Province willing to expand Jobs for Youth program again if necessary, minister says

The P.E.I. government says the number of businesses and not-for-profits that applied to be part of the province's Jobs for Youth wage subsidy program in 2020 was double that of previous years.

Under the program, employers and organizations apply to the province, and once they are approved for a funded position, employers can hire their own employee.

The province covers the full cost of a position in the not-for-profit sector, and 50 per cent of the wage in the private sector.

Communities Minister Jamie Fox said on an average year, his departmentreceives 350 to 375 applicants for the program. In 2020, the program expanded to support more than 700 applicants.

If there is a need there by employers, then we will react the same as we did in the previous year. Jamie Fox

The department is anticipating this year's numbers will be around 400, but said there isroom in the budget to expand the program again, if the need remains.

"That's the minimum. That's like we're sort of budgeting back. You know, people are coming out of COVID, so things are starting to get a little bit more sense of the norm," he said.

"If there is a need there by employers, then we will react the same as we did in the previous year."

In 2020, the original budget for the program was about $1.4 million, and with the additional applicantswent up by an additional $1 million.

The deadline for Island employers to apply to the Jobs for Youth program isthe end of March.

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