Trudeau invests in jobs and opportunity for young Canadians

September 11, 2015

BURNABY, BC – A Liberal government will invest in young Canadians to help them gain the skills and work experience they need to succeed and contribute to our economy, said the Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, Justin Trudeau, today.

“During the Harper decade, thousands of young Canadians remain unemployed or underemployed, and opportunities are so scarce that many have stopped looking for work altogether,” said Mr. Trudeau. “This lack of job opportunities places a heavy burden on young Canadians and their parents. It is time to invest in our shared future, and that means investing in young Canadians.”

A Liberal government will invest $1.3 billion over three years – 13 times more than the NDP – to, among other things:

  1. Create 40,000 youth jobs each year for the next three years through a new, annual investment of $300 million in a renewed Youth Employment Strategy;
  2. Create 5,000 new green jobs for youth, as part of the renewed Youth Employment Strategy, by hiring more guides, interpreters, and other staff at Parks Canada, as well as partnering with environmental organizations to create programs that help young people tackle environmental challenges while gaining valuable work experience;
  3. Invest $40 million annually to help employers create new co-op placements for science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and business students; and
  4. Restore a modernized Youth Service Program, providing $25 million per year to help young Canadians gain valuable work and life experience while travelling the country, participating in community building projects.

“Under Harper, a shortage of good youth jobs has become the new normal. There are 170,000 fewer young people in the workforce now than before the 2008 recession, and too many parents are feeling the financial strain, forcing many to dip into their own retirement savings, or put off retiring altogether,” said Mr. Trudeau. “When it comes to helping young people launch their adult lives and enter the workforce, we can and must do better. Only Liberals have the plan and the team to give everyone a real and fair chance at success.”


Related product:

Backgrounder – Real Change: Creating jobs and opportunity for young Canadians