Friendship centre gets $1.3 million boost
Feds fund youth job training in Hay River
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Monday, March 13, 2017
HAY RIVER
The federal government is providing $1.3 million to Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre to train young people for the workforce.
The announcement was made at the friendship centre on March 3 by Northwest Territories MP Michael McLeod.
McLeod said the three-year project will help young people get the job skills and hands-on experience they need to succeed in the job market.
"Many young people looking for work now are struggling just to get their foot in the door, and more often than not they're caught in a Catch-22 situation - no experience means no job, no job means no experience," he said.
"Young people need a chance to show what they can do."
The $1,276,000 is coming from the Skills Link program, which helps young Canadians overcome barriers to employment.
Over the three years of the program, up to 60 youth in the South Slave, Dehcho and North Slave regions will receive training.
"The participants will have five weeks of in-class employability and essential skills training, followed by 15-week work placements in the trades and construction industry," said McLeod.
Shari Caudron, the executive director of Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre, expressed appreciation for the funding.
"We are very excited to start this program right off the bat in April," she said, noting Soaring Eagle is already working with a local company which has job openings for carpenters.
