Released on February 20, 1995
Premier Roy Romanow said today that $11.2 million in provincial youthemployment initiatives will provide Saskatchewan's young people with
new jobs and training opportunities.
Romanow was joined by Education, Training and Employment Minister Pat
Atkinson and Environment and Resources Management Minister Berny Wiens
at a news conference to provide details of the programs announced in
last week's budget.
"Our economic situation is creating opportunities," Romanow said. "Now
is the time for young people to take advantage of what's happening.
The government has made a commitment to help them do so."
Under the $5-million JobStart program, the province will provide a
range of programs and services to help those between 17 and 25 get
started in the job market through job placements and training.
As part of JobStart, all youth employment initiatives, including access
to career counselling, will be accessible through a toll-free hotline,
1-800-59START. Other services include:
ù Quick Skills; in response to immediate needs, training
institutions will provide youth with marketable skills;
ù Work-based Training; employers will receive support services and
training subsidies to hire and train youth for new sustainable
jobs;
ù Grads in Industry; employers will receive wage subsidies to hire
recent graduates with specialized skills;
ù Youth at Work; job partnerships and employment development
strategies will give youth on social assistance a chance to
succeed; and,
ù Bridges to Independence for Single Parents; non-government
organizations will work with single parents to develop basic
employment skills and supports, such as child care, to remove
employment barriers.
"Jobstart is an integrated set of services, giving youth expanded
training and job opportunities, and matching employers to skilled and
enthusiastic young people," Atkinson said. "Training is recognized by
public training institutions and is linked to jobs that are available
right here in the province."
Romanow said the province is also retaining two successful employment
programs offered in the past. The Partnerships Summer Jobs program and
Public Service Commission summer student hiring will result in jobs for
an estimated 2,600 students. The two programs are budgeted at $4.1
million.
"Each and every young person has unique strengths and unique
requirements," Romanow said. "Our approach to youth employment
celebrates this by offering a range of services to address individual
circumstances."
Wiens said a $2.1 million investment in the reforestation program will
result in 200 additional seasonal jobs, largely in the northern half of
the province. This year's funding is almost four times that provided
in 1994-95.
"This translates into the planting of two million trees," Wiens said.
"It means employing people in forest nurseries, operating the heavy
equipment used to prepare planting sites, and planting the seedlings."
"Job creation is our number one priority. Having wrestled the deficit
to the ground, we can now really attack the job challenge with the same
tenacity and determination with which we have faced the deficit task,"
Romanow said.
-30-
For more information, contact:
Rick Pawliw
Education, Training and Employment
Regina
Phone: 787-5984
Allie Irvine
New Careers Corporation
Regina
Phone: 787- 7791
Janet Peters
Environment and Resource Management
Regina
Phone: 787-0799