SHIPPAGAN (GNB) – Investments totalling almost $450,000 will go toward job creation in Shippagan and Lamèque. The funding comes from the Youth Employment Fund, One Job Pledge and Workforce Expansion programs.
“We are proud to make these investments as they help keep our youth in the region and strengthen our workforce,” said Premier Brian Gallant, who made the announcement during an address to the Shippagan chamber of commerce. “These jobs will help businesses in the region compete.”
The funding helped 36 employers in Shippagan and Lamèque create 46 jobs.
Over the past six months, the provincial government has invested $247,000 through the Youth Employment Fund, One Job Pledge, and Workforce Expansion programs to support job growth in Shippagan. This funding has provided support for 22 jobs with 21 different employers in the area. Over the same time frame, $202,000 was invested in 21 Lamèque employers to create 22 jobs.
The Youth Employment Fund is a program designed to provide unemployed youth aged 18-29 with an opportunity to develop skills by providing them with a six-month work experience. The employers receive wage subsidies and the participants receive training and experience intended to prepare them for long-term employment, as identified through their employment action plan.
The One Job Pledge program offers eligible employers a one-year wage incentive when they hire recent post-secondary graduates in their field of study.
The Workforce Expansion program builds employer/employee relationships which promote the development of the unemployed by gaining skills intended to ultimately result in long-term, sustainable, full-time employment. Employers receive wage subsidies at a rate and duration that depend on the type of employment that is created and the individual employed.
More information on these programs is available online.
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