“I would really like to see that parents of multiples get the number of years [of benefits and leave] as they have children. You know if you have twins to get two years, if you have triplets, get three years,” she told CBC News Monday.

More babies should mean more leave, says triplets’ mom.

Workforce training and support

In addition to supporting post-secondary students, Budget 2007 boosts spending on workforce training and supports. More than $41 million for workforce development and workplace programs has been added to Employment, Immigration and Industry’s budget to meet the needs of our growing population.

“Alberta’s economic success depends on our ability to attract, develop and retain a capable labour force,” said Iris Evans, Minister of Employment, Immigration and Industry. “Our investments in training and support reflect this government’s priority of addressing growth pressures and helping Albertans and immigrants participate fully in our workforce.”

This year’s increases to support Alberta’s labour force include:

* $30 million to implement Health Workforce Plan strategies to help address Alberta’s workforce pressures by supporting the recruitment, retention and repatriation of health care workers
* $2 million increase for programs to help Aboriginal people become connected to the workforce
* $2 million increase for English as an Additional Language training and bridging programs to help immigrants become attached to the labour force

This budget also invests an additional $7 million in workplace programs that boost investments in workplace health and safety, and labour standards programs and supports.

An additional $16 million will go to Children’s Services to help ensure parents who want to work or continue working have access to affordable, quality child care options. This brings total funding for child care to
$134 million, an increase of 14 per cent compared to 2006-07. The boost will be used to create more
child care spaces, recruit and retain staff, make child care more affordable and address specific pressures in the Fort McMurray area.

“This investment will help address the need to create more child care spaces and decrease some of the pressure parents, who choose to work or go to school, are feeling when looking for quality child care options,” said Janis Tarchuk, Minister of Children’s Services.

Key investments in education, training and workforce development aim to address Alberta’s labour force pressures.

A summer job – a stepping stone to a career

Canada Summer Jobs is a new initiative of the Summer Work Experience program. It provides wage subsidies to help Canadian employers of not-for-profit, public sector, and smaller private sector organizations with 50 or fewer employees create career-related summer jobs for students between the ages of 15 and 30 at the start of employment.

The initiative is specifically designed to help students having trouble finding summer jobs because of where they live and/or other barriers.

 Canada Summer Jobs is about:

• creating jobs that would not otherwise be created;
• helping students who need it the most because of where they live and/or other barriers;
• providing high-quality, career-related summer jobs.

Canada Summer Jobs is focused on encouraging not-for-profit, public sector, and smaller private sector employers with 50 or fewer employees to create jobs that not only meet their needs, but benefit young people who need jobs the most.

Priority will be given to proposals which:

• employ students living in communities with high youth unemployment rates; small urban, rural or remote areas; and/or high crime areas;
• employ students facing barriers to the labour market, such as those with disabilities, visible minorities and Aboriginal students;
• provide students with meaningful and career-related work experience as well as an important financial contribution towards their continued education and future;
• create job opportunities for students to work in organizations with social, community, health or environmental mandates.

Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ).

The Agricultural Processing Industry Employment Program (APIEP) provides opportunities for career related experience and skill training for students employed in Alberta’s Processing Industry. Funding is renewed on a yearly basis. Employees and employers must apply together for the program; Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development does not do any matching. Employees may approach potential employers and advise them of the program but cannot apply for the program without an employer. Employers must be processors who are adding value to a raw agricultural product; employees must be post-secondary students and must not be related to the employer. Employment must provide career-related experience for the student. Processors who hire a student for the summer will be reimbursed for one-third of the employee’s salary up to $500 per month. Applications are mailed out to potential employers in March and are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. The application deadline is April 16, 2007. The program runs from May 1 to August 31. The program’s primary objective is to provide summer job opportunities for unemployed Albertans.

Program: Agricultural Processing Industry Employment Program