Small businesses in the Columbia Basin can acquire financial help to hire students for summer work through Columbia Basin Trust’s (CBT) Summer Works Program.
The program is being administered through the College of the Rockies and will help businesses offer full-time summer jobs for students in high school and post-secondary school.
Fernie business Happy Cow Ice Cream and Desserts has been a participant in the program for the last three years.
“This program has been so helpful to me as a new business,” commended Happy Cow owner Wendy Lyn. “I think it gives opportunities to young students that otherwise wouldn’t have that option and I know I wouldn’t have that option without this program.”
Lyn added that she appreciated the monitoring aspect of the program as it forces the students to commit to the job for their designated eight weeks.
“It really makes these students commit and take the job seriously,” said Lyn. “The way that this program works it gives students ownership for the work that they do.”
Entry-level jobs are eligible for a $7 subsidy and career-related jobs an $8 subsidy.
“We are really pleased with the success and continued growth of the Summer Works Program — it’s been positive for everyone involved,” said Lisa Kilpatrick, Senior Manager of Delivery of Benefits with CBT in a release.
Application is encouraged as soon as possible following the Feb. 19 availability date due to the popularity of the program.
To learn more about the program, visit cbt.org/summerworks2015