Office of the Official Opposition
For Immediate Release

St. John's, NL (August 24th, 2020) – – Paul Dinn, PC Official Opposition Critic for Immigration, Skills and Labour and MHA for the District of Topsail-Paradise, is expressing concern over the ability of residents to obtain help in furthering their education and employment opportunities.

“My office continues to hear from parents and young adults who cannot obtain funding for training and employment opportunities because they fail to meet all items on the eligibility checklists. The Department of Immigration, Skills and Labour provides a variety of services and supports to help individuals gain training and employment. However, there are still those who are falling through the cracks.”

Dinn noted he has heard from young adults who are hitting a brick wall when trying to better themselves, especially in this pandemic. Some people have been able to obtain assistance from the department but many have nowhere to turn.

“The staff with the department are outstanding but many times their hands are tied by restrictive eligibility guidelines linked to federal funding agreements. I have raised this concern in the past and in this COVID environment now is the time to take a real close look at some allowance for exceptions.” noted Dinn.

“Our environment is changing, and so should our programming. Programs and services should not be static. I truly hope that government will seriously consider changes. This is a unique time and programming needs to adjust accordingly.” added Dinn.

Contacts:

Bradley Russell

Director of Policy and Research

(p) 1.709.729.3668

BradleyRussell@gov.nl.ca

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