Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Finance has just said this government is committed to helping students and youth find meaningful employment. Two months ago, along with my honourable colleague, Mr. Erasmus, I was pleased to announce a new initiative of my department called Working Together: Providing Opportunities for Students and Youth. Mr. Speaker, the funding for Working Together was part of the
Northern Employment Strategy just announced by the Finance Minister a few minutes ago.
This two-part program is aimed at helping post-secondary and senior high school students in their search for summer work, and at young people who have been unemployed for at least three months. Working Together provides wage subsidies to employers to help offset the costs of hiring students and/or youth with limited skills. Although the program has been in existence for less than two months, it is already a resounding success.
To date, 110 contracts have been written with northern employers. This represents jobs for 332 students and youth. The two-year program is expected to generate 10,000 work weeks of employment.
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Student and youth employment is a critical challenge for the Northwest Territories. However, government cannot meet that challenge on its own. We are pleased with the level of co-operation we have experienced so far with employers. We continue to seek partnerships with private sector employers, municipal governments, band councils and other non-governmental organizations to get more youth and students working.
Mr. Speaker, together, we can ensure that youth acquire the skills and knowledge they need to increase their employability and in the longer term, make a successful transition from school to work. Thank you.
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