Young Canadians have been among the most impacted by COVID-19, missing important milestones and experiencing some of the highest job losses of any age group.

Budget 2021 invests to make life more affordable for young Canadians, places them at the centre of our recovery, and creates new opportunities for today and tomorrow. These new investments find real solutions to the problem young people are facing, and are part of our plan to grow the middle class, create jobs, and strengthen our economy.

Budget 2021 will also help young Canadians make it through this crisis by:

  • Waiving interest on student loans for an additional year, which would help about 1.5 million Canadians;
  • Providing more flexibility for the repayment of federal student loans, so no one has to make a payment they cannot afford;
  • Doubling the Canada Student Grants for two extra years to help over 580,000 students cover the cost of their tuition, school supplies, and living expenses;
  • Creating 215,000 new training and work opportunities for young Canadians, so they can gain valuable skills and experience in the workforce;
  • Creating a new Apprenticeship Service that will help first-year apprentices in construction and manufacturing Red Seal trades connect with opportunities at small and medium-sized employers;
  • Launching the Canada Digital Adoption Program, which will match businesses with digital trainers and create work opportunities for more than 28,000 young people; and by
  • Expanding access to supports, grants, and repayment assistance for students with disabilities.

Canada Summer Job

The portal for Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) also goes live today, with more than 120,000 full and part-time job opportunities available for young Canadians for a minimum of 6 weeks between April 2021 and February 2022. This important program helps employers create summer jobs for young Canadians across the country, and is part of our plan to help all young Canadians develop the skills and gain paid work experience to successfully transition into the labour market.

Please encourage your young constituents to visit http://jobbank.gc.ca/home for more information.