Now that summer has arrived in Nakusp, many students are now working at various businesses throughout the community. Some of these businesses are able to hire a student through funding from the Canada Summer Jobs Grant (CSJG).
The grant is designed to focus on local priorities, helping both students and their communities. It provides work experiences for students, and supports organizations, including those that provide important community services. It provides funding to not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees to create summer job opportunities for people aged 15 to 30 who are full-time students intending to return to their studies in the next school year.
Taylor Aeichele is one of those students. She works at the information centre, and underwent an interesting interview before getting the job.
“They ask you a lot of questions about the town and what your favourite places are. You kind of have to love the town to have the job.”
Though it can be stressful, she enjoys working at the information centre.
“I’ve learned massive amounts and I’ve lived here for 18 years,” She said. “Meeting different people in here is so cool, I have people coming in from all across the world.”
The Nakusp & District Museum is another business with a student from the CSJG. Sharon Montgomery, the museum’s curator, thinks taking part in the grant is a good opportunity for students returning from university because it not only helps to create jobs in an area where there is a job shortage, it teaches the students valuable information.
“They get to learn how to run a business, how to make bank deposits, how to greet people, how to interact with people. It gives them a sense of confidence in that they’ve dealt with this before when they go on to their next job opportunity.”
Another local business taking part in the CSJG is True North. Their summer student, Max Brown is attending Selkirk College in Castlegar, studying recreation, fish, and wildlife, a two-year degree. While many of his friends are working for larger companies over the summer, Brown is really enjoying working for a smaller company.
“It’s really well grounded,” he said. “Community values are really strong here, whereas I don’t think you would see that in a larger operation. I always have grown up in small towns, and I appreciate small groups of people working together.”
Any businesses interested in applying for the grant can do so at www.servicecanada.gc.ca.