Mohamed Soulami, Director General of Actions Interculturelles Canada. “These young people face certain difficulties, and we help them overcome obstacles and work on their future careers.”

The Canadian government has also taken other measures to help its youth succeed amidst the pandemic, with an increase in funding to other youth-centred programs including the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS), the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program, and the Student Work Placement (SWP) program.

“In these unprecedented times, many of [the youth] are unsure how the COVID-19 pandemic will affect their future,” said Mona Fortier, Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance.

“That is why our government is committed to ensuring that young people across the country have the skills and opportunities they need to succeed now and in the months and years ahead.”

To date, over 84,500 jobs have been approved by the government, with approximately 3,000 opportunities currently available at Jobbank.gc.ca.