Investment of $ 854,241 by the Government of Canada will Enable Young People to Participate in Youth Programs in the Cardigan Constituency

Investment Of $ 854,241 By The Government Of Canada Will Enable Young People To Participate In Youth Programs In The Cardigan Constituency.

Date: May 19 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MOUNT STEWART, PEI - The Government of Canada, through its Youth Employment Strategy, approved $854,241 towards youth employment projects in the Cardigan riding. The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Solicitor General for Canada and Member of Parliament for Cardigan, recently visited a project with the Community of Mount Stewart to learn how six young people are enhancing their life and employability skills by participating in a 22 week long project enhancing the Mount Stewart Wildlife Management Area.

"I am delighted that young people from this area are being given the opportunity to gain such a valuable work experience through their participation on this project," said Lawrence MacAulay on behalf of the Honourable Jane Stewart, Minister of Human Resources Development Canada. "Not only will they learn some very important skills that are required to make a successful transition to the workplace, but they will also be performing a valuable service to the community by helping to maintain and improve this great wildlife area. The Government of Canada is pleased to assist the Community of Mount Stewart in their efforts to enhance youth employability and the surrounding natural environment."

"We feel that our long term goals over the next three years will enhance the natural habitat of the Mount Stewart Wildlife Management Area for years to come, thereby allowing this space to be enjoyed by the community and visitors alike," said Earl Affleck, counsellor for the Community of Mount Stewart. "One of the long term goals of this project is that it will be a stepping stone for further eco-tourism projects in the area which is situated along PEI's only designated heritage river."

The Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy supports the Community of Mount Stewart as well as many other communities and non-profit organizations across PEI. This particular project has hired a coordinator who will assist six youthful participants in learning employability skills and improving the area's wildlife habitat. The participants will take formalized courses in First Aid/CPR, Occupational Health and Safety and Environmental training. Their environmental activities will include: creation of walking trails, directional signage and boundary lines, clean up of debris along river, tree planting, construction of bird feeding stations and writing a monthly newsletter as well as an information brochure.

The Youth Employment Strategy offers a three-pronged approach to addressing youth unemployment issues: providing work experience opportunities for unemployed or underemployed youth and students; providing access to relevant information on Canada's labour market; and facilitating access to learning.

There are various components of the Youth Employment Strategy: Youth Internship Canada, which enables young people to improve their skills and acquire experience that helps them enter the labour market successfully; Youth Service Canada, which was established to provide Canadian youth with life skills and work experience in community service; and Youth Awareness and Information initiatives which support activities that heighten awareness on youth employment issues.

The Government of Canada contributed $52,655 under the Youth Employment Strategy while the Community of Mount Stewart and the provincial government contributed $10,500 towards this Youth Services project. During the past fiscal year a total of $854,241 has been approved by the Government of Canada in the Cardigan Constituency to support programs for youth.

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