Creating job opportunities for youth in London and southwestern Ontario

Fanshawe College receives federal funding to connect more young people to hands-on work experience

LONDON, ON, March 16, 2018 /CNW/ - As part of the Government of Canada's plan to strengthen the middle class and help those working hard to join it, London and southwestern Ontario youth pursuing their career goals will improve their skills through hands-on work experience. Today, Kate Young, Member of Parliament for London West, on behalf of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, announced funding to support a local initiative.

In a project led by Fanshawe College, 50 youth from across southwestern Ontario will be connected to paid placements to overcome this common barrier to employment. Fanshawe will be facilitating career-related work experience opportunities in the fields of health management, administration and computer systems design.

The Government of Canada is providing approximately $850,000 in funding through the Career Focus program, which supports projects that help youth develop their skills and obtain valuable work experience.

Quotes

"It's so encouraging to see the ambitious and creative work this community is undertaking. By supporting projects that help youth launch their careers, we are helping to ensure that the next generation reaches its full potential."
? The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour

"Young people looking for work are struggling to get a foot in the door. This project will connect local youth with employers to gain valuable hands-on work experience?and it is going to have a long-lasting impact on their path towards career success."
? Kate Young, Member of Parliament for London West

"With this funding, Fanshawe will improve the transition of highly skilled young people from school into a rapidly evolving labour market while providing opportunities for employers to recruit talented youth for their future workforce. This is a win-win situation for both employers looking to hire skilled employees and young people looking for a career in their field. We thank our government partners for their continued support of our students."
?  Darlene O'Neill, Senior Manager, Employment and Student Entrepreneurial Services

"Our relationship with Fanshawe continues to grow, and we look forward to working with the College to provide real-world, tangible experience to new graduates through the Career Focus program. We hope graduates will choose London as a starting point for their career after they see the many great opportunities that exist here."
?  Emily Gaan, HR/Finance Coordinator at Digital Echidna

Quick Facts

• Career Focus is part of the Government's Youth Employment Strategy (YES). Each year, the Government invests more than $330 million in YES to help young people gain the skills, abilities and work experience they need to find and maintain good employment.
• Budget 2018 proposes to invest an additional $448.5 million over five years, starting in 2018?19, in YES. This funding will support the continued doubling of the number of job placements funded under the Canada Summer Jobs program in 2019?20 and provide additional resources for a modernized YES in the following years, building on the input of the Expert Panel on Youth Employment. A renewed YES will be announced over the course of the next year.
• To expand employment opportunities for young Canadians, Budget 2016 invested an additional $165.4 million in 2016?17. That is an increase of 77 percent over the year before and the largest increase to YES since 1997.
• This new funding is on top of the $339 million investment over three years in the Canada Summer Jobs program to create up to 70,000 new jobs for youth each year.

Related Products
Backgrounder - Youth Employment Strategy

Associated Links

Youth Employment Strategy
Career Focus Program

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada