ANNAPOLIS ROYAL, NS, SEPTEMBER 14, 2010—Post-secondary education graduates will get an opportunity to enhance and develop their employment skills thanks to an employment project sponsored by the Government of Canada. Mr. Greg Kerr, Member of Parliament for West Nova, made the announcement today on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.

“In today’s environment, it is more important than ever that youth develop the skills they need to participate and succeed in the job market,” said Mr. Kerr. “Our government is proud to support projects that offer post-secondary graduates the opportunity to develop the skills and gain the experience that will help them reach their full potential.”

The Clean Annapolis River Project will receive $29,823 in Career Focus funding to support its Community Youth Internship Project. This funding will help two recent post-secondary graduates apply the skills they acquired through their education.

“We are pleased to offer local youth an opportunity to develop their career path in the environmental sector,” said Mr. Stephen Hawboldt, Executive Director, Clean Annapolis River Project.

Through the 2010 “Jobs and Growth Budget,” the Government of Canada committed an additional $60 million to the Skills Link and Career Focus programs. This additional one-time investment will enable more young Canadians to gain the experience and skills they need to successfully participate in the labour market while the economy recovers.

Career Focus is part of the Government of Canada’s strategy to create the best educated, most skilled and most flexible workforce in the world. The Government underscored this commitment in Canada’s Economic Action Plan. A key component of the Plan is to create more and better opportunities for Canadian workers through skills development. To learn more about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.

The Career Focus program is delivered by Service Canada, which provides one-stop personalized services for Government of Canada programs, services and benefits. For more information about this program, visit www.servicecanada.gc.ca, call 1 800 O‑Canada or drop by your local Service Canada Centre.