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Prime Minister announces support for students serving their communities and opportunities to gain  paid work experience

For immediate release

June 25, 2020         

  Ottawa, Ontario       Prime Minister’s Office

Post-secondary students and recent graduates are facing unique and unprecedented challenges because of COVID-19. There are fewer jobs, and many co-op, internship, and community service placements have been cancelled. At the same time, not-for-profits are seeing an increased demand for their services and thousands of Canadians who want to be a part of the solution, which opens up opportunities for students in their communities.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced the launch of the Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG), which will support post-secondary students and recent graduates as they volunteer to serve in their communities’ COVID-19 response and gain valuable experience at the same time. The CSSG will provide these volunteers with a one-time payment of between $1,000 and $5,000 based on the number of hours they serve. To find not-for-profit organizations looking for help during the pandemic, post-secondary students and recent graduates can use the new I Want to Help platform, which also launched today. 

The Government of Canada is also helping young Canadians find paid work placements and get the skills they need to start their careers. These activities include:

The Canada Student Service Grant and I Want to Help platform are part of the nearly $9 billion in support for post-secondary students and recent graduates announced by the Government of Canada on April 22, 2020. The funding for Mitacs, DS4Y, CFS+, and the Business + Higher Education Roundtable also fall under this funding.

As part of its COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, the Government of Canada is providing support for students who want to make a difference in their communities, while gaining the skills and supports needed for future success whether that be in their studies or in the job market. This support also includes the Canada Emergency Student Benefit, and temporary changes to the Canada Summer Jobs and Canada Student Grants and Loans programs. 

Quotes

“Canadian students are looking for ways to make a real difference in their communities. With these new investments, we are giving them with the support and connections they need to have a positive impact during COVID-19 and gain the skills needed for future success. ”

The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

“Young people are powerful leaders of change and during these difficult times we need them to help our communities. The Canada Student Service Grant is an innovative way to provide support, helping students gain valuable experience as they volunteer to serve and strengthen their communities. This will also ensure students are in a financial position to continue their studies or careers.”

The Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth

“Students are passionate, engaged, and ready to make a difference. They face serious challenges as a result of the global pandemic, and these unique circumstances call for unique action. The additional investments we are making will ensure that young people not only remain connected to the job market but also have the tools they need to keep their eye fixed on a future of their choosing.” 

The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion

“Our government recognizes that digital skills, computer knowledge and work-integrated learning are huge contributors to the future of innovation and jobs in Canada. By providing youth with immediate support and connections to industry, we continue to drive Canada’s talent pipeline and sustain our innovation capacity to help mitigate the negative impacts of COVID-19 on sectors across the economy.”

The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

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Associated Links

PMO Media Relations: media@pmo-cpm.gc.ca 

This document is also available at https://pm.gc.ca/

 

Canada Student Service Grant

The new Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG) aims to encourage young people to take part in service activities that will help them support their communities’ COVID-19 response and gain invaluable experience.  

Administered by WE Charity, the CSSG is a one-time payment available at five levels, ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. The amount will vary based on the number of hours each volunteer completes, with $1,000 provided for each 100 hours completed, up to a maximum of $5,000 for 500 hours.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for the grant, participants must be 30 years of age or younger, a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or a student with a refugee status, and either:

Post-secondary students and recent graduates must register no later than August 21, 2020, to be eligible to receive the grant. Completed applications for the CSSG must be submitted no later than November 6, 2020, and participants will only be able to count hours accumulated from June 25 to October 31, 2020.   

Program delivery

WE Charity will help to administer the CSSG program by providing back-end support for screening, onboarding, and training, and matching functions, in addition to the disbursement of grants to eligible participants.

They will help tens of thousands of post-secondary students and recent graduates find placements with not-for-profit organizations across the country, including charities, throughout the course of this initiative. When the platform is launched, there will be more than 20,000 volunteer opportunities available with tens of thousands more to become available over the course of the summer. 

I Want to Help platform 

Not-for-profit organizations will be able to submit volunteer opportunities to the I Want to Help platform. Eligible and high quality placements will be posted on the platform, where students can search and apply for opportunities in their communities.     

In order to be eligible, a placement must:

Canada Service Corps 

Launched in 2018, the Canada Service Corps (CSC) provides a range of volunteer service opportunities for youth aged 15 to 30 across the country. Students participating in CSC placements, including the micro-grant initiative, can count their hours towards the CSSG. The micro-grant initiative allows young people to lead, design, and deliver service projects in their communities with support from partner organizations. To encourage more young Canadians to get involved, the government is also increasing the number of available micro-grants from 1,800 up to 15,000 over the coming months.

 

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