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New Incentives Help Business Hire Young Workers

April 5, 2018
By Bob Peters

Cornwall Ontario – Financial incentives are now in place to help Cornwall businesses hire young workers.

The Employing Young Talent Incentive offers business owners with an incentive to hire a youth, and should the business retain the person, another bonus after six months.

“We are making it easier for young people to find jobs with small businesses in Ontario, obtaining valuable experiences that will help kick-start their careers,” said Jeff Leal, Ontario Minister Responsible for Small Business. “Our plan is focused on creating opportunities for everyone, regardless of the barriers they might face, building strong foundations for our thriving local communities.”

The Employing Young Talent Incentive offers the following:

  • Small businesses with less than 100 employees, an initial $1,000 incentive upon hiring and an additional $1,000 retention incentive after six months for each youth hired through Employment Service.
  • Business owners of any size an initial $1,000 incentive after three months of hiring, followed by an additional $1,000 retention incentive after six months, for hiring youth who face barriers to employment through the Youth Job Connection program.

The program will be administered by Job Zone d’emploi in Cornwall, Stormont and Dundas. In Glengarry, the program will administered by GIAG.

“We are very excited about this  new  Provincially funded incentive and we look forward to promoting it to employers,” says Wendy Woods-Fontaine, Executive Director of Job Zone d’emploi.

Eligible youth are individuals between the ages of 15 and 29, unemployed, not participating in full-time training or education and legally entitled to work in Canada. Youth need to be registed with Job Zone d’emploi or GIAG.

“Ontario is filled with talented, skilled young people ready to start a career and contribute to their communities,” said Mitzie Hunter, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development. “These incentives will help employers recognize the potential of young workers, providing Ontario’s next generation with valuable learning and training opportunities as they enter the workforce they will help build for years to come.”

Small businesses with less than 100 employees can receive the hiring incentive immediately, while larger businesses will receive the incentive after three months of hiring.

Quick Facts

  • Ontario is investing $124 million to help youth aged 15 to 29 find a job through the Employing Young Talent Incentive.
  • The Employing Young Talent Incentive came into effect on January 1, 2018.
  • For employers who hired youth clients through Employment Service before April 1, 2018, the first of their two $1,000 incentive payments will be delivered as a three-month retention incentive rather than as a payment upon hiring.
  • About one-third of Ontario workers are employed by small businesses.
  • Between October 1, 2015 and March 31, 2017, more than 22,000 young people with multiple employment barriers such as lack of experience have participated in Ontario’s Youth Job Connection program.
  • To strengthen Ontario small businesses, the province is investing more than $500 million over three years in new initiatives that include lowering the small business tax rate from 4.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent, investing in youth employment, providing support for downtown main street businesses, and cutting red tape.

About Job Zone d’emploi

Job Zone d’emploi has been providing assistance and helpful resources to employers and job seekers in the City of Cornwall and counties of Stormont and Dundas for over 30 years. Offering a variety of bilingual employment related programs and services, Job Zone d’emploi is located at 144 Pitt Street in Downtown Cornwall and can be reached by phone at (613) 933-9675 or online:

 

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