The Canada Summer Jobs hiring period starts today

Finding a summer job in 2020 is a different beast than years past, with the COVID-19 pandemic decimating many traditional seasonal positions that young people rely on.

The federal government is trying to help young people find work by beefing up its Canada Summer Jobs program. Friday kicked off the Summer 2020 hiring period through the job bank.

Anyone aged 15 to 30 can apply, and this year the government is trying to place 70,000 people at reliable jobs.

“We recognize that young people are particularly hard hit by COVID-19,” Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, said in a news release. 

“Youth are powerful leaders of change, and during these difficult times we are proud to support them as they help out our communities and shape a better and more resilient Canada.”

• See also:
  • Nearly 2 million Canadians lost their jobs in April due to coronavirus pandemic
  • Nearly 1 in 6 BC adults have lost their job due to the pandemic: survey
  • Trudeau extends wage subsidy until end of summer

This year there are several pandemic-specific positions in the job bank such as providing virtual mental health support, delivering remote education services, or working with vulnerable populations.

The Canada Summer Jobs works by providing government funding to businesses and organizations to pay part of the wages of the young people they hire.

Justin Trudeau announced temporary changes to the program back in April to make it easier to hire young people. The changes allow employers to hire someone part-time, and the position doesn’t have to be during the summer — the hiring period has been extended to February 2021.