Youth employment in Thompson will get a boost with added support from Neighborhoods Alive!, Education, Citizenship and Youth Minister Peter Bjornson and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Steve Ashton announced today.

 

The province has committed an additional $40,000 from Neighborhoods Alive! to Youth Build, a youth employment program in Thompson which is in its sixth year.

 

“Youth Build is designed to help young Manitobans who are unemployed and not attending school full time to develop construction or other industry employment skills while getting back on track to complete high school,” Bjornson said.  “A total of 28 youth benefited from the program in the past year and several have gone on to find well-paying jobs in the community.”

 

“Students from Thompson are benefiting from the solid community partnerships formed between the Mystery Lake School District, businesses and not-for-profit groups,” said Ashton.  “Our government would like to thank them for their dedication and commitment to making a difference in young people’s lives and helping them become productive, educated and skilled members of society.”

 

Several community organizations refer students to the program. They are paid for 30 hours of work during the work-experience component and must attend 10 hours of unpaid classroom training each week.  Individuals are trained for high-demand occupations where labour shortages have been identified, such as in the construction and building trades industry.  Ongoing life-skills classes are also offered as part of the training.  Participants develop skills in the areas of time and stress management, communications, group dynamics, negotiations, job search techniques, interview skills, budgeting and banking, and emotional health.

 

Successful past projects have included renovations to community facilities and homes for lower‑income families, improvement and maintenance projects, and repairs to buildings used by non‑profit organizations.

 

The province partially funds a related youth employment project in Winnipeg and is working with community partners in Portage la Prairie to develop a new program there.

 

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