Service Canada

NIPAWIN, SASKATCHEWAN--(Marketwire - July 21, 2008) - Brian Fitzpatrick, Member of Parliament for Prince Albert, on behalf of the Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, and the Honourable Rob Norris, Minister of Saskatchewan Advanced Education, Employment and Labour, today announced funding for the Nipawin Oasis Community Centre Cooperative to help local youth gain the skills they need to find and maintain meaningful employment.

"The Government of Canada is committed to creating the best educated, most skilled, and most flexible work force in the world," said Mr. Fitzpatrick. "Our partnership with the Nipawin Oasis Community Centre Cooperative will help local youth get the skills, knowledge, and experience they need to take advantage of the job market."

"Saskatchewan is filled with opportunities for those with labour market skills," Minister Norris said. "OASIS strives to enhance the quality of life of physically, mentally, socially, emotionally, and financially disadvantaged individuals to allow them to engage more fully in Saskatchewan's growing economy and in our communities."

The Nipawin Oasis Community Centre Cooperative will receive $81,589 in federal Skills Link funding and $49,346 from the Saskatchewan department of Advanced Education, Employment and Labour. This funding will provide 40 young people from the Nipawin area with assistance in determining their skills needs and help in overcoming their obstacles to employment. Seven individuals will continue on to full-time group employability sessions that will provide workshops on including problem solving, goal setting, conflict resolution, and WHMIS training.

This project reflects the Government of Canada's commitment to creating a strong economy for all Canadians. Through its Advantage Canada plan, the Government is building on Canada's strengths and gaining a global competitive advantage by reducing taxes for all Canadians, increasing competition in the marketplace, and building modern infrastructure.

Service Canada brings Government of Canada services and benefits together in a single delivery network. It provides Canadians with one-stop service they can access however they choose-by phone at 1 800 O-Canada, on the Internet at servicecanada.gc.ca, or in person at Service Canada Centres across the country.


BACKGROUNDER

Skills Link

The Skills Link program is one of three Government of Canada programs that help young Canadians (aged 15 to 30) obtain career information, develop skills, gain work experience, find good jobs, and stay employed. The two other programs are Summer Work Experience and Career Focus.

Skills Link focuses on helping young people who face barriers to employment. These young people include high school drop-outs, single parents, Aboriginal youth, young people with disabilities, youth in rural areas, and recent immigrants. Summer Work Experience helps secondary and post-secondary students find summer jobs. Career Focus helps post-secondary graduates develop advanced skills and find careers in their fields. All three programs provide a range of activities that can be tailored to meet individual needs.

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