This release was issued under a previous government.
The program will support employers by providing wage subsidies for more than 3,000 student positions starting in summer 2016. STEP will help students gain valuable work experience while helping small businesses and other employers access a new workforce.
“Students hold the future in their hands. Their success is Alberta’s success, and we need to provide every opportunity to succeed. That’s why our government is following through on our promise to reinstate STEP. We are helping open doors for students to gain the skills and on-the-job experience they need to enter the workforce and be successful.”
For the first time, STEP will be available to small businesses. This is an important expansion of the program at a time when having a job is top of mind for so many Albertans. STEP will also be open to participation from municipalities, not-for-profit groups, school boards and publicly-funded post-secondary institutions.
“We want to support Alberta businesses and our future generation, and STEP is just one way we’re doing that. We are helping employers who want to grow their business, setting up our students on a path to a rewarding career, and building our province’s future.”
"Students are pleased to see the Summer Temporary Employment Program returned for summer 2016, just three years after the program was cut by the previous government. Not only will STEP once again be able to help thousands of students obtain meaningful employment experience, it will also make a big impact in the many communities across Alberta that previously relied on the program."
There is $10 million allocated for STEP each year starting in 2016-17. The program will subsidize wages paid by employers to encourage summer employment opportunities for students.
Work placements will run from May to August.