I am pleased to announce the launch of the Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG) and the I Want to Help platform to support students, youths and non-for-profit organizations.
- CSSG will provide eligible post-secondary students and recent graduates the opportunity to serve their communities and receive a grant of between $1,000 and $5,000. They can count volunteer service hours from Jun. 25 to Oct. 31 toward the CSSG. www.Canada.ca/Iwanttohelp.
- The I Want to Help platform will provide post-secondary students and recent graduates access to volunteer service opportunities. Not-for-profit organizations and charities will be able to upload volunteer opportunities to this platform so that students can search and apply for opportunities in their communities. Volunteer opportunities must be for minimum of 2 hours a week for four weeks.
In order to be eligible for the grant, participants must be 30 years of age or younger, a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or a student with a refugee status, and either:
- enrolled in and attending post-secondary education during the spring, summer, or fall 2020 semesters;
- recent post-secondary graduates (no earlier than December 2019); or
- studying abroad and currently residing in Canada.
Students who received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) are not eligible for the CSSG. Students receiving Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) are eligible for the CSSG.
All post-secondary students and recent graduates who the meet the eligibility criteria will receive the cash award based on the tier of completed hours reached. The tiers are:
- $1,000 for 100 hours
- $2,000 for 200 hours
- $3,000 for 300 hours
- $4,000 for 400 hours
- $5,000 for 500 hours
More information on eligibility can be found here: https://www.iwanttohelp.org/en-CA/student/eligibility-student
Here is some additional information on the existing programs that help young Canadians find paid work placements and get the skills they need to start their careers.
- Student Work Placement Program (SWPP): A new investment of $186 million supporting an additional 20,000 job placements for post-secondary students get paid work experience related to their field of study. For complete details please visit https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/work-integrated-learning.html
- Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ): Creating 10,000 new job placements for young people between the ages of 15 and 30 through the Canada Summer Jobs program. New funding of over $60 million will help expand the current work placement target from 70,000 to 80,000, creating 10,000 more placements. The program provides wage subsidies to employers so they can give quality work experience to young Canadians and help them develop the skills they need to transition into the labour market. Thanks to Canada Summer Jobs 163 positions have been funded in Vancouver Centre.
- Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS): Creating over 3,500 new job placements and internships serving high-demand sectors such as health, community services, and information technology, and help other sectors to recover. Young Canadians can develop the skills and gain the experience they need to successfully transition into the labour market. For more information, please visit https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding/youth-employment-strategy.html
The above programs support students and young Canadians seeking to make a difference in their communities while gaining the skills and experience they need to continue to pursue their studies and be successful in the job market.
I strongly encourage youths in Vancouver to make use of these opportunities to gain valuable experiences, while having a positive impact in our community. I urge you to share these opportunities and resources with others.
Lastly, I hope you are staying safe and if you have any questions do not hesitate to reach my office at 613-992-3213 and for more information visit https://www.hedyfry.com/
Sincerely,
Hon. Hedy Fry, P.C., MP
Vancouver Centre
