Today at Barrie City Hall, alongside Mayor Jeff Lehman, Member of Parliament for Barrie-Springwater-Oro Medonte Alex Nuttall announced a record amount of funding from the federal government for summer jobs in Barrie, to be provided through the Canada Summer Jobs program.
The Canada Summer Jobs program provides funding to not-for-profit organizations, public sector employers and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees to create summer job opportunities for young people between the ages of 15 and 30, who are full-time students intending to return to their studies in the next school year.
According to Nuttall, 208 jobs were created in the area this year, thanks to $761,024 in funding.
“We really want to highlight what our young people are doing in the community and the experience that they are gaining, that they are going to bring back obviously to whatever career they choose down the road,” Nuttall said.
This year, emphasis was put on supporting not-for-profits, charities and municipal partners.
Additionally, Nuttall says, the city of Barrie will be receiving $25 ,000 of the $761,024 for recreational programming and parks.
“What’s particularly significant today is, number one, that there is a record level of funding in the area out of this program which speaks to the work Alex did,” said Mayor Jeff Lehman. “And the fact that it was allocated towards the not-for-profit and government sector, because I believe by doing that it’s creating a lasting impact for the program and I think that is something to celebrate.”
The Canada Summer Jobs program is part of the Government of Canada’s youth employment strategy, helping young people gain the skills, abilities and work experience they require to find good employment.