Alberta STEP program not on NDP's cutting board: finance minister

A program that helps employers hire students for summer jobs is not among Albertagovernment programsbeing reconsidered due to low oil prices.

"Lots of things have to be on the table because of the financial challenges we have," Finance Minister Joe Ceci saidTuesday during a teleconference call to discuss the finance ministers meeting in Ottawa Monday. "I just want to clarify that STEPwas not one of them."

• Alberta Finance Minister Joe Ceci warns spending promises in peril
• NDP would restore STEP to create student summer jobs

The Summer Temporary Employment Programwill be backin place this summer for the first time in three years, he said.

Other programs that were in the NDP party's platform, but not yet announced, will be reconsidered due to budget restraint, he said.

STEP will cost the province$10 million a year to subsidize more than 3,000 student jobs.

The program applies to municipalities, non-profit organizations, school boards,post-secondary institutions and small businesses.

The program runs from May to August.