OTTAWA, April 8, 2020 -- Today, the Government of Canada announced additional steps to support students and recent graduates during the COVID-19 crisis. The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) appreciates today’s announcement, but recognizes it will not help all students dealing with employment or financial hardship due to COVID-19. Today’s announcement makes several much-needed alterations to the Canada Summer Jobs program, including an increase to the employer wage subsidy and the allowance of part-time work.

“This announcement is welcome news for students or recent graduates worried about making money over the summer,” said Adam Brown, Chair of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations. “While we applaud the government’s proactiveness in helping young Canadians access the labour market in a time of crisis, we recognize that this is not a solution to every problem currently being faced by students.”

The Government of Canada’s announcement makes four main alterations to the existing Canada Summer Jobs program. It plans to increase the wage subsidy so that employers can receive up to 100 per cent of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage for each employee. Along with that, it plans to extend the end date for employment to February 28, 2021, allow employers to hire staff on a part-time basis, and allow employers to adapt their projects and job activities to support essential services.

“Supporting 70,000 jobs is a good step forward,” says Adam Brown. “We hope to see additional relief from the federal government to support students in this trying time. More must be done to ensure that students and soon to be graduates are financially stable and prepared for the future.”

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About CASA:

The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) is a national voice for Canada’s post-secondary students. Established in 1995, CASA is a non-partisan, not-for-profit student organization composed of student associations from across Canada. We represent 24 student associations, representing 380,000 students to the federal government of Canada. CASA advocates for a post-secondary education system in Canada that is accessible, affordable, innovative and of the highest quality.

Contact:

Jared Maltais, Communications and Public Relations Officer - Canadian Alliance of Student Associations

E-mail: [email protected]