Business Over Breakfast Focuses On Opportunities For Youth

Oct 30, 2013

Central Frontenac mayor, Janet Gutowski, who is also chair of the township's Economic Development Committee, welcomed close to 30 business operators from the area for the annual Business over Breakfast event at the Maples restaurant in Sharbot Lake on October 24. The goal of event is to give business owners a chance to network and to advertise their products and services. Other members of the committee who were present included Central Frontenac councilor Tom Dewey, Janina Fisher and Jane Drew and Marcel Giroux. Also present at the meeting were Central Frontenac's New CAO Larry Donaldson, North Frontenac Councilor John Inglis and the Manager of Economic Sustainability at the County of Frontenac, Anna Marie Young.

This time around the event focused on work initiatives for area youth. Karen McGregor, coordinator at the St. Lawrence College Employment Centre in Sharbot Lake, spoke to the group about the different youth initiatives available to youth and employers in the area.

The first is the Skills Link program, through which youth identified with certain barriers that might include living in a rural area, lack of family support, or lack of a high school diploma can be engaged in work on a number of community projects in the area.

The second initiative is a Summer Job Service that offers employers a $2 per hour wage subsidy for summer youth employees who will be returning to school in the fall.

The third is a Subsidized Work Experience that offers employers a $10.25 subsidy for youth employees. This program is for youth and employers looking to find the right job fit and it is a short-term program that can last for up to four weeks.

The fourth initiative offers training incentives to youth and offers their employers either a four-week wage subsidy at $4 per hour or 10-week subsidy at $3 per hour.

The fifth initiative is a Youth Employment Fund that offers employers a four-month placement for youth with a $7,000 subsidy. It has additional requirements that have to be met.

The last is the Job Creation Partnership, which provides work experience to unemployed individuals for projects that can benefit the community and can run for 30-52 weeks. Eligible sponsors can include businesses, not-for-profit organizations, crown corporations, municipalities, First Nation councils, public health and educational institutions. Youth participants will receive $423 per week in pay. McGregor also highlighted some “additional trivia” about youth employment in the area and highlighted the fact that youth to date have completed and received payment for more than 70 community projects in the area, some of which have resulted in their full-time employment. For more information about these initiatives contact St. Lawrence College Employment Centre at 613-279-545-3949 and press #3.