Government of Yukon

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FOR RELEASE     #07-228
October 24, 2007

Yukon Government Funds Youth Recruitment Pilot Project

Whitehorse – Yukon’s Economic Development department will partner with l’Association franco-yukonnaise (l'AFY) on a labour market project aimed at young workers. Place aux jeunes/Make Way for Youth (PAJ/MWY) provides skilled youth with information about opportunities in Yukon and encourages them to seek employment here.

"The Yukon government supports PAJ/MWY because the initiative promotes Yukon to skilled workers," Jim Kenyon, Economic Development minister, said. “This initiative will help communicate employment opportunities available in Yukon.”

The program, which was originally offered in French under the title Place aux jeunes, is now available in both official languages and it aims to encourage people aged 18 to 35 to consider Yukon as a place to seek employment. Economic Development has committed more than $47,000 to this project.

"Place aux jeunes/Make Way for Youth is a success story that can serve as a model to other Yukon communities," Jean-Marc Perreault, president of the Association franco-yukonnaise, said.

This pilot project, which is administered through the economic development branch of l'AFY, includes projects such as the Yukon ambassadors’ program, which identifies and trains Yukon students attending post secondary educational institutes to promote Yukon as a place to work. As part of this project l’AFY staff people will attend jobs fairs across Canada to provide information to youth considering Yukon as a place to seek employment.

"PAJ/MWY organizes promotional tours in colleges and universities and maintains an interactive website featuring job postings and information on Yukon," Thierry Haddad, PAJ/MWY migration officer, said. "We are now able to make presentations and offer personal support services in English and French to target and assist a wider audience migrating to Yukon. This program will undoubtedly make a difference in our struggle against the territory’s labour shortage."

Economic Development works with the Yukon business community and other governments to support business development, trade and investment opportunities, and partnerships for the development of the Yukon economy. The Regional Economic Development branch assists communities and First Nations with economic development activities including planning, capacity development, opportunity identification, and research in support of economic development.

L'AFY's economic development branch, Réseau de Développement Économique et d'Employabilité du Yukon (RDÉE Yukon) provides individuals, businesses and organizations in the territory with a wide variety of promotional, advisory and networking services designed to stimulate Francophone economic development in Yukon.

For more information about PAJ/MWY visit their website at http://www.pajyukon.ca/. For more information about Economic Development in Yukon visit http://www.economicdevelopment.gov.yk.ca/.

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Contact:    
Roxanne Vallevand
Cabinet Communications
(867) 633-7949
Roxanne.Vallevand@gov.yk.ca		 Sunny Patch 
Communications, Economic Development
(867) 456-3913
Sunny.Patch@gov.yk.ca		 Bruno Bourdache
Director, RDÉE Yukon de l’AFY
(867) 668-2663 ext. 233
pajyukon@afy.yk.ca