Students ‘very concerned’ as Tories close job centres

OTTAWA – The federal government is axing its Service Canada student summer job centres, saying younger Canadians prefer to get help with job searches and résumé writing online.

The seasonal job centres help connect students with summer work, free of charge. In lieu of the centres, the government is expanding its online services for youth at youth.gc.ca.

“The number of students visiting the seasonal Service Canada Centres for Youth in person has decreased significantly over the last few years,” said Alyson Queen, a spokesperson for Human Resources and Skills Development Minister Diane Finley, in an email to Postmedia News.

“Youth across the country have told us they want to access more government services online, including help with job searches and resume writing.”

The move comes at a time that the youth unemployment rate sits at 14.5 per cent – almost double the rate for all Canadians – according to the most recent Statistics Canada job numbers.

By cutting the centres, the department is expected to save $6.5 million a year, Queen said.

The Canadian Federation of Students is “very concerned” with the decision, said national chairperson Roxanne Dubois.

“This is not a time to be pulling resources out of programs that help students and young people get jobs so that they’re able to contribute to the Canadian economy,” Dubois said.

“It’s actually the opposite. It’s a time to invest in that, to make sure that we can provide young people with those opportunities.”

While it will be helpful for some to have access to these resources online, many others – especially those in rural communities – might not be able to access them, Dubois said.

Youths will still be able to receive assistance in person at Service Canada locations, Queen said.