Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank the Châteauguay chamber of commerce and industry for the press conference it held on Monday, April 22, at which I announced the launch of the Youth Internship Canada project in Châteauguay. Under the direction of Isabelle Lareault, from the local Châteauguay employment centre, 15 young people, aged 16 to 30, will undertake a 16 to 30 week paid internship in the workplace.
In addition to taking part in preparatory workshops for four weeks, they will benefit from a structured program that will allow them to gain the skills that today's employers want, thereby helping them enter the workforce.
Human Resources Development Canada contributed $101,149 to this project. Thanks to the Youth Employment Strategy, the Government of Canada is pursuing its efforts and fulfilling its commitment to help the youth of Châteauguay participate fully in today's workforce.