Post-secondary students facing bleak job market say they're left out of COVID-19 relief

Alex Squire was one of the lucky ones. She was set to graduate from university this spring with a job in her dream field nearly lined up.

And thena pandemic strangled the economy.

"With the uncertainty now, it's pretty much vanished," said the University of Manitoba architecture student.

She'sholding out hope maybe herposition with a newarchitectural firm will materialize, she said.

If not, she'll be among theCanadian post-secondary students who havefallen through the cracks.

Students facing a bleak job market have so far been largelyshut out of the financial programs meant tohelp people impactedby theCOVID-19crisis.

Existing programs don't cut it for all

For instance, the emergency benefit announced by Ottawa, which provides as much as $2,000 a month for four months, only applies to people who stopped working due to COVID-19, and not to students who are returning to work over the summer.

Employment insurance, meanwhile, is only available for those who worked enough hourslast year to qualify.

Squire isn't eligible for eitherprogram.

Without a financial cushion, she'll enter a workforcethat'sshedding jobs at a remarkable pace.

"I havethe student debt that I've accumulated over the course of my degreesort of looming over me," Squire said.

"Evenif I make it throughfinancially in the next couple of months,what happens after that?"

Alicia Kubrakovichwas picturing a summer where she could put her studies in Indigenous governance to use. She wanted to work in community oreconomic development.

"[I] actually did start applying early, but then with everything that happened by the time I heard back they already said that they weren't hiring anymore becauseeverything was shutting down," said Kubrakovich, who is originally fromPine Creek First Nation, about 100 kilometres north of Daupin, Man.

Many job postings are actually employers offering volunteer work, rather than paid opportunities, the U of M student said.

On Wednesday, the federal government tried to address some of thegaps in its relief programsby enhancing theCanada Summer Jobs program to get young people working.

The changes include a boost to the program's wage subsidy upto 100 per cent an extension of the end date for employment to Feb. 28, 2021, and the inclusion of part-time jobs.

Trudeau announces changes to the Canada Summer Jobs program

4 years ago

Duration 1:45

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government will cover 100 per cent of the wages paid by employers and allow students to work part-time through the Canada Summer Jobs Program.

"This helps a lotfor sure, but I think we do need to go further," said University of Manitoba Students' Union presidentJakob Sanderson.

"The more common studentstory is, 'I wasn't working very many hours during the school year,I was hoping to work full-time or quite a few hours of part-time in the summer, and now I can't,'" he said.

"We need to see something [established] strictlyfor that pool."

More than 24,000 people have signed a nationwidepetition calling on Ottawa to provide some income support.

Precarious work for students

Students looking forsummer employmentare often left with precarious work in the service industry, Sanderson said, which has already beenevisceratedby the COVID-19 pandemic.

He wanted to return tobartendingbefore starting law school in the fall, but he doesn't know if that's possible now.

He wonders if he'll have to defer his admission for a year, because law firms may face a hiring freeze and be unable to offer articling positions or summer jobs.

"That's pretty risky, but what else would be risky would be deferring a year without secure employment," he said.

Hisimmediate future is suddenly in question.

"I was looking at a number of optionsfor the summer and then COVIDkind of made me select 'none of the above.'"

The Canadian Federation ofIndependent Business understands students need help, but the organizationquestions Wednesday's announcement that Ottawa will pick up 100 per cent of the cost of hiring a student for the summer.

CFIB president Dan Kelly says it mayincentivize employers to hire students, rather thantheworkers they've recentlylaid off.

"That's not going to be a particularly comfortable HRmove in many workplaces,"Kelly said.

The Manitoba government recently announced it would suspend student loan repayments until the end of September to help students.