OTTAWA, July 25, 2023
At least 174 more youth will have the opportunity to kick start their careers in the clean technologies sector with renewed funding for Career Launcher. Announced today by the Honourable Greg Fergus, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the President of the Treasury Board, over the next two years (2023-2025) Environment and Climate Change Canada, through the Sciences Horizons program, will provide an additional $5.4 million in funding to Career Launcher to support additional internships and pre-employment opportunities. This continued support reaffirms the commitment of both parties towards building innovation and sustainable solutions in clean technologies and related fields.
Since 2015, Career Launcher, a Colleges and Institutes Canada program, has helped over 2,000 young people participate in hands-on learning experiences, gain skills to find meaningful employment, and make a positive change in their community.
Clean Tech Internships is one of four streams empowering youth with hands-on work experience through Career Launcher. The clean technologies sector involves employers and jobs related to Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy and creating a skilled workforce to address the environmental challenges of today and the future, including fields like eco-tourism, and sustainable planning. Other streams are in natural resources, digital technologies, or those contributing to positive change using the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Career Launcher is now one of Canada’s most popular internship programs, providing wage subsidies and hiring incentives to small and medium-sized employers to hire young people.
Career Launcher is guided by United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 4 Quality Education, SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities, and SDG 13 Climate Action.
Learn more about Career Launcher.
Quotes:
“When they are set up for success in their careers in clean-tech engineering and scientific research, emerging scientists in Canada will bring new thinking and breakthrough moments to the most urgent problems of our time—the challenge of preserving biodiversity, and the global crisis of increasing temperatures. As we all work toward Canada’s goal of a net-zero future, specialized science-based internships will empower the innovators that can make the difference.”
- The Honourable Greg Fergus, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the President of the Treasury Board
“We’re so proud of Career Launcher’s continued success, empowering colleges and institutes, their students, and their partners to act on pressing social and economic issues. With each new year of additional funding, Career Launcher contribute to more to a greener and more sustainable future.”
- Denise Amyot, President and CEO, Colleges and Institutes Canada
About Colleges and Institutes Canada
Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) is the national and international voice of Canada’s largest post-secondary education network. It advocates, builds capacity, and drives knowledge to strengthen Canada’s publicly supported colleges, institutes, CEGEPs, and polytechnics. With more than 95% of Canadians living within 50 km of a member institution, and thanks to its extensive reach around the globe, CICan works to future-proof communities in Canada and abroad.
We respectfully acknowledge that CICan’s offices in Ottawa are located on the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe Nation.