Manitoba launches online tool to match employers and students for jobs

The Manitoba government on Thursdaylaunched an online tool to matchstudents looking for job opportunities with employers who need help.

"Summer jobs are important for youth in not only helping pay for an education, but for building life skills and developing future career interests," Premier Brian Pallistersaid.

"Employers also benefit from hiring students, who can bring energy and new perspectives to their operations and assist them greatly in rebounding from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This new tool will help bring them together."

Student Jobs MB helps students apply for multiple jobs with the click of a button, the province said.Private-sector employers, not-for-profit organizations and governments can post jobs and connect directly with students, Pallister said.

The new website follows a student summer job wage subsidy program announced by the province in April. Under that program, employers can be subsidized up to $5,000 per student to hire as many as five students aged 15 to 29, with an employment period from May 1 to Sept. 4.

To date, 793 employers offering 1,841 student jobs have used the program, Pallister said.

"As Manitoba restores services safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, students can be an important resource to help employers reopen," Economic Development and Training Minister Ralph Eichler said in a Thursday news release.

Following a news conference to announce the summer jobs website on Thursday morning,Pallister took questions from reporters but offered fewCOVID-19 updates.

He said a rentfreeze implemented in March by the province could be extended past the end of May, but he didn't have any details yet.

He also said more news will come soon about wage top-ups for front-line workers.

Wednesday marked the fifth consecutive day with no new COVID-19 cases reported in Manitoba.

The number of active cases in the province is 14,with no one in hospital. The total number of people recovered from COVID-19 in Manitoba is now 271 and thenumber of deaths remains at seven.

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