The following is being distributed at the request of Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation:

Choices for Youth Congratulated by Provincial Government for National Award

Choices for Youth, a St. John’s organization that provides housing supports to at-risk youth, received national recognition today (Monday, October 29) for its Train for Trades program, which provides young people with hands-on work experience in the trades. Choices for Youth offers Train for Trades employment opportunities to young people through a partnership with Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation.

“This national recognition is highly deserved and I congratulate Choices for Youth for the innovative programming it is creating to help young people realize their potential,” said the Honourable Paul Davis, Minister Responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation (NLHC). “Train for Trades provides youth with real-life skills and work experience that can help them pursue satisfying careers, and NLHC is proud to be a partner in this valuable project.”

Choices for Youth is one of four organizations to receive the $25,000 award from Eva’s Initiatives, a national organization aimed at creating long-term solutions for homeless youth. Choices for Youth works with approximately 600 young people each year in the St. John’s area, providing housing, training, skills development, supports and referrals.

In 201O, the Provincial Government announced more than $560,000 in funding to support the administration of Train for Trades. Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation and the Canadian Union of Public Employees have partnered with Choices for Youth on the program to complete home energy efficiency retrofits on NLHC units. By the end of this year 150 units will be completed, and in the process, approximately 40 young people will have received hands-on work experience and valuable training from skilled workers in the construction industry.

Supporting employment opportunities for at-risk youth is in keeping with the Provincial Government’s Social Housing Plan for Newfoundland and Labrador – Secure Foundations, released by the Provincial Government in August 2009. The plan outlines a 10-year vision for social housing aimed at improving the housing circumstances of low-income households and helping create healthier communities.

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2012 10 29             1:15 p.m.