TORONTO: The Green Jobs Initiative by Project Learning Tree Canada will receive nearly $7.8 million under the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy.
This will create 1,200 jobs for students; giving them the experience they need to succeed while helping to build a cleaner and greener Canada.
PLT Canada aims to grow future forest and conservation leaders through Environmental Education and Green Jobs. PLT said in a statement that Covid-19 has had a tremendous impact on Canada’s youth, with many summer jobs, internships, graduations, and other plans cancelled.
“With the support of this funding, we will be able to provide green job opportunities to 1,200 young people and help them move forward with their careers, shaping the future of our forests, and the wildlife, communities, and livelihoods that depend on them, begins with engaging youth. It is critical that we engage with youth today so that we can inspire them to become lifelong forest supporters and conservation leaders.”
The Government of Canada’s Green Jobs in Green Spaces Youth Employment Strategy offers a 50% wage-match to support green job placements for youth.
Project Learning Tree Canada (PLT Canada), in coordination with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Program Participants and partners, aims to fill over 1,000 green jobs in 2018 and 2019 to get Canada’s youth working in the woods.
These jobs will inspire leadership in forest management stewardship, build diversity in partnerships with Indigenous and conservation groups, and foster a passion for science-based research and education.
Through this process, a 50% wage-match will be given to qualified job providers that will offer work experience opportunities to youth in the green jobs sector, mainly in natural settings across Canada.
Projects can also, where necessary, offer other activities that help youth gain skills and work experience to prepare them for, and successfully transition them into the labour market.
Since 2018, we have placed over 2,000 youth into Green Jobs and have supported over 200 employers with wage matching across the country. Even more, in a traditionally male-dominated sector, we have achieved gender balance in our placements. We also continue to provide a great deal of support to Indigenous youth and others facing employment barriers.
Green Jobs youth indicate a satisfaction rate of 100% in their job. Plus, they learn many new skills, like fieldwork, plant identification, time management, research, report writing, and more!
PLT Canada is supported in part by the Government of Canada and our strong networks at the Canadian Parks Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative. Project Learning Tree Canada (PLT Canada) envisions a world that values and benefits from sustainably managed forests and the natural world.
Our mission is to advance environmental literacy, stewardship, and career pathways using trees and forests as windows on the world.