Alice Wong, MP

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, June 12, 2009—Vancouver youth will benefit from the Government of Canada’s support of a local employment project. Ms. Alice Wong, Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism and Member of Parliament for Richmond, made the announcement today on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.

“In today’s environment, it is more important than ever that youth develop the skills needed to participate and succeed in the job market,” said Ms. Wong. “Through this project, and others like it, we are helping young Canadians facing employment barriers gain the skills, knowledge and work experience they need to reach their full potential.”

S.U.C.C.E.S.S. will receive $371,006 in federal Skills Link funding to support its Youth Employment Program. This program will help a minimum of 28 youth, all of whom face a number of barriers to employment, prepare for jobs or return to school.

“We work with many young people through a variety of programs, and many of these clients have lived in conditions that few of us can even imagine,” said Mr. Tung Chan, Chief Executive Officer of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. “While we cannot change their past, we can certainly show them the way to a brighter future. This funding will allow us to help young people overcome specific barriers, and empower them to make quantum changes in order to integrate into the community.”

The federal government is working with the provinces and territories, community organizations and other stakeholders to provide Canadians with the training, skills and opportunities they need to participate in the workforce and contribute to their communities.

Skills Link is part of the Government of Canada’s strategy to create the best educated, most skilled and most flexible workforce in the world. The Government underscored its commitment to this strategy in Canada’s Economic Action Plan. A key component of the Plan is to create more and better opportunities for Canadian workers through skills development. To learn more about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.

The Skills Link program is delivered by Service Canada, which provides one-stop personalized services for Government of Canada programs, services and benefits. For more information about this program, call 1‑800-O-Canada, visit servicecanada.gc.ca or drop by your local Service Canada Centre.

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