Hello everyone.

I hope everyone had a good Saint-Jean-Baptiste and Fête nationale du Québec yesterday.

For a lot of Quebecers and Francophones, St. Jean marks the beginning of summer.

Classes are over, diplomas have been awarded and summer jobs are starting, but obviously this year is a bit different because of COVID-19.

The reality is, there aren’t as many student jobs as there were last year.

And, without a job, it’s hard to pay tuition or for everyday expenses.

So, in April, we announced a $9-billion plan to help students and new graduates.

This includes the Canada Emergency Student Benefit, which will provide students with at least $1,250 a month until August.

We also said that we were going to create 76,000 jobs for young people in sectors that need help right now and introduce a program to award scholarships to those who got involved in their communities.

Today, we are following up on that commitment.

We’re launching the Canada Student Service Grant, which will help young people gain experience while contributing to their communities.

If you’re a college or university student, or if you just graduated and you decide to volunteer this summer, you could get a grant between $1,000 and $5,000.

The exact amount will depend on how many hours you work between June 18 and September 15.

To learn more about the program and to find opportunities in your region, please visit the Government of Canada website, where today we opened the “I Want to Help” portal.

As part of our plan to help students, our government will also invest $40 million to create 5,000 Mitacs internships for post-secondary students.

Mitacs is a non-profit organization that promotes collaboration between universities and the private sector. It is helping to train the next generation of researchers through innovative projects. 

Mitacs programs are usually for master’s or doctoral research students, but with the funding we’re announcing today, it will be able to increase the scope of its programs to include undergraduate students, as well as those studying medicine, law, and business.

For example, one of its new programs will connect MBA students with small businesses that are facing specific problems because of COVID-19.

Mitacs could also create new partnerships with organizations like hospitals, foundations, and municipal governments to create even more opportunities for young people.

This is good news, not only for students, who will be able to put their knowledge to good use, but also for business owners and the future of Canada.

Innovation is becoming increasingly essential to the global economy. To keep Canada’s economy strong and resilient, we need to invest in research and, more importantly, in the next generation.

We must ensure that young people have the right tools to work, innovate, and succeed in the economy of the future.

That is why our government will invest in Canada Summer Jobs to add 10,000 new job placements for students between the ages of 15 and 30.

We will also support the creation of an additional 20,000 job placements for college and university students in high-demand sectors through the Student Work Placement Program.

And to ensure that young people are well prepared for the jobs of the future, we are investing in the Digital Skills for Youth and Computers for Schools Plus programs.

Students are facing unique challenges this summer due to the pandemic. At the same time, many are wondering how they can help in the fight against COVID-19.

So, today, we’re launching the new Canada Student Service Grant, which will allow post-secondary students and recent grads to gain valuable experience while also contributing to their communities.

If you’re a college or university student or if you just graduated and you decide to volunteer this summer, you could get a grant of between $1,000 and $5,000.

The exact amount will depend on how many hours you’ve completed.

To learn more about this program and find opportunities near you, you can head to the Government of Canada website, where today we launched the new “I Want to Help” portal.

Our government will also invest $40 million to create 5,000 Mitacs internships for post-secondary students as part of our $9-billion plan to help students during this crisis.

Mitacs is an NGO that builds partnerships between universities and industry. With their training programs, internships, and projects, they help shape the next generation of innovators.

Usually, Mitacs caters to master’s or PhD research students, but with the funding we’re announcing today, they’ll expand their internship opportunities to undergraduate students and students in professional programs like law, medicine or business.

For example, one of their new programs will connect MBA students to small businesses that are facing challenges because of the pandemic.

The funding will also allow Mitacs to partner with more organizations like hospitals, foundations, and municipal governments to create even more opportunities for young people.

If we want to build a strong and resilient economy, we have to invest in the next generation.

We have to make sure our young people have the right tools to work, innovate, and succeed in the economy of the future.

In this vein, our government will invest in Canada Summer Jobs to create 10,000 new job placements for young people aged between 15 and 30.

We will also support an additional 20,000 job placements for post-secondary students in high-demand sectors through the Student Work Placement Program.

And to make sure young people are prepared for the jobs of tomorrow, we’re investing in the Digital Skills for Youth and the Computer for Schools Plus programs.

Minister Bains will have more to say on this later, but here’s the bottom line.

There are fewer jobs, and many co-op, internship, and community service placements because of the pandemic.

So, if you’re a student and new grad, we’re creating tens of thousands of jobs for you.

We’re making sure that you can still learn new skills, gain valuable work experience, make money for the year ahead, and contribute to your community.

Over the years, Canada has established itself as a world leader in innovation.

Our researchers and scientists are recognized around the world for their advances in the fields of aerospace, artificial intelligence, clean technologies, and health.

And since the beginning of the crisis, we have been able to count on them to help us protect people’s health.

That’s why we launched a research funding competition in April to mitigate the spread of the virus and its impact on our communities.

Today, we can announce that we will be supporting 139 research team across the country. This represents a total investment of nearly $110 million in COVID-19 research in the coming year.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen our hard work and sacrifices start to pay off.

And to continue on the right track, we need to be thinking not just about the next weeks, but about the next months and even years.

That’s what we’re doing with today’s investments.