Last summer, two students started their own businesses with the help of federal Student Business Loans. Erik started a company specializing in the sale and service of computers, while Tan opened a summer computer camp for young people. After a successful summer, the two youths merged their companies to continue their venture during the academic year. The result: their company now offers a range of computer services and employs five people.

Federal student summer job programs help to make successful ventures like this possible. The Liberal government has doubled its funding for student employment programs to $120 million, which will help more than 60,000 students find summer jobs this year.

The Liberal government has launched the Young Canada Works program, which will employ 2,000 young Canadians this summer and bring them into contact with Canada’s rich cultural heritage. Many of these students will work in parks, national historic sites, museums and other cultural facilities. Others will do work related to their studies, in another region of the country and in their second official language. As well, 250 Aboriginal urban youth will work in Aboriginal friendship centres, in projects meeting the needs of their fellow Aboriginal youth.

Other initiatives will give students experience in information technology. Over the next three summers, 2,000 students will set up Internet access and provide training for 50,000 businesses, through the Student Connections program. Students will also be employed this summer by Community Access and SchoolNet, two programs working to connect 1,500 rural communities, 16,500 schools and 3,400 libraries to the Internet.

Federal summer job programs include:

The Summer Career Placement Program: This initiative will provide subsidies to employers so that 45,000 students can find career-related jobs.

Canada Employment Centres for Students: About 1,000 students will work at 300 student employment centres, which help more than 350,000 young Canadians in their summer job search.

The Native Internship Program: Five hundred Aboriginal students will be able to acquire skills and work experience through job placements in the Department of Human Resources Development.

The Student Business Loans program: Students interested in starting their own businesses can obtain an interest-free loan (to a maximum of $3,000). This initiative will create 2,400 jobs. The loans are not available in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Ontario, where similar provincial programs exist. Applications must be submitted by June 21, 1996.

First Nations and Inuit Summer Career Placement: This new program will provide funds to First Nations governments and businesses, so that more than 2,000 Aboriginal young people can find work in their communities in jobs related to their future careers.

Through a wide variety of initiatives, the Liberal government is helping thousands of young Canadians get jobs this summer and gain valuable experience in the workplace.