Date:  June 18, 2001

Cardigan, PEI - The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Solicitor General of Canada and Member of Parliament for Cardigan, on behalf of the Honourable Jane Stewart, Minister of Human Resources Development Canada, is pleased to announce the official opening of the Montague and Souris Human Resource Centres for Students (HRC-S).

For more than 30 years the Government of Canada has been investing in youth to improve job prospects for young Canadians through initiatives such as Student Summer Job Action (SSJA).

The Government of Canada is planning to invest about $237,167 in the Cardigan constituency to help employers hire students this summer through the Summer Career Placements (SCP) program-a component of SSJA.

"Summer Career Placements help employers provide career related work experiences to students looking for summer work," said Minister MacAulay. "By providing youth with programs such as Summer Career Placements, we are increasing their chances of getting a good start in their working life and developing the necessary skills to succeed."

SSJA provides financial help to employers who hire students, creates Human Resource Centres for Students and offers many other initiatives to help young people find work during the summer.

"The Human Resource Centre for Students is a great place for employers to post job offers and to access young, enthusiastic workers," said Minister MacAulay. "The centre is also the best place for students to find job opportunities or to get job-seeking advice, and information about wage levels, health and safety issues, labour laws and federal and provincial youth employment programs."

As a part of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy, SSJA is delivered in partnership with businesses, non-governmental organizations, communities and other levels of government, to help youth enter the world of work. The Strategy offers a three-pronged approach to addressing youth employment issues: it provides work experience opportunities for unemployed or underemployed youth and students; provides access to relevant information on Canada's labour market; and facilitates access to learning. This year, the Government of Canada, under its Youth Employment Strategy, will invest $120 million in its summer job programs.

Funding for SSJA was provided for in the February 2000 Budget and is therefore built into the existing financial framework. All requests for funding have been reviewed to ensure compliance with Human Resources Development Canada's improved administration of its grant and contribution programs.

For more information on programs and services offered under the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy, call the Youth Info Line at 1 800 935-5555, or visit Human Resources Development Canada's Web site at www.youth.gc.ca or your local Human Resource Centre of Canada for Students.

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