By Conner Toffan

STEP program helps students get summer jobs

Jan 14, 2019 | 4:31 PM

MEDICINE HAT– If you’re a student looking to make some extra cash, the Summer Temporary Employment Program might be for you.

The program sets up summer jobs for high school and college students across Alberta. Since 2016, the program has set up nearly 9,000 jobs for students in the province.

Students in the program can work up to thirty seven and a half hours per week. In terms of pay, they still make at least minimum wage but this is not all coming from the pockets of the businesses, as the government provides seven dollars per hour.

“when times are tough and you’re not sure about bringing on that extra person, the wage subsidy can often time make the difference and help them hire that person for the summer,” said Alberta Minister of Labour, Christina Gray.

Medicine Hat Public Library Comic Con taking place May 4

2h ago

Young minds, big ideas: Elementary students learn about urban planning with 'Box City'

Apr 25, 2024

HERE'S WHAT TO KNOW

Summer pool hours extended and discounts applied as Big Marble Go Centre upgrades start

Apr 18, 2024

The province commits ten million dollars to the STEP program annually.

“Alberta’s students deserve good jobs and the best possible training. Alberta businesses deserve the labour resources that they need to thrive,” said Gray.

Another goal of the program is to provide small businesses a chance to grow.

“As we know, students often have lots of energy and vibrancy. So being able to hire a student and have that wage offset of seven dollars per hour can be a real opportunity for Alberta’s employers,” said Gray.

Often, the students that work a summer job through the program, will find themselves working at the same place after they’ve graduated.

“I’ve been visiting employers who were using the STEP program and the employers who were touring me were former STEP students themselves,” said Gray.

In 2018, the program helped nearly 1,400 employers hire 3,050 students for summer positions.

Shelly Drefs, Career Services Assistant at Medicine Hat College, believes the program is about more than the money.

“It’s so beneficial and it gives them hands-on experience related to their program so that they develop skills. It gives them exposure to different career pathways in their programs that they didn’t even know existed,” said Drefs.

The program is available for small businesses, non-profit organizations, public libraries, school boards, post-secondary institutions, municipalities, and First Nations and Metis settlements.

“The nice thing with a small business is that they get a real good sense of team, they probably get to take on a little bit of a broad range of responsibilities. They just get to kind of see and work with different kinds of people and just learn what it takes to run a small business,” said Drefs.

The deadline for business applications is February 8. For students they can apply anytime until June 15. For more information on STEP, you can visit their website.