Mr. Speaker, as this is the last day of International Youth Week, it is my pleasure to address the House on the many ways the government is helping young Canadians to obtain new skills and training to help them compete in the global economy and broaden their exposure to foreign cultures.
Through the youth employment strategy, six federal departments are investing nearly $35 million to help over 2,500 youth each year get this valuable experience. In today's global economy it is vital to end the “no experience, no job/no job, no experience” cycle.
These international youth internships and exchange programs are part of our answer to helping young people take control of their lives and to make wise career choices in the global economy.
These programs are getting results. To quote a recent participant in HRDC's internship program “This internship changed me from a graduate intern with no experience to an export market representative for a manufacturing firm at the cutting edge of technology”.
I encourage every young person who is interested in participating in such a program to contact their local Human Resources Canada centre or to look up HRDC's youth page on the web.
I have every confidence they will benefit from these youth projects and will learn valuable lessons that will last a lifetime.