The P.E.I. government has lowered the age for eligibility of its summer jobs program from 16 to 15 for 2020.
Jamie Fox, the minister responsible for the Jobs for Youth program, said the change aligns the program with federal policy and helps solve a worker shortage in the province.
"We do have a job crunch, you know, there's unemployment rate where we need to put people into the workplace," said Fox.
"It gives children an opportunity in the workplace a little bit sooner and to get that experience."
P.E.I. has the lowest youth unemployment rate in the country, at 8.4 percent. The national rate is 11.1 percent.
The province is also moving the deadline for employers to apply to the program, from April 30 to March 31. Employers told the government the April deadline was too late in the year to get summer workers, Fox said.
CBC News · Posted: Feb 11, 2020 9:06 AM AT | Last Updated: February 11
