MISSION, BRITISH COLUMBIA - Mr. Randy Kamp, Member of Parliament for Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge-Mission, and Mr. Ed Fast, Member of Parliament for Abbotsford, on behalf of the Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, congratulated the Mission Community Skills Centre Society on the approval of its project to help 75 unemployed older workers to retrain for new careers.

"The Government of Canada is committed to creating the best-educated, most-skilled and most flexible work force in the world, and that work force includes older workers," said Mr. Kamp. "That is why we're proudly investing in the Working Beyond project, which we expect to benefit up to 75 unemployed older workers from the communities of Abbotsford, Mission, Langley, and Maple Ridge, and specifically help former workers from the processing and manufacturing industries."

The Society will receive up to $792,444 ($665,653 from the Government of Canada, and $126,791 from British Columbia's Ministry of Economic
Development) to deliver a project carried out under the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers. The Working Beyond project will provide employment assistance services, as well as a combination of other activities such as specific skills training based upon labour market demands, work experience, and assistance to become self-employed.

This investment is made possible through the two-year $9.7-million Canada-British Columbia Agreement on Targeted Initiative for Older Workers, signed in July 2007.

The Initiative helps workers aged 55 to 64 who have lost their jobs get the training they need to get back into the work force. Eligible workers include those who live in areas of high unemployment and/or single industry communities that have been affected by a plant closure.

In Budget 2008, the Government of Canada provided an additional $90 million to extend the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers until March 2012. This is above the original $70-million investment the federal government made to launch this initiative in Budget 2006.