February 17, 2010

Pictured above Kay White, Ashley Trent, Angela Nash, Erica Olson, Chantel Beachman, Lyric Beachman-Pothier, Greg Rickford, Tammy Frenette and Kathrine Burris

KENORA, Ontario - Greg Rickford, Member of Parliament for Kenora, was pleased to announce on behalf of the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for FedNor funding for a Youth Internship at Women’s Place Kenora.

Women’s Place Kenora will receive funding of $27,000 to hire a Youth Intern to promote economic independence for women, focusing on urban Anishinaabe women and youth. The successful candidate will assist with research, marketing, project management and networking.

“I am proud that FedNor’s investments in the Kenora region are making a difference by helping youth gain valuable work experience as they transition from school to the workplace,” said Rickford.

As Northern Ontario evolves into a more diverse and knowledge-based region, there are more and more opportunities for Northern youth to contribute to its changing economic landscape. The FedNor Youth Intern program focuses on keeping our youth working right here at home in Northern Ontario.

This investment complements measures in Canada’s Economic Action Plan to help communities overcome the challenges brought on by the global economic downturn. Initiatives such as the Community Adjustment Fund and Infrastructure Stimulus Fund are important tools in the Government of Canada’s strategy to revitalize the economy of Northern Ontario.

By supporting people, communities and business through its programs and services, FedNor is opening doors and building futures for a prosperous Northern Ontario.

For complete details on Youth Internships with Not-for-Profit organizations see the backgrounder which follows.
For a full list of FedNor-funded projects in Northern Ontario, see: http://ic.gc.ca/fednor



Backgrounder

General Description:
The Youth Internship - Not-for-Profit Component encourages employers to provide young northerners with education-related job experience which would ideally lead to permanent full-time employment with the host organization or another Northern Ontario employer. The initiative does this by providing recent post-secondary school graduates with valuable work experiences in not-for-profit organizations who carry out community economic development activities and/or provide support services, information and skills training to entrepreneurs and small businesses across Northern Ontario. FedNor designed its Youth Internship Initiative as a way to complement the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy and at the same time continue to support business oriented, not-for-profit organizations in their efforts to create a positive environment for the growth of small business.

Eligible Activities:

• Incremental project-based activity in:
• economic and/or business development;
• community capacity building;
• business and trade opportunity development;
• strategic planning, feasibility and marketing studies;
• initiating marketing projects;
• conducting research and analysis;
• improving business competitiveness through training programs;
• supporting technological innovation; and
• commercialization of new technologies.

Eligible Applicants:
Eligible applicants include organizations located in Northern Ontario including the census divisions of Parry Sound, Muskoka and Nipissing. Normally, only applicants located in, and providing benefits to the FedNor area may be assisted under the FedNor Youth Internship Initiative. Applicants who can demonstrate a clear and significant benefit to Northern Ontario's Economy, but are located outside FedNor boundaries, may be considered for assistance on an exceptional basis.
Eligible recipients include Non-profit organizations, municipalities, First Nations and community economic development corporations, located within the designated FedNor boundaries.

Eligible Intern Criteria:

• participants will be unemployed or underemployed youth (persons under the age of 30);
• participants will have graduated within the last three (3) years with a degree, diploma or certificate from a recognized post-secondary institution. Exceptions to this rule will require prior written consent from FedNor;
• participants will be legally entitled to work in Canada;
• participants will not have previously participated as a youth intern in FedNor's Northern Ontario Development Program or in any other federal or provincial internship program with pay for a period of six (6) months or more;
• participants will not be related to members of the directors, officers or managers of the recipient unless prior written consent is obtained from FedNor.

Preference will be given to Northern Ontario youth. Participation of youth from employment equity groups is encouraged (Aboriginal, persons with disabilities, visible minorities and women).

Eligible Costs:
Eligible costs are normally limited to wages and benefits. Related incremental project costs may be considered on an exceptional basis. Only costs that are reasonable, incremental and which relate directly to the eligible activities may be allowed.

Funding Criteria and Guidelines:
FedNor will contribute up to 90% to a maximum of $27,500 of eligible costs for a period of up to 12 months or 52 weeks. Eligible costs are the incremental salary for the full-time intern and mandatory employee benefit expenses incurred by the organization. Agreements of less than 12 months or 52 weeks will be pro-rated accordingly.

The salary for intern and employee benefits are eligible costs while there is an “Employer-Employee Relationship.” Such relationship exists when a verbal or written agreement in which an employee agrees to work on a full-time basis for an employer for a specified period of time, in return for salary or wages.