The federal government says this is the first step towards support for students
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Wednesday that the federal government will cover 100 per cent of wages for students hired through the Canada Summer Jobs Program (CSJ).
The hope, he says, is that this new subsidy will encourage businesses to employ students and allow them to get work experience and earn income during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trudeau says this is only the first step.
“Today we’re taking a step in the right direction to help young people find work during this difficult time, but I want to be clear, we will be doing more,” he said Wednesday.
The CSJ is an initiative of the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy and works to get young Canadians paid work experience through their program.
According to the latest data on the CSJ’s website, 25,933 jobs were created in Ontario alone in 2018, and over 70,000 jobs in Canada.
The federal government will also extend the recruitment period for job placements to the winter because some jobs will start later than usual, Trudeau said.
On Monday, Trudeau addressed student concerns during his daily media briefing. “I know there’s also a lot of university or college students wondering what kind of job you’ll get this summer,” Trudeau said. “You need support now and work is underway to get it to you as soon as possible.”
That same day, the federal government began accepting Canadian Emergency Response Benefit applications for Canadians affected by the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The $2,000 monthly benefit is only eligible for students who have stopped work as a result of reasons related to COVID-19, according to the government’s website. But Trudeau said there will be more support for those who are ineligible to receive the benefits announced thus far, although the Prime Minister did not specify what that additional support would look like.
“If our economy is to get through this, we need businesses to survive and workers to get paid,” Trudeau said.