Employment portal launched to help link students with jobs this summer

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This article was published 29/05/2020 (2111 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The province has launched a new online portal aimed at connecting students with jobs this summer.

The free website lists all the provincial government’s summer jobs in one place, along with the jobs created through the provincial cost-sharing program to help kickstart job creation, Premier Brian Pallister announced on Thursday.

“Summer jobs are important for youth in not only helping pay for an education, but for building life skills and developing future career interests,” Pallister said.

“Employers also benefit from hiring students, who can bring energy and new perspectives to their operations and assist them greatly in rebounding from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Called Student Jobs MB, the website is a place for businesses, not-for-profits and governments to list opportunities. The website is an expansion of the student summer job funding announced in April, which provides up to $5,000 in matching funds for Manitoba organizations to hire summer students.

Pallister encouraged students to seek out employment, not just for the money but also for the skills and experience they provide. He said it will look better on a future resumé than having accepted federal financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

So far, 136 jobs in 24 communities around the province are listed through the portal.

Mary Brown’s Chicken & Taters has two jobs in Brandon posted on the job board, and Dominion Lending Centres Westman Mortgages has one job posted.

As of Thursday, the premier said, approximately 1,800 jobs had been created at nearly 800 employers through the provincial cost-sharing scheme for summer students, but he said he would “like to see that number go a lot higher.”

“I think that there’s definitely an opportunity for us here to do more and better. We’ve got lots and lots of young people out there who are going to be looking for work. The federal programs end at the end of June … but I would ask young people to consider the future,” Pallister said.

“We have July and August yet, you can earn some money working, you should be starting to look for work opportunities now and not just counting on the subsidy form the federal government to continue.”

When signing up for an account, the website asks what type of work the applicant is interested in, their availability and whether they are looking for outdoor or indoor work. Students can upload a photo of themselves and their resumé to go along with their account.

“As Manitoba restores services safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, students can be an important resource to help employers reopen,” Economic Development and Training Minister Ralph Eichler said in a press release. “This easy-to-use online tool will allow students to find jobs in their communities and will help employers connect with quality applicants.”

The website is available at studentjobsmb.ca.

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