Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Cathy McLeod visited 100 Mile House on Jan. 16 and announced funding for local youth training.
The Cariboo Family Enrichment Centre (CFEC) received more than $260,000 from the Skills Link program to deliver group-based employability skills followed by work experience to assist 26 local youth.
Youth Employment Skills (YES) training helps youth facing barriers to employment – including youth in rural and remote areas – to develop the skills and gain the experience they need to find employment or the confidence to return to school.
"Initiatives like Skills Link help connect young people with jobs, while ensuring Canada’s economy benefits from their skills and talents," said McLeod.
While she made the formal announcement last week, the first of these two funded intakes began in November.
McLeod chatted about the value and level of success of the program with the local YES program students, facilitators Allie Valiente and Ryan Dugaro and CFEC program manager Chris Pettman.
The local MP encouraged their feedback to gauge if they think the funding is worthwhile.
Afterward, McLeod said she heard a resounding "yes for the YES" program.
The nine weeks of paid placement students receive, and the work experience gained while local employers provide training and mentoring time, seems to be "absolutely critical" to its success, she noted.
"If you have students [whose] life path shifts because of this, then it's money well spent."
Said Pettman: "CFEC is ecstatic to once again offer this well-respected and well-attended program.
"When youth make the decision to remain in the South Cariboo after graduation, as a community, we must ensure there are sufficient programs and opportunities to support them."
He added many students who found work experience placement during the previous intake (that ended summer 2014) are still employed today.
"In 100 Mile House, there are not many options for youth ... if it wasn't for this program there would be nothing here at all – zero options.
"Our struggle is just maintaining that continuum of funding for it."
It is often a guessing game on if, and when Skills Link funding is forthcoming for the YES program, Pettman said, adding some local youth "fall through the cracks" while waiting for confirmation.
McLeod agreed, and said she has been working toward making access to this funding – which has helped more than 179,000 Canadian youth since 2006 – a "more seamless" process.
The deadline for the next local YES program intake is March 9.
For more information, call 250-395-1850 or 250-395-5155, or pick up an application form at CFEC, 486 Birch Ave., or at Community Employment Services, 808 Alpine Ave.