FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OTTAWA, June 11, 2014 – The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) continues to be concerned about the lack of reliable labour market data produced by the Federal government. The Globe and Mail has recently reported that funding towards Learning and Labour Market Information has fallen by over 20% in the last three years. This is particularly troubling as youth employment and graduate transitioning into the workplace continue to be a major problems.
“We know that youth and recent graduates have double the rate of unemployment than the general working population.” says Travis Gordon, CASA Board Chair. “Better and more accurate labour market information could help students decide on what to study, where to live and inform overall decisions that would ease the transition from school to the work place.”
Students are calling on the government to fully implement the Advisory Panel on Labour Market Information recommendations. This includes creating an education section containing information that could be used by students and policy makers to make better-informed decisions.
Issues such as unpaid internships and underemployment continue to be a concern for all students, yet very little information is known about them. CASA believes that the Federal government must take a leadership role in developing accurate, reliable and accessible labour market information.
“With the rising costs of an education, being able to make informed decisions is more important than ever” notes Gordon.
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About CASA
Established in 1995, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit national student organization composed of 22 student associations representing 280,000 post-secondary students from coast to coast. CASA advocates for a Canadian post-secondary education system that is accessible, affordable, innovative and of the highest quality.
FOR INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Jonathan Champagne, Executive Director
Email: [email protected]
Office: 613-236-3457 ext. 222
Mobile: 613-266-2272