Government of Canada seeks ideas for projects to connect youth with jobs

September 10, 2021

Ottawa Journal (September 17 – September 21, 2021)
David Tilson, MP

Many youth who are looking for work struggle to get their foot in the door and many have heard the familiar refrain: no experience, no job. No job, no experience.

Yet we need to bridge that gap because Canada is already facing labour shortages in some critical areas. In the beginning of May, there were more than 258 000 job vacancies across Canada. Many of those jobs could be filled by young people.

The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that young Canadians have the opportunity to reach their full potential and establish meaningful and successful careers.

This is why, through Economic Action Plan 2012, we are introducing a new initiative under the Youth Employment Strategy to connect approximately 3000 youth with jobs in key sectors of the economy.

A good job is vital to building a better life and a skilled workforce is vital to building a competitive and prosperous country. Keeping this in mind, the new investment will be dedicated to projects that connect young Canadians with jobs in fields that are in high demand, such as the skilled trades and tourism.

The funding will be made available through two Calls for Proposals. We are seeking ideas for projects that will help employers fill labour shortages while providing youth with the all‑important, on-the-job experience they need to find a good job.

The Calls opened on September 5 and will close on October 19. I invite organizations from across Canada to apply. Information is available at servicecanada.gc.ca.

Today’s youth are tomorrow’s workforce so by investing in them, we are helping contribute to Canada’s long-term growth, competitiveness, and overall prosperity.