Winter may officially only be less than two weeks old, but the MP for Nickel Belt already has its sights set on summer.
Marc Serre is reminding employers in the federal riding about the Canada Summer Job program where the feds help subsidize the wages of employees who meet certain criteria.
Serre says the deadline to get an application in is January 25th.
Serre says unlike past years, this year’s age criteria has been expanded to include young people aged 15 to 30.
The previous rules limited funding to students.
Serre says several types of employers are eligible for the funding.
They are non-profit groups, public-sector organizations like municipal governments and also private-sector employers who have a maximum workforce of up to 50 people.
Serre says all three sectors can use the funding to help fill labour gaps during what can sometimes be busy summers.
He says in the case of the non-profit groups, they are eligible for 100 percent of the minimum hourly wage while the public and private sector can receive 50 percent of the minimum hourly wage.
Serre says the program now also allows employers to track their application by opening an account on the Government Grants and Contributions Service portal.
Information on how to apply is available online at www.Canada.ca/Canada-summer-jobs or at a Service Canada Centre.