Funding to support youth jobs in agriculture across Canada

Feb 22, 2024 | 1:29 PM

OTTAWA, ON – Youth jobs in the agriculture sector are getting a funding boost.

On Thursday, February 22, 2024, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay announced funding of roughly $13.5 million.

The money will support a new application intake under the Youth Employment and Skills Program (YESP). Officials said the agriculture sector needs assistance to support about 1,200 jobs for youth in the industry, which the funding aims to do.

The YESP provides support for 50 per cent of wages up to a maximum of $14,000 to agriculture employers who are hiring Canadian youth. Employers that hire youth facing barriers to employment will be eligible for 80 per cent of the cost of salaries and benefits (to a maximum of $14,000) and may be eligible for an added $5,000 to address specific employment obstacles.

MacAulay stated, “Young people are the future of Canada’s agriculture industry, and we want to make sure that they can gain the experience they need to have a long and prosperous career in the sector.”

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He added, “I encourage folks to take advantage of this program and the opportunities it holds – both for our youth and employers.”

The program supports the following employees:

Indigenous
youth living with a disability – including physical, mental health related or learning disability
racialized youth
recent newcomers to Canada (within 5 years)
single parent
living in a low income household
individual who left high school
residing in a remote, northern and/or fly-in community
living in an Official Language Minority Community
2SLGBTQQIA+

Employers can apply between February 26 and March 25, 2024 for their project to be considered. Officials said applications from Indigenous employers will be prioritized for the 2024-2025 program year. Application forms are available online.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now.

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by Justin Goulet