Over $774,000 has been approved by the federal government to support the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) Program in the Kootenay-Columbia riding.
Local Member of Parliament Wayne Stetski says the program is available for a larger demographic this year, allowing youth up to 29 years of age to participate. Another change from last year is that youth do not need to be enrolled in a post secondary program following the summer which allows recent graduates more flexibility. Beneficiaries include eligible not-for-profit groups, community organizations, public sector employers and small businesses.
The CSJ program will create up to 218 jobs for 155 projects in 25 communities. Stetski says he looked at which sectors will most likely help youth get full time work. He says he also assessed each prospective employer on the quality of the proposed project and the work experience offered to youth, giving particular programs that hire indigenous people, the disabled, or ethnic minorities a leg up.
“I look at what I think are the really important areas that need to be dealt with through this. So that includes things like agriculture, things related to minority rights, minority groups, chambers of commerce, creating tourism opportunity.”
Participants include the Nelson Chamber of Commerce, the Kootenay Car-Share Cooperative, the Nelson Pilots Association, Camp Koolaree and the Central Kootenay invasive species society. Further south is the Creston and District Society for Community Living, Wloka Farms, the Creston Historical and Museum Society and the Kootenai Community Centre Society among others. Other communities involved include Crawford bay and Riondel.
