POLICY. The MP for Drummond, Martin Champoux, denounces the federal government’s disengagement from the Canada Summer Jobs (CES) program while the amounts allocated for the region are, according to him, completely disconnected from local needs.
He deplores Ottawa’s indifference to act quickly to reduce the growing gap between available resources and the number of real jobs available in Drummond.
“The program has attracted strong interest in the region, as evidenced by the steady increase in applications over the years. For summer 2024, the total amount of requests we have received is $1.6 million. However, the envelope allocated to meet these needs only represents $639,982. This disparity is aberrant, because it means that only 40% of jobs will obtain a subsidy,” thunders the Bloc MP in a press release.
The EÉC program is an essential initiative to promote the employability of young people aged 15 to 30 during the summer period. Many local employers rely on this financial assistance to fill their positions each year. This year, 69 of them will be able to benefit from it. According to Mr. Champoux, the subsidy received from Ottawa is ill-suited to effectively support the economic vitality of the region.
“The federal government has been washing its hands of this program for a while now and the situation continues to get worse. It is imperative that he becomes aware of the increasing cost of living and the need to offer decent and competitive salaries to attract the next generation. Our employers are being left behind and our young people are being deprived of valuable opportunities to enter the job market,” he laments.
MP Champoux also expresses his serious concerns about this worrying situation, emphasizing that the lack of funds from the EÉC program jeopardizes the sustainability of the services offered by community organizations in the MRC of Drummond and tourist and seasonal businesses.
“Employers are furious and they have every reason to be. In many cases, it was not good news that my team and I had to tell them. Some day camps will not be able to fill all of their positions, while our market gardeners will have to redouble their efforts to carry out their activities. In addition to being severely affected by the labor shortage and current market conditions, it is unacceptable to impose this additional burden on them,” adds Mr. Champoux.
“Although some luckier employers can shift into high gear to post their positions and hire, it is not thanks to the federal government that we will propel our economy. It is imperative that it increases the amounts allocated throughout Quebec, particularly in Drummond. Such a blatant disparity between available funds and regional needs simply should not exist,” concludes Martin Champoux.
__
L’Express invites you to download its application. You will be able to continue reading your news for free, in real time. Don’t forget to turn on notifications!
Apple: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/lexpress-de-drummondville/id1575799821?l=fr-CA
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ca.journalexpress.app&hl=fr
