Government student job centres shut

Federal Human Resources Minister Diane Finley has shut down a program that provided in-person job search help for students each spring and summer, reports The Globe and Mail.

The Service Canada Centres for Youth cost $6.5-million per year. Finley said enhanced services are available on Youth.gc.ca, a federal website that students increasingly turn to for job help.

Roxanne Dubois, national chair of the Canadian Federation of Students, was critical of the move, citing high youth unemployment.

The unemployment rate for full-time students aged 20 to 24 grew from 6.9 per cent in Aug. 2008 to 10.9 per cent in Aug. 2009 and then fell somewhat to 10.1 per cent in Aug. 2011, according to Statistics Canada.

The unemployment rate for full-time students aged 17 to 19 was much worse. It grew from 13.2 per cent in Aug. 2008 to 16.5 per cent in Aug. 2009 before a slight drop to 15.8 per cent in Aug. 2011.

Overall, Canada’s unemployment rate was 7.6 per cent in January.

Looking for a summer job? Read 10 Summer Job Search Tips for Students