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PAGE 4 March 1, 1985

 

 

 

Employment not promising

OTTAWA [CUP] - The federal
government says it will gain-
fully employ 95,000 Canadian
students this summer, with a
little help from big business
and a new $205 million stu-
dent summer job program. .

Flora. MacDonald, employ-
ment and immigration minis-
ter, announced Feb. 6 that
the government is putting an
emphasis on career-related
jobs for students this summer
in a newly created program
called Challenge ’85. She said
95,000 jobs will appear.

Of the $205 million, the
government will allocate $163
million for wage subsidies,
$30 million for loans allowing
students to create their own
summer businesses and $10
million for jobs in federal
departments and agencies.

The $205 million, though
touted as an increase by
MacDonald, is actually a de-
crease in the amout of money
spent last year when inflation
is taken into consideration.
The Liberal government spent
$201 million on Summer
Canada Works last year, the
country’s largest student job
creation program. It was elim-
inated in the Tories’ Nov. 8,
1984 economic statement.

MacDonald said she will
personally challenge the pri-
vate sector to create addition-
al jobs for students and has
approached chief executives
of eight corporations who pro-
mise to bring as many as
10,000 young people into their
ranks. The corporations in-
clude IBM, Noranda Mines
Inc., Imperial Oil, Northern
Telecom, Bell Canada and the
Royal Bank.

“This summer, instead of
offering pre-packaged feder-
ally funded projects that only
provide next year’s tuition
and little else, we are chal-

  
 

 
  
   

  
  
   
  
   
   

 
  

  
   

  
 

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lenging our economic part-
ners to join us in coming
forward with meaningful jobs
that improve students’ ability
to contribute to society now
and in the future,’’ she said
at a press conference.

The program also includes
four ¢omponents of the Lib-
erals’ Summer Canada Works
which roughly receive the
same amount of money as
they did last year. They are:
the $13.6 million Canada Em-
ployment Centres for Stu-
dents, the $2.3 million intern-
ships for native students, the
$13 million national defense
department’s cadet and re-
serve training and the $1.2
million RCMP law enforce-
ment and keeping the peace
program.

Two new components—work
orientation workshops and
business drive for jobs—will
be created. The government
will give $0.5 million to the
former in the hope of helping
disadvantaged high schoolers
and potential dropouts, and
$1.3 million to the latter to
urge leading corporations and
businesses to hire students.

MacDonald, accompanied
by youth minister Andree
Champagne under the hot
glare of television ° lights,
beamed as she said the gov-
ernment wants to expand-the
business drive next year if the
promotion proves successful
this summer.

‘‘There’s another dimen-
sion to this program, which
addresses the private sector,’’
she said. ‘’We’re saying if the
federal government is prepar-
ed to create jobs, what are
you going to do?’’

MacDonald brushed aside
questions about problems re-
sulting from the announce-
ment’s delay, saying she has
eliminated much of the form-

   
  
 
  
  
  

, |KOH-I-NOOR
RAPIDOGRAPH

er program’s bureaucracy.
She did not elaborate.

Opposition MPs _ following
the press conference and in
the House of Commons dur-
ing question period that day
blasted MacDonald for what
they considered an ironic and
hypocritical | announcement
coming shortly after the
Tories proclaimed 1985 as
International Year of Youth.

“| had hoped consultation
would have created an excit-
ing new program,” said Lib-
eral youth critic . Sheila
Finestone. ‘‘! am very dis-
appointed; there is nothing
new, no facts, no figures. It’s
all confidence and business.
Our young people are too
important to play political
captive with.’’

In the House NDP leader
Ed Broadbent asked the em-
ployment and immigration
minister why she announced a
program similar to the one
created by the, Liberals last
year, which she called _in-
adequate to meet students’
needs. He said he wonders
why she is simply changing
the program’s details when
the economic climate is the

   

 

 

   

TRIME

  

same or worse than last year.

“...is (MacDonald) aware
that companies in Canada
now have more than an aver-
age 30 per cent of employees
on lay-off? Why in heaven’s
name, when they already
have lay-offs, will they want
to hire students? The govern-
ment is leaving students out
there swinging and the min-
ister knows that,’’ he said.

MacDonald replied: ‘I can
advise the honorable member
that | did something last
evening which | do not be-
lieve he could have done...’’
The House filled with snig-
gers and catcalls.

MacDonald then mentioned
her meeting with the corpor-
ate executives and later said
to another question that she
does not apologise for her
“‘nocturnal activities’’ when
they result in 10,000 more
jobs for students.

Other NDP MPs _ pointed
out that the program simply
makes the private sector do

the minister’s job and that it
does not contain affirmative
action measures for women.
MacDonald failed to consult
the Canadian Federation of

Students, Canada’s national
student lobby, before she
made the announcement. The
minister is expected to meet
with the federation Feb. 11.
“It’s typical of this govern-
ment to say they will consult
with everything and then re-
fuse to consult with the most
significant group in_ this
area,’’ said NDP MP Howard
McCurdy, post-secondary ed-
ucation and youth critic.

CFS chair Beth Olley said
she was disappointed
MacDonald did not bother to
meet with the national stu-
dent organization before
drawing up the program but
hopes CFS representatives
will convince the minister to
increase the amount of money
available.

Though MacDonald did not
announce an official deadline
for applications, she advised
students to contact their local
employment centres on cam-
pus for forms. Last year, the

Liberals announced the fund-
ing for their student summer
job program in December and
set the project application
deadline for mid-February.

  
  
 
  
   
 
 
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
   
 
  
    
   

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