This program helps engage youth in agriculture with meaningful work
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Canadian ag employers looking to hire young people can apply for support from the federal government.
On Feb. 28, Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced the federal government is investing up to $3.7 million into the Youth Employment and Skills Program (YESP).
This investment follows $21.4 million in 2021 and $9.2 million for the program in 2020.
It’s estimated this latest round of funding will help create 300 jobs.
The program launched in June 2019 and has since supported the creation of nearly 1,000 jobs between 2020 and 2021.
Employers have until March 21 to apply for YESP support.
YESP works by providing multiple supports to employers hiring young people between the ages of 15 and 30:
- Employers that hire youth facing specific employment barriers will be eligible for 80 per cent of the cost of salaries and benefits, up to $14,000.
- Applicants will be eligible for an additional $5,000 in funding to address the barriers, including relocation.
- Depending on demand, the program will support 50 per cent of salaries and benefits for youth who do not face these barriers, up to $14,000.
The Canadian ag sector needs workers.
Approximately 93,000 ag workers are expected to retire between 2014 and 2025, totaling almost 30 per cent of the national ag workforce. And by 2025, nearly 114,000 jobs could be at risk of going unfulfilled, the Canadian Agricultural Human Resources Council says.
Engaging with youth and introducing them to careers in agriculture will help address these labour shortages, Minister Bibeau said.
“Canadian youth are the future of our sector. We need to provide them with tools and opportunities to gain experience to help them reach their full potential,” she said in a statement. “The Youth Employment and Skills Program helps eliminate barriers to employment for those wishing to pursue a career in agriculture.”
Helping young people find work opportunities is part of the government’s overall agenda.
The mandate letter for Marci Ien, the minister for women and gender equality and youth, for example, mentions she’s to “continue scaling up youth and student skills and employment programming and initiatives for Canadian youth, and create a new stream of the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy for Canadians with disabilities.”
“We all succeed when we open doors for young people to build their careers and dreams,” Minister Ien said in a statement.