Canada’s prime minister has unveiled new details about the Canada student service grant.
Justin Trudeau says students can give back to their community while earning money for their post-secondary education.
“If you’re a college or university student or if you just graduated and you decide to volunteer this summer, you could get a grant of between $1,000 and $5,000,” said Trudeau on Thursday.
The exact amount will depend on how many hours a student volunteers between June 18 and Sept. 15.
Trudeau said the government will also invest $40 million to create 5,000 Mitacs internship. The money is part of the federal government’s $9-billion plan to help students.
“Mitacs is an NGO that builds partnerships between universities and industry. With their training programs, internships and projects, they help shape the next generation of innovators,” he said.
Mitacs caters to masters or PhD research students but Trudeau said the funding will allow them to expand to include undergraduate students and students in professional programs like law, medicine or business.
“The funding will also allow Mitacs to partner with more organizations like hospitals, foundations and municipal governments to create even more opportunities for young people,” said Trudeau.
Trudeau also announced 10,000 new job placements for students between 15 and 30 years of age through Canada Summer Jobs and 20,000 placements for post-secondary students through the Student Work Placement Program.
“If we want to build a strong and resilient economy, we have to invest in the next generation. We have to make sure our young people have the right tools to work, innovate and succeed in the economy of the future.”
