NICKEL BELT-GREATER SUDBURY – Young Canadians have been tremendously impacted by the the COVID-19 pandemic. That is why the Government of Canada continues to make historic investments to ensure that youth have the supports and opportunities they need to build long and successful careers.

Today, Marc G. Serré, MP for Nickel Belt and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and MP for Sudbury, Paul Lefebvre made a joint announcement on behalf of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion,Carla Qualtrough regarding the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) Program.

This year both regions received a historic investment of more than $3.8 million combined through CSJ allowing for the creation of 1196 quality job opportunities through 270 unique employers in all corners of both ridings. Nickel Belt received $1.8 million while Sudbury received over $2 million. This builds upon the success of CSJ which has continually offered great opportunities for youth to build their resumes and gain valuable skills while simultaneously helping employers fil gaps, especially through peak periods in the summer.

In response to the ongoing pandemic, the Government is giving employers the flexibilities to hire youth to work on a full-time or part-time basis, as well as beyond the summer months, with some placements extending to February 2022.

This year’s record-breaking number of job opportunities will help young Canadians discover different careers, gain meaningful experiences, and save up for school.

Supporting youth and ensuring their participation in all aspects of the economic recovery takes a collaborative and government-wide approach. Through Budget 2021, the Government is proposing to invest an additional $5.7 billion over the next five years to help young Canadians pursue and complete their education, acquire new skills and access more work opportunities. This is on top of the $7.4 billion already invested in young Canadians during the pandemic. Thousands more young Canadians will be able to benefit from the following historic Government actions:

• 30,600 new job placements through the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy in 2021–22;
• 220,000 job placements through Canada Summer Jobs over the program’s 2021 and 2022 seasons;
• 50,000 work-integrated learning placements through the Student Work Placement Program in 2021–22;
• at least 85,000 work-integrated learning placements through Mitacs over the next five years starting in 2021–22; and
• 28,000 training and work opportunities for young Canadians through the Canada Digital Technology Adoption program in 2021–22.

Taken together, the Government of Canada’s response to the current crisis represents one of the largest youth support packages in the world.

Quotes

“This year’s Canada Summer Jobs program goes above and beyond to help support young Canadians through this pandemic. With a record-setting 150,000 job opportunities, more young Canadians across the country will be able to find a job and gain meaningful experience that they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives. There is only one way to describe the investments we have made and continue to make in young Canadians, and that is: ground-breaking. Our plan for a strong economic recovery includes youth and recognizes their important role in our future. We will always be there to support the next generation.” – Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough

“I’m so pleased to see an additional $1 million investment compared to last year’s $850,000 flowing to Nickel Belt – Greater Sudbury through the Canada Summer Jobs program. Youth have shown resilience through this pandemic and there’s been a great sense of duty to help them find new opportunities to pave their path forward. I’ve seen firsthand the positive benefit this program also has for employers and the not-for-profit sector- it is a true win-win situation. CSJ is also a key in helping retain youth in the North and to allow them to immerse themselves in the local employment scene. Encouraging all who are still looking for quality work experiences to visit the job bank and match themselves to an opportunity in Nickel Belt- Greater Sudbury! ”– Marc G. Serré, MP for Nickel Belt and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources

“This past year, young people all over Canada have been navigating a very challenging path due to the COVID-19 crisis, including youth in Sudbury. Right now, many young people in Northern Ontario are looking for safe and secure job opportunities. With this record-setting number of job opportunities, the Canada Summer Jobs program will be there to help youth earn money, grow professionally and move forward in their lives.” –Paul Lefebvre, MP for Sudbury

 “The Canada Summer Jobs program has allowed us to hire two warehouse workers to assist donors in unloading their vehicles and customers when loading is required. These much-required employees collect the donated items from outside, assess their worth and then dispose of them if required. With the reduced number of people allowed in our store due to COVID-19, sales have been greatly reduced and people in need have suffered the consequences. The Canada Summer Jobs Programs grants us a respite during this particularly unprecedented time.” Denise Waltenbury, Director Saint Vincent de Paul Thrift Store

Quick Facts

• More than 150,000 Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) opportunities were made available to young Canadians as of April 26, 2021, across a wide variety of fields, including community and charity work, food industries, recreation and fitness, marketing and public relations, landscaping and farm labour, and many others.
  
  
• CSJ is part of the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, which helps youth, particularly those facing barriers, to gain the skills and experience they need to successfully transition to the labour market. The program strives to give young Canadians between the ages of 15 and 30 paid work opportunities so that they can grow professionally and improve their skills in the not-for-profit, small business and public sectors. It also supports the delivery of key community services to Canadians.

• In the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, temporary flexibilities similar to those introduced for CSJ 2020 are available this year to ensure that even more young Canadians can apply. These include:
  • an increased wage subsidy, so that private and public sector employers can receive up to 75% of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage for each employee (not-for-profit organizations will continue to receive 100%);
  • an extension to the end date for employment to February 26, 2022; and
  • allowing employers to hire staff on a part-time basis.

• The CSJ 2021 call for employer applications closed on February 3, 2021. Over 50,000 applications were received during the call, representing more than 240,000 jobs requested. More than 42,700 projects have been funded, representing more than 152,000 job opportunities.
• CSJ-funded jobs started as early as April 26, 2021. The last possible date for a work placement to start is January 15, 2022. The latest end date for all CSJ jobs, subject to agreement length, is February 26, 2022.

Related Products

• Backgrounder: Canada Summer Jobs 2021
• Backgrounder: Budget 2021 – Young Canadians

Associated Links

• Canada Summer Jobs
• Job Bank website and mobile app
• Budget 2021: A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Resilience
• Investing in young Canadians

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Media Contacts :

Kaylie Dudgeon                                                             Mike Whitehouse

Special Assistant                                                           Senior Assistant

Marc Serré, MP Nickel Belt                                        Paul Lefebvre, MP Sudbury

705-897-2222                                                               705-673-7107

[email protected]                                          [email protected]