Released on June 16, 2011
As young people in Saskatchewan begin to look for summer employment, they need to make completing the Young Worker Readiness Certificate Course (YWRCC) part of their job hunt.
Young Saskatchewan workers aged 14 and 15 must successfully complete the course and print out a certificate in order to be allowed to work. Employers are required to keep a copy of a certificate in their files for each of their 14 and 15-year-old employees.
While 14 and 15-year-olds are able to apply for jobs and go for interviews before completing the certificate, they must provide a copy of the completed certificate to their employer on or before their first day of work.
"More than 5,600 young people in our province have completed their certificate since the YWRCC was launched in February 2010," Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Minister Don Morgan said. "It is encouraging to note that we have heard of a number of schools throughout the province incorporating the YWRCC materials into their curriculum. This ensures students are aware of the course and their rights and responsibilities in the workplace."
The YWRCC course materials are available in French and English at www.lrws.gov.sk.ca/ywrcc. An English version of the test can be completed and submitted online. A French version of the test can be requested from Labour Standards to be completed on paper.
Young workers under the age of 16 must also have the consent of their parent or guardian, are not allowed to work after 10 p.m. on a day preceding a school day or before the time that school starts in the morning, and can not work more than 16 hours during a school week.
To learn more about Saskatchewan's employment standards or the YWRCC, call 1-800-667-1783.
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For more information, contact:
Jennifer Veri
Labour Relations and Workplace Safety
Regina
Phone: 306-787-1331