$632,913 has been awarded in federal assistance to create summer jobs for Kootenay-Columbia students, MP Wayne Stetski announced Friday, June 16.
The Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) Initiative contributes to creating jobs for students aged 15 to 30. The federal government provided $600,000 this year earmarked for youth employment in the Kootenay-Columbia riding.
Because programs like CSJ help to bolster local economies, Stetski said in statement that he took an active role in establishing priorities beneficial to his riding and allocating the funds accordingly. The NDP MP then requested and was granted an additional $32,913 to ensure that additional jobs were created in support of more than 130 projects throughout the Kootenay-Columbia region.
“I prioritized funding for as many as 192 student jobs in the riding, and gave particular consideration to communities with low rates of youth employment,” Stetski said in the statement
Stetski set the priorities for the region, including support for programs in tourism, technology, arts and culture, the environment and food security. The Member of Parliament assigned grants to eligible not-for-profit organizations, public sector employers as well as small businesses.
