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NLIS 2
May 24, 2000
(Human Resources and Employment)


Youth employment programs heat up for the summer

With summer just around the corner, about 2,800 students are getting ready to take part in employment programs sponsored by the Department of Human Resources and Employment.

Students across the province will work in a variety of settings through the Conservation Corps, the Student Work and Service Program (SWASP), the Summer Employment Program and cooperative education placements.

They�ll do everything from perform in local theatre productions and run community recreation programs, to tour guiding, landscaping and tree planting.

Government relies on its partnerships in the community to deliver the award-winning Student Work and Service Program (SWASP). It�s a program that provides wage subsidies and tuition vouchers to help post-secondary students across the province finance their education while gaining relevant work experience. SWASP has received about $2 million in funding for 2000/2001.

About 500 SWASP job placements are created through Memorial University and the College of the North Altantic, while many other post-secondary students work in the private sector. These initiatives are complemented by the community services component of SWASP, which is supported by HRDC and delivered through the Community Services Council.

"The real benefit of our SWASP program is that students create their own placements," says MUN SWASP coordinator Jamie O�Keefe. "The student can go out and find the best, most relevant job. Students challenge themselves, and the career skills they develop will help them upon graduation."

Memorial�s SWASP program has won two major awards and is recognized for its innovative approach to bridging career development and education financing.

"Government is strongly committed to encouraging and supporting the future generation of Newfoundland and Labrador," said Human Resources and Employment Minister Julie Bettney. "These programs will help our young people gain work experiences that will have long-lasting benefits."

High school students across the province will also find work this summer through the Student Employment Program. About 650 students will be able to work with town councils and not-for-profit employers.

Media contact: Marcia Porter, Communications, (709) 729-4062.

2000 05 24                                                                         12:10 p.m.


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